Introducing Toby Silhavy and 2024-2025 Nats Schedules

AMA News Technical/Competitions By Toby Silhavy, Technical/Competitions Director | [email protected] As seen in the April 2024 issue of Model Aviation. Hello. My name is Toby Silhavy, and I am the new Technical/Competitions director for AMA. My modeling background goes back to the age of 5, and I have been involved in most aspects of modeling but I have primarily focused on competition throughout my aeromodeling career. Currently, I fly RC Aerobatics and International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC) competitively, but I have been known to dabble in other areas as well. I look forward to working with each Special Interest Group (SIG), the AMA Contest Board, and the membership to promote competition, not only within the AMA but internationally as well. Each discipline has a sincere meaning to me, whether it would be Control Line (CL), Free Flight (FF), RC, or rocketry, and I look forward to forging positive relationships. The 2024 season looks to be a bright one regarding competition. The Nats portal and the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) camping portal will be open by the time that you read this. I encourage you to sign up early and to encourage others to participate in the Nats.

2024 Nats Schedule

RC Pylon Racing July 6-12 RC/CL Scale July 11-14 RC Scale Aerobatics (IMAC) July 16-19 RC Soaring July 20-28 Outdoor Fee Flight July 22-26 RC Aerobatics (Pattern) July 29-August 2 RC Helicopter August 4-7 CL (all disciplines) August 4-9 F2ACD Cup (CL) August 8-9 2024 FAI F2 World Championships for Control Line Model Aircraft August 11-17

2025 Nats Schedule

RC Pylon Racing July 5-11 CL (all disciplines) July 6-12 RC/CL Scale July 11-14 RC Soaring July 19-27 Outdoor FF July 21-25 RC Scale Aerobatics (IMAC) July 29-August 1 RC Helicopter August 4-7 F3A RC Aerobatics World Championships August 12-18 RC Aerobatics (Pattern) August 19

Each year, the AMA Competitions department communicates with SIGs and their respective leadership to establish the Nats schedule for the following year, usually starting in the fall of the previous year. When the schedule is hammered out between each group and approved, this schedule then goes to our Executive Council (EC) for final approval. This year, the Competitions department, along with SIG leadership, took another approach by looking at the schedule and determined a two-year plan for the Nats. Again, I cannot praise the SIG leadership and the EC enough for being forward-thinking in this approach. Many members must plan their vacation time more than a year in advance, and this will help many plan how they can best spend that time. As we look forward to the Nats and local events, we should not forget that we have several FAI team selections and world championships events that are happening this year. FAI events take place on a twoyear cycle, where there is generally a team selection one year and the next year is the competition. The US is hosting the 2024 FAI F2 World Championships for Control Line Model Aircraft at the IAC and the FAI F5B World Championships for Electric Model Aircraft is being held in Maricopa, Arizona. If you are new to competition or seeking guidance on how to start in a competition, the best and first resource I recommend is your local club. From there, I suggest using AMA’s website to look up the SIG that applies to the competition that you are interested in at www.modelaircraft.org/about-ama/ama-organization/special-interest-groups. I guarantee that you will find someone to help assist you in your first competition. Remember, we all started as beginners, and we want you out at the field with us! Entering the box…