Steven Griggs and Dev Goda prepare their models for competition. Photo credit: Nick Ray
By Nick Ray
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. Senior, Dev Goda finished third. Joshua and Don switched positions in Standard Catapult-Launched Glider and John Kagan came in closely behind them in third place.
The day continued with friends greeting one another as they checked in and set up their tables along the flightlines. In the afternoon, an impromptu concert broke out, led by professional violinist Karen Khanagov and his sons William and German. Doyle Blevins and Kang Lee accompanied them.
The rubber-powered events flew from 11am to 8pm. AMA Cabin, Hand-Launched Stick and F1D are being flown over two days. F1R was flown as a single-day event. I finished first, with Joshua Finn in second, and Hope Finn in third. Spirits are high with two more days of flying to come!
![Don Slusarczyk with his AMA Cabin model. Photo credit: Nick Ray]](/files/5_IFF2025.jpg)
![The author launching his F1R model in the Mini-Dome. Photo credit: Ginger Ray]](/files/6_IFF2025.jpg)
