2024 Outdoor FF Introduction

By Skilly DeLoach

*All photos are from the 2023 AMA Outdoor Nats.

The AMA Outdoor Free Flight (FF) Nats have officially entered their centennial era, as 2024 marks the 101st AMA Nats. The attendance for this year’s Nats is significant, as 121 contestants have preregistered. The AMA Outdoor FF Nats is held July 22-26 in Muncie, Indiana, and the forecast shows very flyable weather throughout the week. Scattered showers are expected Monday and Wednesday, with solid sunshine for the rest of the week!

The original form of aviation, FF, was around before the Wright brothers. This classic hobby ranges from Peanut Scale models that weigh half an ounce to 4.5-pound Super D aircraft. Although it may seem that different models result in minimal community, every modeler is connected through their passion for FF.

The “rules” of FF are simple. Flyers aim for the longest flights possible, most events consisting of three flights, until a flyoff is needed. The stopwatch begins once the model is launched, and it stops when it lands. Flyers aim for a “max,” which, according to AMA rules, is a flight duration of two or three minutes.

The thrill of competition makes everyone want to be a National Champion. Below are the defending National Champions of the 2023 AMA Nats:

Welcome to the AMA Nats!

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About the author:

This is my fifth Outdoor Nats; however, it’s my first Nats competing in the Senior age group. When I look back on my year as a whole, the Nats always holds my most thrilling memories. At the 2023 AMA Outdoor FF Nats, a favorite model memory of mine took place. It was Friday, the last day of the competition, and the day of my best event, P-30. That morning, I made my first flight attempt, dropping the max. I was devastated. I knew that my chances were shot, as the competition was rigorous.

Instead of giving up completely, I tried for a better second flight. After maxing the flight, I realized that I didn’t even need a third max to rise to the gold. I wound my P-30 and stood in the field for nearly 20 minutes before launching. The model soared into the air, and I knew I’d caught a piece of air that seemed to rise forever. It did rise forever, because I lost sight of my aircraft. The next thing I knew, I saw a black airplane-shaped dot fall into what seemed like the highest tree on the edge of the field. It took a 50-foot pole to get it down, and once I did, the feeling of pride flooded my body.

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Note from AMA: Do you have photos from the Nats that you’d like to share? If so, email them to Clarissa Poston at clarissap@modelaircraft.org. Please include a brief description in your email, naming any individuals pictured in the photo(s), the name of the event that the photo(s) were taken during, and the name of the individual who took the photo(s). Your submission(s) might be posted on AMA’s Flickr page, which can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/modelaircraft/albums!