HISTORY AND AIMS
The Association was formed in January 1948 by Gp Capt A J M Smyth (pictured left), Wg Cdr Beaumann and AVM Ledger. The first President was Air Chf Mshl Sir Ralph Cochrane, who retired in 1952 and one of the first Vice-Presidents was the late F S Smythe. Since its inception the Association has organised numerous meets and expeditions in a variety of locations, including Switzerland, France, Norway, Turkey, Ellesmere Island, New Zealand, Bolivia, Greenland, Canada and the Himalayas (India & Nepal).
The primary object of the Association is to promote the efficiency of the RAF by providing the opportunity to indulge in the sport of mountaineering, thereby encouraging physical fitness and the development of initiative and independence among its members. The subsidiary objects of the Association area to encourage mountaineering in the RAF and to arrange expeditions and meets at home and abroad in which members of the Association may participate.
You should note that RAFMA is a mountaineering organisation and this means 2 things. Firstly, mountaineering is not just climbing, but embraces all aspects of mountain activities: hill walking, scrambling, climbing, ski-mountaineering, mountain biking, fell running and expeditions (some members are even interested in caving!). At a particular meet an individual might rock climb, but on the next meet he/she may go for a scramble or walk - RAFMA members don't necessarily wish to be typecast. Secondly, RAFMA is a collection of like-minded individuals who seek to associate, hopefully on a regular basis, and take part in, and benefit from, their particular sphere of mountaineering.
RAFMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The current RAFMA Executive Committee members are listed in the Newsletter and on the Contact Page of this site. The Committee meets 3 times per year to manage, control and direct RAFMA's finances and to plan future meets and expeditions. Executive Committee post are elected and ratified at the AGM.
RAFMA MEETS
RAFMA holds a meet every month, normally at weekends. They are programmed in the meet calendar, which is published in the Newsletter and on this website. Details can change, so always refer to the latest Newsletter or website. UK based meets are organized under the auspices of RAF Sport iaw Queen’s Regulation 2484. They do not constitute, nor are they subject to the regulations relating to Military Adventurous Training (AT). The meets are travel assisted; this means those who attend the meet may utilise MT/rail and up to 12 members are allowed to claim motor mileage via JPA at the Public Transport Rate, subject to local budgetary approval. Travel authority (ie QR2484) and the ref and date of the Sports Board letter giving approval for claims to be submitted must be quoted on all warrants and claims. It is incumbent upon individuals to ensure that, where possible, people share vehicles to cut down on unnecessary claims.
All RAFMA meets are self-catering and it is the responsibility of members to provide their own rations for the weekend, or eating out locally. If the weekend meet uses a hut, accommodation is charged at £3 per night for service accommodation and £5 per night for civilian venues, payable to the Meet Co-ordinator. This fee also covers milk, thus avoiding the inevitable ‘Milk Lake’ at the end of the weekend! It is the responsibility of individual members to pay for any Camping Site fees with the site owner.
SUMMER WEEK
Every year in the summer, RAFMA runs an extended summer meet. The week is designed primarily for personnel who wish to gain rock climbing experience in the company of more experienced members to develop their climbing technique and leading capabilities. Additionally, members are welcome to participate in the full range of summer mountaineering activities. Motor mileage can be claimed via JPA subject to the conditions detailed above. Details of the Summer Week are always notified well in advance in the Newsletter and on the website.
WINTER WEEK
The RAFMA Winter Week is a regular annual event held usually in March for 5 days at a suitable, normally Scottish, location. The number of places available will depend on the location, but as with the Summer Week, relative novices will undertake winter mountaineering and snow & ice climbing in the company of more experienced RAFMA members. Motor mileage can be claimed via JPA subject to the conditions detailed above. Details of the Winter Week are always notified well in advance in the Newsletter and on the website.
JOINT SERVICES ALPINE MEET (JSAM) (14 DAYS)
The JSAM is normally held annually, during Jul/Aug, in one of the European Alpine regions that can offer both rock and snow/ice routes. Each of the 3 Services mountaineering clubs (RAFMA, Army Mountaineering Association (AMA) and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Mountaineering Club (RN & RMC)) take turns to lead the JSAM. They have responsibility for choosing location and providing an overall leader. The JSAM is open to members of RAFMA provided they:
a. Are able to climb VD and above.
b. Have been members of RAFMA for at least one year.
c. Have attended the RAFMA Winter meet and have snow/ice
SERVICES AND BENIFITS
As a member of RAFMA you have the following services available to you:
a. Discounts. Some retailers have agreed to give RAFMA members a discount on production of their membership card, these retailers will be listed from time to time in the Newsletter and on the website. In addition it is always worth asking any retailer associated with outdoor activities if they will give you a discount on production of your membership card.
b. The RAFMA Logo. The RAFMA logo appears on 'T-shirts', sweatshirts and other items that are available from time to time. These are available from the Airmen’s Rep and are non-profitmaking. Their purpose is to give RAFMA members a sense of identity and of course, to advertise RAFMA to other members of the Service and the mountaineering community at large; with due regards to any prevailing security climate.
c. BMC Membership. When personnel join RAFMA they automatically become affiliated, but not individual, members of the BMC. This means that they qualify (if resident in the UK) for free third party liability insurance whilst mountaineering worldwide. In addition other benefits are available such as access to BMC hut lists and entitlement to a free copy of the BMC's 'Summit' (their quarterly magazine). Membership of the BMC (either as a member of a club or as an individual) is a prerequisite for registration on any of the civilian mountaineering award schemes. You can become a full member of the BMC for an additional fee; you will need to contact the BMC for details.
AGM
Every year a hotel (normally in the Lake District) is chosen where the AGM can take place. This is held on a Friday afternoon - station reps can claim subsistence allowance and travel for their attendance, subject to local budgetary approval. Accommodation is available at the hotel at a discounted rate and in addition, cheaper hall/camping barn accommodation and transport to the hotel is provided for those who wish to save money. A curry night is usually held, in the hotel, on the Friday night. On the Saturday evening there is a dinner with a guest speaker. Obviously mountaineering activities usually take place over the weekend but the highlight is always the dinner - a time for reunions and gossip and a chance to indulge your partner in the more sophisticated side of RAFMA activities. Needless to say this weekend is one of the most popular of the year.
EXPEDITIONS
Major expeditions are organised to distant mountainous regions such as Greenland, South America and the Himalaya, usually every 2 years. Selection depends on ability, experience, participation in RAFMA meets and rapport with your RAFMA colleagues and being able to convince your boss that you can have the time off! These expeditions allow members to gain experience of high altitude and/or remote mountaineering and become eligible to apply for the Joint Services major expeditions to the Higher Ranges.
EQUIPMENT
RAFMA has an extensive equipment store, which is available to its member's for major expeditions. An equipment list is available from the Equipment Member. However, this equipment is not available for weekend meets and it is the responsibility of individual members to ensure they arrive with the appropriate kit for their chosen activity. Moreover, when any equipment is borrowed from RAFMA, it is the responsibility of whoever borrows it to return it clean and report any damage. For hygiene reasons and to prolong the life of sleeping bags, these must be professionally cleaned on being returned.
