These are some picture sent to us from a friend in Spain. His name is Martin Pickering and he came over to see us at Old Warden a few years ago. I let him fly one of my planes then, and said that he would be a great pilot one day. Martin is now a Spanish Champion. I would also like to mention a long time customer of Al's Hobbies, Alan Cunningham, who is also Martin's helper and I would like to thank him for all the hard work he does for us.

Martin Pickering, 19. IMAC National Champion in Spain 2007

I have always liked paper planes, wind up rubber band models, so one weekend at the end of 2002 when my father commented about a static model exhibition I jumped at the chance to go see them. On arrival I saw these amazing planes that looked real only smaller, and on reading the sign “Tomorrow you will be able to see all these models fly” it was again a must. After getting directions to the field, the next day we had a drive up and all I could do was ask where to buy one!
Following surfing the internet for a couple of months I finally purchased my first model trainer. And after spending another couple of months trying to figure out what things like quick-links where I finally got my first flight, and I was hooked.
Once I knew how to fly I started on a low wing trainer which I had a great time getting it to go as fast as possible and as low as possible. I then bought from a club member a sport aerobatic model as I had seen it was faster than mine, but on flying it my interest was more drawn to the aerobatics it was capable of performing. After seeing for the first time a fun-fly model hover, I swapped my aerobatic plane for a fun-fly and flew it for about 3 years, in which time I learned to perform to a certain degree of proficiency most maneuvers including the 3D stuff.
By now I had been flying for about 4 years and had seen amazing models in magazines and loved the IMAC models, so after viewing lots of videos I decided to get a Funtana 90 with which I fine tuned my 3D. By now I was living for flying, and one of my idols was Ali as after finding his web page and seeing his videos, y had something to aim for so I continued to try and push myself with my Funtana and my simulator. Back in 2006 the opportunity arrived through a great friend Alan Cunningham go to England for a week with 2 other members of my club for the soul reason of model airplanes. With Alan knowing how much I wanted to meet Ali, and with him knowing him from previous excursions, we went to one of Ali’s shops, where to my amazement, there he was in the back of the shop!
This was amazing, he was real nice guy and really helpful. Towards the end of our visit he mentioned that he would be flying at a model exhibiton, at Old Warden that same weekend, he gave us directions and we made the promise of going to see him fly. On the day we saw him fly some beautiful models with even better flying skills than what I had seen in his videos, truly inspiring. At the end of the day, unbeknownst to me Alan had arranged for Ali to let me fly one of his lesser models! When Ali turned round to me and invited me into the pitts area and handed me the transmitter, I thought I was just helping! When he told me that I was going to fly one of his planes, it was a dream come true, something that I very much appreciate even today.
Back in Spain after the amazing experiences I really started practicing hard and following a local IMAC meet where they had let me fly my Funtana 90, at which event I came second, along with some good friends at my club, we decided to give IMAC a serious try.
In the following month’s lots of investigation and price comparing, we decided the model to be a 33% Krill Katana with a ZDZ 120. Most of the accessories came direct from Als hobbies as they seemed to be cheaper than anywhere else, and to my amazement Ali offered me an addition discount on most of what I had purchased!

COMPETITION
Now put together it was getting close to my first competition. We had decided to go for National level at the first competition of the year the Linares Acro Challenge 07. Alan and myself where set for my first real competition. After the first day and two rounds I was 3rd, on the second day I had got into 2nd, with only the freestyle remaining. Unfortunately on this flight, not all went well, my receiver locked out on three occasions and I had no real option but to land immediately dropping me down to 5th over all. Even so it was a great experience and loved every minute of it, now I was not only hooked to flying, but to competing!
My next competition, at El Casar, Guadalajara, even though it never stopped raining all weekend, we were able to get one flight in, but this was not enough for the competition to be official, however we where learning as we went along and always improving. The next event at Valladolid started badly, after 7 hours driving to get there, on the runway, engine started about to take off, no signal! That very afternoon with the competition starting the next morning we found out it was the receiver that had locked out(not the same rx used in Linares in case you where wondering…!), but no one had a spare receiver… We had to drive to the nearest model shop over half an hour away to purchase the biggest receiver they had, a Futaba 147 PPM! Now I fly a JR 3810 transmitter and my model flies on 8 channels including the smoke, but with the left elevator on channel number 8! After lots of radio adjusting and no smoke available we managed to get it ready for the next day. Over this competition I came second in all four sequences by the smallest of margins, and on the final day without smoke managed to win my first round, the freestyle. This for me was as good as a victory, my first win at IMAC, even though it still left me in 2nd over all… Following sparking up a friendship at the various events with the current Spanish International IMAC champion, Luis Ramirez, we hooked up to spend a day’s flying at his field and he would give me some pointers. This was the turning point, until now, I had learned it all the hard way, and having someone behind you that knows how to do it and be able to correct you is an amazing help.
Asturias was the next trip. 10 hours drive each way! Following a practice flight in the morning, the competition started, here I won 3 out of the four sequences, 2nd in one of the sequences and in the freestyle, but this gave me first over all, this was the most amazing feeling, champion at National level IMAC, wow! Thank you Luis! Finally, the NATS. The big one! With my new caller Luis and full of confidence from my win at Asturias but not without nerves I am incredibly pleased to be able to say that I won all five rounds, giving me the 100.000 FAI points and the title of SPANISH NATIONAL IMAC CHAMPION 2007 In November it was also published that due to my results throughout the year I had also become the number 1 ranked national pilot in Spanish IMAC 2007.

This year I am very excited to say that I am part of the Al’s Hobbies display team for 2008.
The first competition of the year was in Murcia, where only three selected pilots from each region where invited to compete at the military air base at Alcantarilla. Even though a little rusty after the winter months, I managed to obtain, not without competition, the first place on the podium. This brings us to today, time to prepare and inspect the model and go flying and get practicing Many thanks to Al’s Hobbies, Ali Machinchy, Raúl Gómez Aldeguer, Alan Cunningham, and of course Luis Ramirez. Gracias amigos!