Icarus Cup 2013: First ever Human-Powered Aircraft Competition to be sanctioned by FAI

The FAI has today announced that the Human Powered Aircraft (HPA) Icarus Cup 2013 has been sanctioned by the FAI as an FAI 2nd Category Event. This is the very first time that this sport has featured in the FAI Events Calendar.

The event, organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), will take place at Sywell Aerodrome Northampton, Great Britain, from 19 to 28 July 2013.

Robert Hughes, Senior Sports Manager for the FAI said the FAI is “delighted to support the Royal Aeronautical Society as it organises the 2013 Icarus Cup for Human Powered Aircraft. This is a very exciting branch of aviation and we welcome the event as an FAI Category 2 competition in the FAI Sporting Calendar. We are confident that the 2013 Icarus Cup will lead the way to the first FAI World Championship for Human Powered Aircraft in 2014 and wish the RAeS the best of luck in their preparations this year.”

Several FAI personalities are collaborating with the Organising Committee and will be present during the event to both share their long experience in air sports event organisation and learn how to successfully run a human-powered aircraft competition, in preparation for a potential 1st FAI World Championship for Human Powered Aircraft in 2014.   

About Human Powered Aircraft (HPA) Icarus Cup 2013

The Human Powered Aircraft (HPA) Icarus Cup 2013 is a competition in which teams try and complete the following series of challenges designed to test all aspects of Human Powered Flight:

1. Duration
2. A 200m sprint race
3. A 1km race
4. A slalom course
5. A take-off performance and landing accuracy task
6. Distance around a triangular course

Registration is now open for anyone willing to follow in the footsteps of last year’s competitors and be crowned the 2013 Winners.

The Human Powered Aircraft (HPA) Icarus Cup 2103 is organised by the Human Powered Flight Group of the Royal Aeronautical Society originated in 1959. One of the Human Powered Flight Group’s objectives is to promote human powered flight as a sport and encourage wider participation, perhaps one day appearing at the Olympics.

(Photo: Fred To/2012)