Peter Pine (the incoming president of AEFA 2026) thought it timely to remind members and those interested in AEFA of something of our history. Here it is.
What is AEFA?
The Australian Electric Flight Association is a grass roots association that supports model fliers who fly the electric way. It started in the 1980s as the Australian Electric flight Society and morphed in the 1990s to the AEFA. It has been modified over the years to meet the perceived needs of electric fliers but has always maintained a presence. See “History” on the AEFA web site for a fuller story.
The common thread over the years has been a magazine reporting on electric flying. Initially it was printed and mailed out, so a fee was required to cover costs. The move to digital removed this need and now it is free to join the AEFA! The magazine is currently produced by Mel Gillott, who lives near Nowra in NSW, and is called Electro Motive Force or EMF. Mel puts a lot of work into the magazine; you will receive it for free by e-mail simply by joining the AEFA.
The main AEFA event of the year has always been the National Electric Flight Rally, usually held at Easter. It started in 1988 and has been held every year since, moving to different locations around the eastern states. It is a jamboree of electric flying events and has become a gathering of electric flying friends that enjoy each other’s company and a range of simple events. The camaraderie at the NEFR is probably the main feature.
You can read the full history of magazine production and the NEFR here on our web site https://aefanet.com/about-us/.
The AEFA offers three other events each year:
The AEFA promotes and supports other electric flight events around the country; see the summary for a full list. These events are advertised in our magazine and on our Facebook page, and the results reported in our magazine (and added to the F5J Leaderboard).
Postal Competitions are a major item on the AEFA agenda. These are a great chance for fliers to practice these events, rather than just going out and boring holes in the sky at the local club field. It helps hone skills and maintains interest in the events.
Mel Gillott sends out QR codes for F5J and E-RES postal each month. You fly when you can and record your scores, submitting any three sequential scores each month. Making them sequential makes it more difficult than it seems. Fliers rarely achieve three maximum scores in a row. To join in send Mel an e-mail redshiftxyz@hotmail.com
Electric Old Timer (EOT) needs a special mention; the AEFA drafted and promotes rules in Texaco, 1/2A Texaco, Duration, Height Limited EOT and Vintage Electric Glider. You can find these rules on the MAAA Rules site by scrolling down below the rules for Old Timer Glow Powered events. To participate in the AEFA postal you simply fly three successive flights in your EOT class (or classes) each season (four seasons per year). You achieve the task and land at your leisure on the field; no spot landings or overtime. Ken Woodward recently managed the EOT postal scores and did a fine job, but now Bob Hickman has graciously taken over recording your scores even though he is not well. To join in e-mail Bob on bobhickman9@gmail.com
The AEFA pioneered events in F5J in Australia when the rules first became popular overseas. The initial rules were drafted By Palo Lishak in Slovakia and ushered in to the FAI Sporting Code by Emil Giezendanner (Switzerland – chairman FAI sub-committee for electric flight) and Kevin Dodd (Australia – technical secretary to the FAI electric sub-committee) in 2012. It is uncanny that Australia was involved in the world-wide acceptance of F5J, and Kevin, as the MAAA delegate to the FAI, would have been aware of the burgeoning of F5J events in Australia, largely led by the AEFA. I think the AEFA can claim a little input here on the world stage!
In 2010 the AEFA started F5J events at Picton just south of Sydney with the help of Richard Solomons and Robert Watson, pre-empting their adoption by the FAI two years later. The simple Alti height device and hand-held reader were first used for these events. The AEFA then pioneered F5J events elsewhere, like the NEFR and events held at fields in Canberra, around regional Queensland locations, the Sailplane Expo in Armidale, etc. F5J has now become the prime electric gliding event all over the world with World Championships held every two years, commencing in Slovakia in 2019.
To help promote F5J the AEFA started an F5J Leaderboard. Terry Scolari started it, and it is now managed by Bob Ash in Tamworth. Bob takes any F5J events recorded in Gliderscore and ranks all fliers awarding points depending on how many people are below each flier in the results. This is not a high-stakes chart; there are no sheep stations at risk. It is simply a promotions tool. Fliers are always keen to see where they sit on the leaderboard.
Several electric flight rules have been created by the AEFA. Limited Electric Glider (LEG) started at the NEFR and grew out of the 7-cell Glider rules (when nicads were the motive power). The rules needed to change slightly when LiPos became popular, but the basic premise is similar; fly for 5 minutes, use as little motor as possible and land on the spot (see the rules on the AEFA web site).
When RES Glider rules became popular overseas, the AEFA researched all the variations and complied a set of E-RES rules for simple two metre wingspan gliders of basic construction with rudder/elevator/spoiler controls (with spoilers optional). This has become the standard simple electric glider class now, taking over from LEG. The event is now used at many club comps, in the AEFA postals, and at the NEFR, Sailplane Expo, Hunter Valley Champs, Tamworth Gliderfest, etc.
Long before all that, the rules for Electric Old Timer were worked out by the AEFA based on those for glow-motor powered Old Timer. The AEFA was at pains to maintain the spirit of the OT rules without quibbling over fine details. Ways of judging the use of energy in Texaco for example were calculated. The rules have proved effective and are now adopted by the MAAA and have been added to their online rules repository.
The heavy involvement of the AEFA in all these events resulted in the MAAA granting SIG (Special Interest Group) status. This means that the AEFA became the prime association for Electric Gliding in Australia and advises the MAAA on all matters pertaining to that interest group. This includes rule discussions (briefing our FAI delegate) and World Championship Team Selection in F5J and F5B.
The AEFA is currently managing the team selection for the 2027 F5J World Championships to be held in the USA, in conjunction with the LSF. Three events have been nominated for aspirants to attend; the Milang F5J Open International conducted by the Southern Soaring League in South Australia, the LSF Tournament at Jerilderie and the F5J State Champs (and F5J Trophy) event held in Armidale by Hutton Oddy. Aspirant’s best two scores from these three events will count towards selection of the team. There are currently seven aspirants trying out for three positions.
The AEFA is also managing the staging of the F5B World Championships in Mareeba, Queensland after a successful bid for the event by Brett Solanov. Funds to support the bid came from the surplus funds from a previous WC; the F5B World Champs held in Wangaratta, Victoria in 1994. The event was scheduled for later this year but has been postponed to 2028 because of the international turmoil at the present time.
The AEFA web site quoted in the summary and a Facebook page are used to publicise all these activities of the AEFA; look them up.
The AEFA currently has 442 members and is free to join. If the reader is not a member, may we encourage you to join today by going to https://aefanet.com/membership/ on this website.
If you are a member, we ask you to publicise the work of the AEFA to your fellow fliers and club members. Encourage them to join in the Postal Events and the grass roots events conducted by the AEFA. You and they will be welcome!
Peter Pine
President AEFA
July 2026
