Good form leads to a great launch.
By Jason Cole
What an exhilarating start to the 2024 AMA F3K Nats! After nearly two years away from F3K contests due to a shoulder injury, it feels fantastic to be back in the game. A big shoutout to Mickey Nowell for his seamless setup, ensuring that the contest runs without a hitch. We have a formidable lineup this year, including former National Champions and several past US Team members. Winning this contest truly earns you the National Champion title.
The day kicked off with a pilot meeting at 8:30 a.m., and the first round began shortly after. Typical of Muncie, Indiana, we experienced a mix of weather conditions throughout the day. It started cool in the 70s with a slight breeze and sunny skies, perfect for the initial rounds.
As the day progressed, the conditions became more challenging with higher winds and beautiful, puffy white clouds. Pilots began using ballast sticks, adding an extra 20-60 grams or more to counter the wind. This kind of weather really tests your skills and makes you earn your flight times.
Around 2 p.m., we had to pause due to a passing storm, which delayed the contest for about an hour. Once we resumed, the weather cleared up, returning to excellent flying conditions. It was fantastic to see the Junior pilots out here flying, and it looks like we'll be assembling a full team of Juniors for the next World Championships!
By the end of the day, we completed eight rounds with Mengchen Li on top, with a score of 6,986. Joe Dougherty and I are trailing, with scores of 6,786 and 6,679, respectively. With six more rounds to fly tomorrow, the competition is still wide open. Current scores can be found below.
Who will emerge as the new National Champion? Stay tuned to find out!
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!