Summary
On this episode of AMA Air, Matt Ruddick and Lee Ray reveal the results of both the Helicopter and RC Aerobatics FAI World Championships, interview the AMA Foundation about their exciting ongoing sweepstakes, recap the activities from National Model Aviation Month, and much more!
On this episode of AMA Air, Matt Ruddick and Lee Ray reveal the results of both the Helicopter and RC Aerobatics FAI World Championships, interview the AMA Foundation about their exciting ongoing sweepstakes, recap the activities from National Model Aviation Month, and much more!
2025 Nats Concludes– (1:35)
The 2025 National Aeromodeling Championships came to a close last month, but if you want to relive any of the action there are lots of options available! Nats News on the Nats website features daily blogs from each event that help recap the competition. The Nats Newbs video series is also available to help break down the rules and provide a better understanding of some of this year’s events. The 2025 Nats Sights and Sounds video provides some eye-candy from nearly all disciplines partaking in the Nats at the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) this summer. It’s a video you won’t want to miss if you are a fan of fancy flying and roaring engines! Lastly, there is a photo gallery on the AMA Facebook page if soaking in some photos is more your speed. Be on the lookout for information on AMA social media feeds about the 2026 Nats, which will be its 100th running!
World Championships Roundup – (4:37)
A summer full of world championships has concluded with the FAI F3C/N World Championships for Model Helicopters, and the FAI F3A World Championships for RC Aerobatics. FAI F3C/N was held in Pitești, Romania from August 4-9. Hiroki Ito from Japan took first place in F3C, with team USA being represented by Staurt Goza, who finished 20th, and Yasunobi Muraki who finished 24th. In F3N, Luca Pescante (Italy) finished in first place. Cade Ciripompa (USA) finished in 7th place.
The FAI F3A World Championships were held at the IAC in Muncie, Indiana from August 9-16. Andrew Jesky (USA) took first place in the F3A individual category, being crowned the world champion. In the team category, Team USA also took home first place. Congratulations Team USA!
AMA Foundation “Fly More, Mow Less” Sweepstakes – (8:14)
The AMA Foundation team joined AMA Air to discuss 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. Other prizes include a US Fabrics Geotextile Runway, an AJ Aircraft 73-inch Raven V2, FRSky ETHOS Twin X14S Radio System, E-Flite 4-Site 3D Biplane, and more! Be sure to enter as you won’t want to miss out on your chance at any of those exciting prizes! Entries can be purchased through a one-time donation, or you can elect to sign up as an AMA Torchbearer and receive extra entries! The final day to enter will be October 20th.
AMA Air 10th Anniversary Throwback Clip – (17:45)
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 features a montage of the fun bits of banter between hosts throughout the years. Be sure to tune in to the October episode of AMA Air for the official 10th anniversary celebration!
Club of the Month – (22:33)
The Club of the Month for September is the Silent Electric Flyers of San Diego (SEFSD). SEFSD is an AMA Gold Leader Club that is situated right next to Seaworld San Diego. The club was established more than 30 years ago and has nearly 400 registered members. To learn more about their club, be sure to check out the club Facebook page and club website.
IFlyAMA Facebook Group – (24:51)
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 Patrick Mason, depicting his Decathlon.
National Model Aviation Month – (27:51)
National Model Aviation Day took place on August 16th, though the celebrations lasted throughout the entire month! AMA Clubs took part in the festivities by holding their own events promoting model aviation in their communities throughout the month of August. See what clubs were up to around the country by reading this blog post. Share you own club’s activities by joining the conversation on our Facebook page.
UAS4STEM – (29:35)
Registration is now open for the 2026 season of the UAS4STEM drone competition! The competition is open to students aged 11-19. No previous experience is needed, as the contest is divided into beginner and advanced divisions to keep the competition fair. The registration deadline is January 12, 2026.
National Model Aviation Museum – (31:40)
The National Model Aviation Museum located in Muncie, Indiana will be closing for the season at the end of September. The final day of the year to come view the hundreds of model airplanes on display is September 27th, 2025. The museum will open again to the public in spring of 2026.
NEAT Fair – (32:29)
Lee announces that he will be attending the Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology (NEAT) Fair this year! The event runs from September 8-14 and is located near Catskill mounatin in lower New York. NEAT Fair is the largest electric model aircraft gathering in North America. Lee will be joined by fellow RC Roundtable Podcast hosts Fitz Walker and Terry Dunn on his trip and encourages members to come down and say hello while they are there!
For more information on the above topics and more, be sure to watch the full episode of AMA Air!