NASA

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 2024 AMA RC Scale Nats is now in the books. The conditions were as good as could be hoped for. The winds were light every day, and any rain came when the contest was done for the day.

A great time was had by all at the banquet held at The Clubhouse Muncie Saturday evening. There was plenty of catching up that occurred, and war stories were shared among both RC and Control Line (CL) Nats participants. Plenty of great food was served buffet style, and there was plenty of time provided to enjoy it!

Since we finished Round 1 on Friday, July 12, there were three rounds left to fly. The remaining flights were flown on Saturday, July 13, allowing the Control Line (CL) Scale portion to come to a close on Saturday afternoon.

Today, July 13, started off with a serious feel to it. What does that mean? Thursday, July 11, was for registration, practice, and, if applicable, static judging.

Once again, we were greeted by a great morning at the field, albeit the grass was still quite wet from yesterday’s storm; however, nothing delayed Contest Director (CD) John Boyko’s 8:30 a.m. pilot meeting.

The weather once again played a role in the scheduling for the flying portion of the 2024 AMA Control Line (CL) Scale Nats. Each pilot can fly a total of four times to determine their overall score.

The RC Scale Nats kicked off on a beautiful Thursday morning. Light winds, a clear blue sky, and temperatures in the mid-70s were perfect for practice flying. This was a welcome change from Wednesday’s rain and 25 mph winds, all courtesy of hurricane Beryl!

Hello and welcome to the 2024 AMA Control Line (CL) Scale Nats. In this event, the models are judged on how closely they match a full-scale aircraft in outline and appearance. They are then judged on how well they are flown. You will see everything from World War I to modern-day aircraft. The models will be powered by glow engines, gas, electric, or electric-ducted fans—and even turbines have been used in CL Scale!

The AMA RC Scale Nats has seen a few significant improvements to Site 4 over the past few years, making for a better all-around experience for everyone. The new turf runway is in much better shape this year, and it’s scheduled to be cut at 3/4 inch for the contest. One set of new pavilions is completed and will serve as the contest headquarters.