Mike Colling, FSMAE, trading as Sky Hi Products has been building and flying model aircraft of all types since the age of seven. Mike trained as a mechanical engineer and worked as a designer and project engineer, he firmly believes that building and flying models contributed greatly to his career.
Mike has designed a large number of the models used in the BMFA Education Project and has promoted model aviation at home and abroad via his work for the BMFA and Federation Aeronautique Internationale.
He started making model aircraft kits in 1988 to support the Education Program of the British Model Flying Association (BMFA) the Governing body for model air sports in the UK.
Mike’s aim with Sky Hi Products was to supply educational establishments and youth groups with a range of model aircraft kits and associated equipment specifically designed to support education initiatives such as those carried out by BAE Systems and Setpoints.
Mike’s experience has shown that children are fascinated by flight, building and flying their own model aircraft gives them a real sense of achievement.
The flight of a model covers many scientific principles along with other cross-curricular subjects making it an ideal educational tool.
In 1991 Mike’s immense contribution to the BMFA education program was recognised and he was elected to the Fellowship of the Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers, the highest honour in the gift of the BMFA.
In 2017 control of Ski-Hi products passed to the BMFA however the wealth of experience and knowledge that Mike has is still available to the education program as Mike now acts as a consultant to the education team at the BMFA.