RC Soaring

Wow, there's nothing better than two solid weeks of Glider Camp. Getting “Casa Muncie" set up a couple of days before the start of Cross Country let me get settled in, toss a few gliders about, and soak up the Muncie atmosphere.

If the start of Bifecta day one was perfect, this was the definition of “complete opposite!”

Togetherness is the theme for this year's winch-launched events. AMA introduced its new competition rules for flying electric and winch together this year… mixed launch!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. The sun is shining, the winds are light and variable, and we all pulled our ballast from our little wooden contraptions.

Oh man, F5J was intense! I'm exhausted from three days of hard-core flying. F3L began today with a bit of damp ground, fog, and it was really chilly.

First and foremost, a big “Thank you.” to the LSF and AMA. Also, a huge thanks to Norm Poti and his crew for keeping this a smooth-running contest. You guys are the best!

The forecast was correct. There was a thunderstorm. It just wasn't here! The pilots that woke up expecting rain, thunder and lightning were now rushing to the field.

So here we are…the day 60 registered pilots have been waiting for. It is the US F5J team selects. The top three pilots will compete in World F5J competition scheduled for August of 2027 here at the AMA headquarters flying site.

Today was a complete flip from the previous day's conditions. The uppers were moving out of the east at a pretty good clip, but you could fly a standard-weight ship (40 to 45 ounces) and penetrate well.

The first round was a battle to find any form of lift in the breezy early-morning conditions. “Muncie Madness” was in full dress.