FAI News 18/06

17th World Hot Air Balloon Championship / World Air Games 2009 : 4 1/2 Weeks ! / FAI eSHOP : New Articles / New World Record Claims / Competition Update

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17th FAI WORLD HOT AIR BALLOON CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED


The 17th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship, held at Tochigi in Japan from 18 to 26 November 2006, came to a successful conclusion, thus closing the 2006 FAI World Championships season.


Sixty-two competitors representing 31 countries worldwide attended the Championship. After 28 competition tasks, the winners were :

1st – John PETREHN (USA)
2nd – Joe HEARTSILL (USA)
3rd – Uwe SCHNEIDER (GER)

Both FAI President Pierre PORTMANN and FAI Ballooning Commission President Jean-Claude WEBER attended the prize-giving ceremony, as did “Asimo”, a representative of the latest technological developments of Honda, partner of the 17th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship.





For further information : FAI Sporting Calendar
Results & Photos : Official Webpages

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WORLD AIR GAMES 2009 : 4 ½ WEEKS REMAINING !


The first phase of the bidding process was launched on 26 October 2006 at the 100th FAI General Conference in Santiago (CHI). Potential bidders still have just over 4 weeks to indicate their interest in hosting the World Air Games 2009.

The FAI and its partner TSE Consulting reported that positive interest had been aroused in several countries for hosting the World Air Games 2009 in their new attractive format. A few weeks from the deadline for submitting preliminary bids (31 December 2006), the FAI reminds its Members and cities and regions preparing bids that the FAI Secretariat is available to assist them to solve any question or problem relating to the bidding process and documents.

For further information : http://www.worldairgames.org
E-mail contact address : worldairgames@fai.org
Phone : +41 21 345 10 70


World Air Games – Taking You Higher !

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FAI eSHOP : NEW ARTICLES

We have pleasure in informing you that, in addition to the special end-of-year offers currently proposed in our on-line shop (FAI eSHOP), two T-shirts evoking famous World Records ratified by FAI are now available :

1909 Louis Blériot’s first crossing of the English Channel

1927 Charles Lindbergh’s first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

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NEW WORLD RECORD CLAIMS


Some of the new World Record Claims recently received by FAI :

Class R (Microlights) / Claim number : 14301
Sub-class : RPF1 (Microlights : Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown with one person)
Type of record : Distance in a straight line without engine power
Course/location : Tallahassee, FL (USA)
Performance : 5.8 km
Pilot : David ROGES (USA)
Powered Paraglider : Microlight type to be advised
Date: 10.11.2006
Current record: no record set yet


Class R (Microlights) / Claim number : 14303
Sub-class : RPF1 (Microlights : Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown with one person)
Type of record : Distance in a closed circuit with limited fuel
Course/location : Tallahassee, FL (USA)
Performance : 56 km
Pilot : David ROGES (USA)
Powered Paraglider : Microlight type to be advised
Date: 09.11.2006
Current record: no record set yet


Class C (Aeroplanes) / Claim number : 14335
Sub-class : C-1a (Landplanes – Take-off weight 300 to 500 kg)
Group 1 : Piston engine
Type of record : Speed over a recognised course
Course/location : Lord Howe Island (AUS) - Norfolk Island
Performance : 200.4 km/h
Pilot : Michael COATES (AUS)
Aircraft : Pipistrel Sinus 912
Date: 11.11.2006
Current record : 149.06 km/h (06.08.1997 - John BOLTON-RILEY, NZL)


Class C (Aeroplanes) / Claim number : 14344
Sub-class : C-1b (Landplanes – Take-off weight 500 to 1000 kg)
Group 1 : Piston engine
Type of record : Speed over a recognised course
Course/location : Adelaide, SA (AUS) - Melbourne (AUS)
Performance : 356.89 km/h
Pilot : David TANNER (GBR)
Aircraft : Van's RV-8
Date: 19.11.2006
Current record : 278.90 km/h (28.10.1997 - Jon JOHANSON, AUS)


Class D (Gliders) / Claim number : 14352
Sub-class : DO (Open Class Gliders), General Category
Type of record : Distance over a triangular course
Course/location : Zapala (ARG)
Performance : 1556.3 km
Pilot : Klaus OHLMANN (GER)
Crew : Herbert PIRKER
Glider : Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 4 DM
Date: 23.11.2006
Current record : 1 502.55 km (13.12.2003 - Steve FOSSETT, USA)


The details shown above are provisional. When all the evidence required has been received and checked, the exact figures will be established and the record ratified (if appropriate).
For further information on World Records, please consult the latest news, including all claims pending ratification, at FAI World Records.

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COMPETITION UPDATE (1st Category Events)


Coming soon :

Paragliding
09.-18.02.2007 : 4th FAI World Paragliding Accuracy Championship (LTU)
24.02-10.03.2007 : 10th FAI World Paragliding Championship (AUS)

Parachuting
20.-25.03.2007 : 11th FAI World Para-Ski Parachuting Championship (ITA)