Hope, Joshua, and Caleb Finn (right) of J & H Aerospace pose with some of the youth competitors that they mentor. All are holding gliders from J & H Aerospace. Photo credit: Mai Le
Whether fighting demons in the air, spectating, or simply having a good time, the three days at the Indoor Free Flight Nats are always special. For me, memories are made here, and the 2025 Nats at the ETSU dome in Johnson City was no different.
The author’s F1R model takes flight inside the Mini-Dome. Photo credit: Nick Ray
The 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats is in the books. The participants are in the process of returning home with new memories and plans for what to build before next year’s contest.
John Kagan winds his P-18 on the last day of competition. Photo credit: Nick Ray
The third and final day of the 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats saw a change in the outside weather. The morning was a bit cooler and a light rain had settled in. Opinions were mixed around the dome as to how the change in conditions would impact the buoyancy of the air and drift patterns inside the building.
Michael Copeland prepares his Limited Pennyplane: Photo credit: Nick Ray
The morning of the second day of the 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats competition featured several popular events. Limited Pennyplane saw the largest participation of any of the events so far, with 16 entries.
Steven Griggs and Dev Goda prepare their models for competition. Photo credit: 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.