RAFARS Monthly Newsletter

Staying in Touch by Email – Please Check Your Contact Details

RAFARS holds around 450 email addresses for members, and apart from the twice-yearly QRV journal, the website, and the regular radio nets, email remains one of our primary means of communication. Ensuring we can reach you is vital for sharing news, updates, and reminders throughout the year.

In recent months it has become increasingly challenging to send bulk emails, as many mail providers now apply strict anti-spam rules. I’ve sent occasional messages to members in the past, but even when using software that sends emails individually, providers such as Google may still flag the activity. In fact, after sending 500 emails to another group I’m involved with, Google blocked me from sending for 24 hours—something I hadn’t realised could happen so easily!

To improve reliability, I’ve been trialling a new email system, and the November newsletter (sent on 20th November) served as a test run.

Here’s how it performed:
• 454 emails were sent
• 42 hard bounces – the addresses are no longer valid
• 11 soft bounces – inbox full or temporary delivery issue
• 1 member unsubscribed
• 0 spam reports – which is very encouraging
• 51% opened the message on the first send
• A follow-up send to those who hadn’t opened the email achieved a 21% additional open rate

These results demonstrate how difficult it can be to maintain effective contact with all members, particularly when email addresses lapse or go out of use.

If you are reading this and did not receive the November newsletter, it is very possible that we do not hold your current email address. Another common issue is that messages can be wrongly filtered into your junk or spam folder—something I recommend checking regularly, as even legitimate emails can end up there.

If you have any concerns about whether we have your correct details, or if you’d like to update your email address, please get in touch at webmaster@rafars.org

Keeping your contact information up to date ensures that you don’t miss important RAFARS news and helps us stay connected as a society.

73
Gary G0DNI
RAFARS Webmaster

Spring 2026 RAFARS QRV Journal

The deadline for submissions for the Spring 2026 edition of QRV is 15 January 2026. At present, the editor has received very little material, so this is an ideal time to contribute.

QRV is your journal—it reflects the interests, activities, and experiences of the membership, and it is consistently well received. To keep it vibrant and representative of the whole Society, we rely on members to share their stories, projects, and photographs.

You don’t need to write a long or polished article. A short piece on something you’ve been working on, an operating experience, a restoration project, a memorable contact, or even a brief note accompanied by a couple of photos with captions would be extremely welcome. The editor is more than happy to take care of shaping and formatting submissions for publication.

If you’ve never contributed before, please consider giving it a try—your input helps keep QRV interesting and engaging for everyone.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

RAFARS QRV JOURNAL ARCHIVE

There are now over 130 editions of QRV, dating from 1937 to the present day, available as PDF documents. Simply head over to the Member Area and visit the eQRV Journal section, where you’ll find thumbnail images of every cover for easy browsing.

To access the Member Area, you’ll need to apply for a password. There’s a link at the bottom of the Members menu, and the registration process is simple, quick, and completely free.

At present, only around 180 of our 650 members are making use of the additional content available there—so if you haven’t registered yet, you’re missing out!

RAFARS WEBSITE MEMBER AREA

Members are reminded that the RAFARS website includes a dedicated Members Area at www.rafars.org/welcome, offering several useful resources not available on the public pages. One of the most frequently used features is the searchable member list, which allows you to look up fellow members by number, callsign, first name, or county. It's a simple and effective way to reconnect with old friends and discover local RAFARS members.

However, these features are accessible only to registered members, and at present, a significant number of our 650 members have not yet taken advantage of this service. Registration is completely free and only takes a minute or two to complete.

To gain access, simply visit: www.rafars.org/register

Once registered, you’ll be able to explore additional content, resources, and information that help keep the Society connected between editions of QRV and on-air activities.

If you haven’t already signed up, please do consider registering—it’s a simple way to make the most of your RAFARS membership and stay in touch with the wider community.

RAFARS QRV JOURNAL SUBMISSIONS

The twice-yearly QRV journal is for some of our members the only contact they have with RAFARS during the year. Of course, we have the website but not all members have access to the Internet so the paper edition of QRV remains very relevant. It should also be remembered that QRV is your journal and therefore relies heavily on your contributions.

The QRV Editor is actively seeking content for the next edition of QRV. Submissions can be anything that you think might interest the members, personal stories, technical items, aviation stories etc. There is no need to write War and Peace, a couple of pictures with some descriptive text would be perfect. Please send submissions to the Editor at QRV@rafars.org

Digital jpg photos should be sent as an attachment to Word documents. Please do not import them into the text.

COUNCIL MEETINGS 2026

When a council meeting is held at RAFARS HQ at RAF Cosford, members may attend, but travel costs cannot be paid. Members wishing to attend must initially contact the Secretary by e-mail at secretary@rafars.org

Members (and councellors) may attend Council meetings 'virtually' using Zoom. The link for the council meetings is the same as for the weekly Zoom Net (see below). Please note that provision of the council meetings on Zoom is dependent on the reliability of the Internet connection at the HQ.

The following dates are provisional and may well change depending on the availability of council members. Attendance during the working week isn't always possible, so meetings may move to weekends or evenings.

24 February 2026
7 April 2026
15 June 2026 (Monday - The day after the RAF Cosford Airshow)
1 September 2026
24 October 2026 AGM (Provisional date, not a council meeting)
24 November 2026

RAFARS WEEKLY ZOOM NET

The RAFARS Weekly Zoom Net has proven to be a great success with members using the video conference as an additional way of keeping in touch. The Net takes place on Fridays at 1400-1800 local.

The link to the Zoom net is available in the Member Area at https://www.rafars.org/zoomnet/
You will need to be registered for access to the website Member Area, it's a simple process and you can do so at: https://www.rafars.org/register

JOINING THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY

All Radio Amateurs and SWL's, (no requirement to be Ex RAF), are invited to apply for RAFARS Membership if you have an interest in the Amateur Radio, the RAF, or Military aviation and are prepared to help the society achieve its published aims and objectives. Membership details are available on the website at https://www.rafars.org/join

Two formats (PDF) of the membership application are available for download, completion and return by post on the Join RAFARS web page.

A new online application form is also available, to be completed online and then printed and posted with your membership fee. The online form is “smart” in that it will display the appropriate membership fee as the form is completed. Those joining after 1 October pay half the normal membership fee.

RAFARS NEWS DESK

This newsletter is published on the RAFARS website every month by the Webmaster Gary G0DNI.

Please send all submissions for the newsletter to Newsdesk@rafars.org