Indoor Free Flight

Whether fighting demons in the air, spectating, or simply having a good time, the three days at the Indoor Free Flight Nats are always special. For me, memories are made here, and the 2025 Nats at the ETSU dome in Johnson City was no different.

The 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats is in the books. The participants are in the process of returning home with new memories and plans for what to build before next year’s contest.

The third and final day of the 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats saw a change in the outside weather. The morning was a bit cooler and a light rain had settled in. Opinions were mixed around the dome as to how the change in conditions would impact the buoyancy of the air and drift patterns inside the building.

The morning of the second day of the 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats competition featured several popular events. Limited Pennyplane saw the largest participation of any of the events so far, with 16 entries.

The first day of the 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats opened with glider events being flown from 8am to 11am. There was a flurry of activity during the three hour window that left Joshua Finn on top of Hand-Launched Glider and Don Slusarczyk in a close second.

The 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats return to the East Tennessee State University’s (ETSU) Mini-Dome in Johnson City, Tennessee. Tony Italiano brought the Nats to ETSU in 1987. The venue’s stable air and relative proximity to much of the United States’ indoor flying population led to its popularity as a Nats site.

Thanks to David Lindley’s foresight and attention to detail, the 2024 AMA Indoor Nats ran smoothly. David was on-site running events from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, and his efforts ensured that the fliers had an enjoyable competition.

The fifth day of the AMA Indoor Nats, July 5, was the hottest outside with a high of 87° Fahrenheit. Indoors, there was more thermal activity than noted on previous days, and with the exception of Kang Lee’s ninth-round World Cup flight, the best times were posted between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The outdoor temperatures reached the mid-80s for the first time on the fourth day of the AMA Indoor Nats, July 4. The contestants enjoyed more buoyant air than they had previously experienced.

On the third day of the 2024 Indoor AMA Nats, the glider and lightweight duration events concluded. Within the article are the flight times for each respective event.