27/8/2026 - Mario A and Graupner Robin.

7/08/2026 - Saad with a new YAK 54 from Seagull Models to maiden.

07/08/2006 - Saad’s Yak 54 up close.

07/08/2006 - Tuning prior to maiden.

07/08/2006 - Post maiden - all is well.

07/08/2006 - Yak 54 post maiden.

07/08/2006 - Saad with Extra 330SC

31/07/2026 - Nick C with a striking Daultless dive bomber.

31/07/2026 - The Dauntless up close.

31/07/2026 - Dale L’s new scratch built wing.

31/07/2026 - Dale L and new wing turning a stick into a glider!

31/07/2026 - David W, Dale L, Bill S, and Chris C admire Dale’s ingenuity.

Note - Hover for captions and resize the screen to see the full image if cropped on your device.

SEMAC NEwS AUG - SEP 2026

Notes from the ANNUAL general Meeting Held 4 AUGUST 2026, 7:30 pm
Dingley Community Centre
Chair: Petro Georgiou

1. Welcome

Petro Georgiou welcomed the members and thanked them for coming. There were 15 members present and no visitors in attendance. Apologies: David Wheeler, Rod Clipstone, Nick Cracknell

2. Minutes from the Previous AGM

Minutes of the last meeting were distributed in August 2025. The motion to accept the minutes was moved by Greg H, seconded by Mark H, and carried. There was no business arising from those minutes.

3. President's Report - Petro Georgiou

Petro thanked the members for coming to the Annual General Meeting and highlighted the following achievements over the past 12 months:

Christmas Party: This was enjoyed by all who attended. Thanks go to Len S. and his wife Julie, plus Eddie H and Geoff B for the catering.
Committee Meetings: Six meetings were held through the year. Petro thanked everyone on the committee for their work throughout the year.
Solar Powered Charging: This was a major undertaking and a major achievement. Thanks go to Peter Z for his work and expertise in creating a facility which has been well utilized and very much appreciated by all at SEMAC.
ATCO Installation: Thanks go to Phil G for donating the ATCO and to his son Matt together with Eddie H for getting the ATCO to SEMAC. Special mention was made to Glen of MX who got the ATCO truck out of the MX mud.
Subaru Acquisition: Thanks go to David B for donating the vehicle, which will enable the club to cart water and keep the runways and surroundings green in the summer. The cost was $300 plus $100 for mechanical checks.
1000' Ceiling: This was approved by the MAAA/VMAA and ensures the club stays on the CASA maps and is not restricted to 300'. Thanks go to Geoff M for completing the paperwork, and to Petro G who completed the arduous task of notifying all neighbouring CASA airstrips.
Can Collection: This continues to fund BBQs through the year, and the surplus goes into the building club's finances. Thanks go to David B for all his work taking cans to the collection points.
Hot Water Service: David B is working on this, and it will be another welcome addition at SEMAC.
Plane Sale: SEMAC was donated a large collection of planes from a deceased flier's estate. The sale of those planes raised approximately $1,500. Thanks go to Chris Z for storing them prior to the sale.
Visual Rights Group Fine: SEMAC was found to have a photograph belonging to the Herald-Sun on its website and was fined $500. This was subsequently reduced to $400 thanks to the efforts of Secretary David W. The website has been checked and only photos taken by members are now on the site.
Flightline Move: Chris C, Bill S, and David W moved the flightline two meters away from the runways, and Eddie H subsequently provided grass over the bare areas. This was done on the advice of Les Marriner of the VMAA and has proven to be a success.
Gas Bottles: Thanks go to David B for providing these and the burner. These provided some welcome warmth during a cold winter. Members are reminded to be careful not to get too close.

4. Treasurer's Report - Petro Georgiou on behalf of Rod Clipstone

Membership: Currently consists of 38 Full members, 4 Associate members, and 1 Junior member.
Financials: Income for 2025/26 was $13,823 and expenditure was $7,462, giving a surplus of $5,361 to the club (excluding MAAA/VMAA fees).
Major Expenses: The main items of expenditure were field maintenance, mower maintenance, and web hosting.
Bank Balance: Available on request.

5. Election of Office Bearers - Petro Georgiou

The existing committee members were nominated for their existing positions and all accepted their nominations. No other nominations were received. As a result, no elections are required and the 2025/26 committee will continue on unchanged.

6. Awards - Petro Georgiou

Gift Cards: Gift cards were presented to Peter Z, David B, and Phil G as thanks for all their work through 2025-26.
Special Mentions: A special mention was made to Gary C for his plane donation and to Mario A for his work as an instructor over a very long period.

7. Other News - Petro Georgiou

Neighbour Relations: Bob, the neighbour to the south, has left and new people have taken over. David W has met Nathan, the new operator, and Nathan is accepting of our activities. Still, all members need to be mindful to turn at the chevrons so as not to fly over the south boundary.
Gate 2 Safety: The first gate inside MX must be closed at all times. There was an incident involving a calf getting into MX's area, which reinforces the need to always close the gate after both entry and exit.
ATCO Upgrades: Petro has commenced the cleaning of the ATCO. The existing flooring will be removed, the floor repaired, and new linoleum laid down.
Runway Access: Nick C has done some work on a new approach into the North-South runway.
Radio Interference: Tim Morland of the VMAA has scanned for interference using a spectrum analyser after a number of planes went off air. David B has purchased a spectrum analyser but will not use it when people are flying. Geoff M noted that logging, if available on a radio (such as FrSky), should be used to look for dropouts when interference occurs.
Pie Warmer: Petro has a pie warmer for trial and a suitable pie supplier has been located.
Fire Wood: If any volunteers could swing by Advanced Trusses and collect wood that would be great.
Hobby Shops: The Hobby Man has closed and Metro Hobbies at Ferntree Gully is now principally an online store. XCRC at Blackburn North is still operating despite the death of the owner Xerces' wife. XC-RC is now really the only local source of fuel.
MAAA Member Retention Proposal: Geoff M attended a Zoom presentation for all Victorian clubs hosted by Mark Penno, a former marketing executive from Queensland. He surveyed 151 members of the MAAA who left in their first year. His proposal was to spend $97,000 improving the MAAA brand and creating materials like a mentoring guide, a club president toolkit, and a schools engagement program to retain more members. Of approximately 680 new members last year, around 50% of new juniors and 20% of seniors left in their first year. At the end of the presentation, a suggestion was made to investigate which clubs were losing the most new members as a more effective way to tackle the problem. SEMAC members present at the Annual General Meeting, by a show of hands, voted not to support the proposal.

8. Closure

The meeting closed at approximately 9:00pm and was followed by a pizza supper.