Summary
On this episode of AMA Air, Matt Ruddick and Lee Ray recap Joe Nall Week 2025, interview Executive Editor-in-Chief Jay Smith about Model Aviation Magazine’s upcoming 50th anniversary celebration, provide the results of the 2025 Indoor Free Flight Nats, and much more!
This month’s episode of AMA Air is sponsored by XSRC HSDJETSUSA.
On this episode of AMA Air, Matt Ruddick and Lee Ray recap Joe Nall Week 2025, interview Executive Editor-in-Chief Jay Smith about Model Aviation Magazine’s upcoming 50th anniversary celebration, provide the results of the 2025 indoor free flight Nats, and much more!
Joe Nall Week 2025 Recap – (1:23)
Lee returns from his recent trip to Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, South Carolina where he attended Joe Nall Week. Lee recaps his experience throughout the week there, including braving the muddy conditions during the first few days of the event. As the week went on, the weather dried up and made for perfect flying conditions. The highlights of the week for Lee included getting to meet Pat Hartness, the founder of Triple Tree Aerodrome, and getting to watch the demonstrations on the 3D flight line. Be sure to watch this month’s episode to hear Lee’s full recap!
AMA Club Training Day Starter Kits – (8:20)
Matt discusses a new initiative from the AMA Foundation, the AMA Club Training Day Starter Kits. This initiative was started after AMA Foundation Director Steve Haston visited various AMA clubs last year. A consistent topic throughout all the clubs he visited was a desire for assistance from the AMA in supporting local club training efforts. The AMA Club Training Day Starter Kit was created for that very purpose! AMA Intro Pilot Clubs can cater to their needs by choosing from 4 different kit options, including an Aeroscout, a Blade Helicopter, a RealFlight Simulator, or a social media package. All kits also come with a set amount of money to put towards social media marketing, ensuring clubs can advertise their events in their local communities. While all the kits have been claimed for this round, be on the lookout on the AMA Foundation website and social media for when kits will become available again!
Model Aviation Magazine 50th Anniversary Interview with Jay Smith – (10:36)
Lee interviews Model Aviation Executive Editor in Chief, Jay Smith, to discuss the magazine’s upcoming 50th anniversary. While the publication dates all the way back to 1936, the magazine in its current format got its start in July of 1975. To celebrate this occasion, the magazine will feature a unique cover, throwbacks to columns of the past, and more! One unique fact about this issue of the magazine is that contributor Dick Perry wrote an article in the 1975 issue, and he will be writing in the 2025 issue as well. For more details be sure to watch the full interview on this month’s episode of AMA Air!
AMA Air 10th Anniversary Clip – (29:42)
2025 serves as the 10th anniversary of AMA Air. To celebrate, Matt and Lee take a look back at clips from the show’s past. This month they look back at Lee’s very first episode co-hosting the show with Matt, which originally aired back on April 1st, 2021.
Club of the Month – (34:42)
The Club of the Month for June is the Las Vegas Soaring Club (LVSC). LVSC is a Gold Leader club located just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The club was originally founded in 1992 with only 8 members but has grown to over 140 today! LVSC is proud to offer free instructional flying lessons at their field through their Bob Pickens Junior Pilot Program.
IFlyAMA Facebook Group – (36:41)
The IFlyAMA Facebook group is an online community for sharing useful tips, discussing model aviation news, and showing off your recent builds! A contest is held every month to determine the cover photo for the Facebook group. This month’s winning photo was submitted by Pete Foss.
AMA Foundation “Fly More, Mow Less” Sweepstakes – (38:28)
The AMA Foundation also announced the “Fly More, Mow Less” sweepstakes. Contributions to the sweepstakes will go toward the AMA Foundation Club Support Fund. These funds aid model aviation clubs across the country in a variety of ways, including disaster relief, flying site improvements, and introducing the public to the hobby. The grand prize is a Lymow One robotic lawnmower. To learn more about the other prizes in the sweepstakes, as well as how to enter, check out this AMA Foundation blog post.
2025 Nats – (39:25)
The 2025 National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats) is officially underway! Indoor Free Flight Nats took place on May 24th – 26th in Johnson City, Tennessee. Check out Nats News to get the final results from the competition. The remaining outdoor portion of the Nats will pick up again during July/August at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. There is still time to register!
For more information on the above topics be sure to watch the full episode of AMA Air!