Event 2026

So here we are…the day 60 registered pilots have been waiting for. It is the US F5J team selects. The top three pilots will compete in World F5J competition scheduled for August of 2027 here at the AMA headquarters flying site.

The 2026 Free Flight Nats got underway Monday, July 20 amid warm temperatures, light and variable winds, and hazy skies which affected visibility on flight timing.

Today was a complete flip from the previous day's conditions. The uppers were moving out of the east at a pretty good clip, but you could fly a standard-weight ship (40 to 45 ounces) and penetrate well.

The first round was a battle to find any form of lift in the breezy early-morning conditions. “Muncie Madness” was in full dress.

No rain! It was not as hot and steamy, but we did have some fog and smoke haze. We set up the winch and retriever and had somewhat decent visibility by 10 a.m.

Day 2 of Cross Country Soaring: No rain, the heat index was hot as… well, you know.

No rain! 100-degree heat index. Thermals are kicking off, but it's hard to get above 800 feet. It’s very strange, but still better than a good day at work! Let's go flying!

Another great day of competition is in the books at the 2026 IMAC Nationals! The day started with another round of Unknown sequences, challenging pilots to fly routines they had only recently received and could only practice using stick planes.

There is just something magical about driving onto the AMA grounds for the beginning of Glider Camp. It's like entering that magical place where you can be a kid again and fly your creations with your friends and go back to a simpler time when all that existed was your latest plane and the need to fly… Well y’all, I got me one of those for XC!

The opening day of the 2026 IMAC National Championship is in the books, and it was an outstanding start to the week. Pilots enjoyed beautiful weather, light winds, and a full day of competition at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana.