May Welsh - Bethesda and Bangor 23-25.5.2026
A free flight event in North Wales, now running for the second year.
We are lucky to have access to a number of spacious flying areas; a flat field and slope-soaring hills and a sizeable indoor hall. Read the event details here
The weather at our outdoor flying site.
Provisional programme for May Welsh
Friday 22nd:
Meet up for drinks and a meal. 1930 at Woodfired Shack, Bangor,
205 High Street, Bangor, LL57 1NY;
https://www.woodfiredshack.com/
Saturday 23rd:
All day flying outdoors
Evening meal - 1930 at ‘+39’, Menai Bridge,
https://www.plus39cafe.co.uk/
Sunday 24th:
0900-1300
Indoor flying
Outdoor flying in the afternoon
Evening: a meal out - TBC.
Monday 25th (Bank Holiday , UK):
All day outdoor flying.
Cost of event £25 per person
If you do wish to come and need a place to stay there are many options in the area. I have been looking at accommodation Snowdonia Mountain Lodge is good and conveniently located. Pant Teg, Tregarth, is also close. There is a Premier inn on the outskirts of Bangor. I'm not an accommodation agent, but if you need help finding a place, contact me on martin.pike.xray@gmail.com. For people arriving by public transport, the nearest airports are Manchester and Liverpool. Manchester has a train station with frequent links to Bangor. Local transport around Bangor/Bethesda can be arranged with other flyers.
Testimonial from 2025 :
A trip to the May Welsh. Just a note to say many thanks to Martin Pike for organising the May Welsh, and to the local fliers who were all most welcoming. I arrived a couple of days early to explore the area and stayed in a B&B. A gathering for pizzas on the Friday kick-started the social side of things The airfield visit on Saturday morning was a real bonus, and then we were off to the main flying site, which is in a spectacular setting. I managed to coax my battered 1970s Piper Super Cruiser into the air yet again, with a couple of hundred hand-winds on the rubber. It showed promise in the 30sec precision challenge with a first flight of 27secs, but faded thereafter and piled in on the last attempt. Will it be rebuilt?.. absolutely. Sunday was indoors, and whilst my one-off design flew okayish I was grateful to be offered the loan of a Hangar Rat for the comp. We even attracted an audience of youths on the balcony from elsewhere in the sports complex. Outdoors again on the Monday, where I got some engine starting guidance, and I learned that powered models need a much firmer launch technique than I'm used to! Overall, it was a splendid weekend and the spirit of aeromodelling I recall from my youth was very much alive and well. I look forward to more 'Welsh' events and I fully endorse Martin's suggestion to make a mini-holiday of it! Best Regards Simon
The competition rules can be found in the 2025 BMFA rulebook, FF3 Outdoor Rubber Precision on page 95, Peanut scale p 109, Pistachio scale p112, Indoor Open (flying only) p 115.
May 10-12 2025 Outdoor site - Bethesda
A wonderful site to fly from 1.5x1.5km without trees. Location link . It is however an upland bog, hard work to walk over. I wear wellies for retrieval even in summer. Models can be difficult to spot in the tall grass - keep an eye on where they land! Outdoor Gallery Here
