2018 Nats

Written by Model Aviation Staff Reflections on the annual competition Event Coverage As seen in the November 2018 issue of Model Aviation

When the Outdoor Nats begins each year at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana, competitors often anticipate hot, humid, and dry weather. In past years, pilots have been greeted by dry, brown grass and little shade. The risk of heat-related illnesses has been a concern for some of the older modelers who come back each year to compete against their friends. This year, however, Nats pilots were surprised by mild, and sometimes downright pleasant, weather. Except for a few rain showers, the flying conditions were the best they’ve been in years. The weather wasn’t the only thing that was different about the 2018 Nats. Some dedicated leaders and competitors were noticeably absent this year. In an effort to fill the voids left by the deaths of longtime RC Event Director Wayne Yeager, RC Precision Aerobatics competitor and judge Ron Van Putte, Control Line (CL) Scale competitors Charlie Bauer and Jack Sheeks, and John Schroder, a mentor to countless young RC Scale Aerobatics pilots, new leaders emerged and those who remained found ways to honor their memories. To learn more about how these men touched the lives of those around them, and to hear from the competitors who made the trek to Muncie this year, read the NatsNews reports and watch the special videos produced by the NatsNews team. Also in this year’s coverage is the Indoor Free Flight (FF) Nats, which took place May 23-28 at the Rantoul National Aviation Center, in Rantoul, Illinois. See more photos from the Nats!

Sources: NatsNews nats.modelaircraft.org Nats videos www.youtube.com/modelaircraft