National Aeromodeling Championships
DESPITE SCHEDULING CHANGES, THE 87TH NATS FOCUSED ON FRIENDLY COMPETITION
by Jennifer Orebaugh
The winds of change were blowing at the 2013 Outdoor and Indoor National Aeromodelling Championships.
Despite schedule changes and some temperamental weather, friendly competition and the camaraderie of those who share the love of this hobby couldn't keep the modelers away.
The Outdoor Nats were held in Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodelling Center June 25 through July 30. The 2013 Indoor Nats had a schedule and a venue change. The annual event was held at the University of Illinois Armory in Champaign, Illinois, August 7-13.
Outdoor action began with RC Scale Aerobatics. The Nats competitions that followed were held in a different sequence than what participants are accustomed to. Schedule changes included holding RC Soaring throughout the Fourth of July weekend. Also, FF, which typically wraps up the Outdoor Nats, was held in early July.
Some competitors were missing this year, but several were welcomed back after long absences. There also were a few new faces in the crowds, and some earned top spots.
Those who are no longer with us were remembered this year during the Nats through thoughts, memories, and special tributes.
The weather in Muncie impacted many of the Outdoor events. During RC Scale Aerobatics, pilots endured wall clouds, high winds, and fast-moving afternoon storms, while Soaring competitors contended with fog and chilly mornings. FF had a few showers, but enjoyed mostly beautiful days. CL participants, however, tolerated 90° temperatures and high humidity. Many of the participants in RC Aerobatics and RC Helicopters wished they had brought jackets and long pants because of the 50° mornings!
Family participation in FF is a long-standing tradition. William Wicks (L) and Aiden Johnson, both five, represented the newest generation of modelers by participating for the first time in the Junior Catapult event. Photo by Elizabeth Johnson.
International pilots also participated in some of the disciplines. Canada, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Jamaica were represented. One participant in RC Scale Aerobatics, Adi Kochev, came from Israel to learn about International Miniature Airplane Club (IMAC) competition in hopes of building a team for the 2014 IMAC World Championships. Adi said, "We have a lot to learn from the IMAC community in the United States. The main reason I came here to the US is because this is the cradle of IMAC if you want to learn."
Attendance was slightly down this year. Many aeromodeling world championships were held overseas during or at nearly the same time as the Nats. US and Canadian team pilots were notably absent during RC Pylon Racing, RC Aerobatics, and RC Helicopters. Many of the modelers who came to Muncie to compete mentioned that the decline in attendance might have also been because of the economy and changes to the event schedule.
The biggest schedule changes were in the Indoor FF contest. Typically held during Memorial Day weekend, in Johnson City, Tennessee, it instead was held this year in the beginning of August. In addition to the new dates and the new location, Indoor also welcomed new event directors.
These annual indoor and outdoor gatherings of model aviation lovers couldn't happen without the sponsors and many volunteers who serve as event managers, CDs, scorekeepers, those who deliver scores, or even the "Turnaround Trolls" who manage the winch lines during the Soaring competitions.
NatsNews, the daily newsletter delivered on-site and posted online during the Nats, wouldn't be possible without the help of reporters and photographers who capture the essence of what it means to be a part of the Nats.
If you were unable to attend this year's event and would like a glimpse of what you missed, read NatsNews and look at photos online through the AMA website and AMA Flickr page. See the "Sources" listings for links.
—Jennifer Orebaugh [email protected]
SOURCES:
NatsNews www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnews.aspx
Nats scores www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/scores.aspx
2013 Nats photos on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/modelaircraft/collections/72157634338668211
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
