2024 Outdoor FF Final Report

By Don DeLoach

Photos provided by Skilly DeLoach

The 2024 AMA Outdoor Free Flight (FF) Nats wrapped up with the final day of official flying on Friday, July 26. The weather remained excellent for flying with mostly sunny skies, high temperatures in the low 80s, and winds ranging from 4-8 mph. The one negative was the wind direction—out of the east. This made for a short chase to the west side of the field (and the corn and trees beyond it), scarcely half a mile away. A number of models ended up in the corn and had to be retrieved via radio or GPS. 

Friday is P-30 day, traditionally one of the three to four most popular events at every AMA Outdoor FF Nats. This year was no exception, with about 30 adults signed up and 22 making official flights. For the first time ever, a female was the winner. Hope Finn’s 690-second total was more than a minute and a half ahead of second-place finisher Duncan McBride. In third was George Dalecki, with 510 seconds.

Five kids slugged it out in Junior P-30. The youngest flyer of the Nats, Paul Finn, took the win with a maxout (360 seconds), followed by Sadie Menanno (333 seconds) and Caleb Finn (332 seconds). Skilly DeLoach was first in Senior P-30 with 348 seconds.

On the opposite end of the size spectrum is Super D Gas. These models weigh upwards of 3 pounds and have 1,000-plus sq. in. of wing area. Neal Menanno was on top this day with a perfect 360 seconds. Another 360-second score of Friday was the winning one for Don Day in Old-Time Rubber Cabin. 

Bob Sowder had his 400-sq. in. Lucky Lindy grooving perfectly for the win in ABC E-Nostalgia (NOS).

Veteran Junior flyer Wes Reuter narrowly missed winning all-ages Classic Towline Glider; glider whiz Jim Parker edged him out 495 to 434. 

1/2A Gas saw Tom Bell of Houston best a field of nine expert flyers with his score of 690. Congrats, Tom!

The third of three days of Flying Aces Club (FAC) event flying also concluded Friday. Here are all of the event winners over those three days: 

Low Wing Trainer: Wally Farrell

Hi-Start Scale Glider: Wally Farrell

FAC Scale (<20 bonus): The author

Jet Catapult Scale: Wally Farrell

Jimmie Allen: Pat Murray

Old-Time Rubber Stick: The author

Dime Scale: George Dalecki

Greve Thompson: Pat Murray

World War II: Wally Farrell

Embryo: Pat Murray

Golden Age: Gene Smith

Old-Time Fuselage: Ted Allebone

Simplified Scale: Pat Murray

Modern Civil Scale: George Bredehoft

Peanut Scale: Wally Farrell

Finally, the small, electric FAI event, F1S, keeps growing in popularity. This was the first year of the reduction in motor run to 7 seconds, and six of the nine flyers achieved all maxes through the first five rounds. In the flyoffs, only one of the six failed to achieve the first flyoff max (120 seconds on a 5-second run). Of the remaining five in the second flyoff, only one—Jack Murphy—achieved the required 180-second max. 

As the Friday awards ceremony closed out, the Category Champions were announced: 

Junior: Caleb Finn

Senior: Skilly DeLoach

AMA Gas: Neal Menanno

AMA Rubber: Hope Finn

Classic AMA Gas: Roger Erridge

Electric: Dave Sechrist

Glider: Ken Bauer

National Free Flight Society (NFFS) Rubber: Mark Vancil

NOS Gas: Roger Erridge

Thanks to everyone who gave themselves so selflessly to make the 101st AMA Outdoor FF Nats such a great success: Glenn Schneider, Dave Lindley, Patti Lorbiecki, Julie Parker, Pat Murray, Lisa Pacelli, and the many event directors and other volunteers, scorekeepers, processors, etc. Thanks to all! We’re already looking forward to next year’s AMA Nats.