Outdoor Free Flight

Wrap-up report by Rick Pangell

Rain, rain, go away, and stay away ...

Leaving the motel in Muncie Thursday morning, the rain was coming down hard. As we got closer to the field, the clouds were high and there was no rain. It had passed over. 

By Rick Pangell

Okay, describe this day …  hot and humid with some great thermals and a lot of flying. Flight after flight by the Free Flight fliers. The FAI crew had to fly rounds.

By Rick Pangell

Okay … second-guess the wind and move the NFFS trailer, but as all good Free Flighters know, the wind never shifts.  Ultimately, the trailer came back to home but different locations sprung up according to the best places to fly an event.  The weather was hot, but absolutely gorgeous for Free Flight.

By Rick Pangell

By Rick Pangell

Being the first Outdoor Free Flight Nats in two years, there was a wonderful anticipation in the air.  Being there on Saturday, July 24, bode ominous for the prospect.  Saturday was our practice day but we could not have any open flying until 1 p.m., and eventually 2 p.m.  Plus, it was windy.

AMA looks forward to hosting a fun and safe Nats this year at the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC)! Today, we have new developments to announce for Nats 2020. 

The following message is from Dave Lindley, president of the National Free Flight Society (NFFS): It is with great regret, that AMA and NFFS today announce that the current COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of the Outdoor Free Flight Nats scheduled for July 27-31, 2020, in Muncie, Indiana. We do not anticipate that there will be a rescheduling of this event in 2020. Anyone that had already registered WILL be refunded 100% by AMA automatically.

After careful deliberation, the AMA Executive Council has agreed to not cancel the 2020 Outdoor Nats. This decision is aligned with state and federal guidelines for events concerning COVID-19. The 2020 AMA Nats will take place to the extent that individual Nats organizers plan and conduct their respective events. Additional safety measures will be in place to protect our members, staff, and community. Nats participants and visitors to the International Aeromdeling Center will have limited access to AMA facilities and should anticipate a scaled-back Nats experience.

In our final episode of Nats Demystified, Matt Ruddick talks to Wally Adasczik and Bob Sifleet about hunting thermals in Soaring and Free Flight events.