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60 years ago today: Sputnik 1 and the Dawn of Space

History changed 60 years ago on 4 October 1957:

Mamistov strikes gold for a third time

Russia’s Mikhail Mamistov has been crowned FAI World Aerobatic Champion for an incredible third ti...

Muroya wins in Germany’s Lausitzring

Yoshihide Muroya won the penultimate round of the Red Bull Air Race 2017 season on Sunday 17 Septemb...

France takes the gold at the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett 2017

The winners of the 61st Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett 2017 said they were “overjoyed” to be awar...

Matt Hall wins Qualifying in Germany

Australia’s Matt Hall flew the best time in Qualifying for the Red Bull Air Race stop at Germany’s L...

Look Up, the Drones are coming!

Look Up, the Drones are coming!

Drones are here now and they are multiplying fast! The first FAI International Drones Conference was a big success as it heard about the brave new world of Drones and robots in the sky.

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Drones at the cutting edge

Drones at the cutting edge

The sun came out for the third and final day of the FAI International Drones Conference and Expo in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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The Game of Drones: Racing and Sports

The Game of Drones: Racing and Sports

People playing with models in the air is not new, but the scale of Drone Sports is like nothing the world has ever seen before, was the take-away message from the final session at the first FAI Intern....

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Drone Control? Rules and regulations for drones

Drone Control? Rules and regulations for drones

  “Be aware, this is a paradigm shift. Airspace is a commodity that is suddenly open to everyone, and this is a major, major shift.”

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Preparing for the Drone Invasion

Preparing for the Drone Invasion

The message from the first day at the first FAI International Drones Conference could not have been clearer: The drones are coming, and they are coming fast. Not only that, they are arriving en masse ....

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Five years ago on this day: A Microlight and Paramotor World Record st....

Five years ago on this day: A Microlight and Paramotor World Record st....

Today, five years ago on 17 February 2012, Indian pilot Parmjit Singh, used a special harness, the Aeros Discus 14 with a Radne Motor AB Raket 120, to fly a record distance in a straight line without....

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Two years ago: Father and son set African Record

Two years ago: Father and son set African Record

Two years ago on this day, Tijl Schmelzer and his father Bert were the very first to pass the 200 km/h barrier using thermals rather than mountain waves.

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Russian balloonist Fedor Konyukhov awarded  FAI - Breitling Pilot of t....

Russian balloonist Fedor Konyukhov awarded FAI - Breitling Pilot of t....

A Russian priest who circumnavigated the world in a balloon in record time has been presented the inaugural FAI - Breitling Pilot of the Year Award at a ceremony in Switzerland yesterday, Thursday 17 ....

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 PILOT PROFILE: 60 seconds with hang gliding champion Christian Ciech

PILOT PROFILE: 60 seconds with hang gliding champion Christian Ciech

Christian Ciech is one of the most successful pilots in competition hang gliding, and was FAI European and World Champion at the same time in 2016. We spoke to him…

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NASA’s top man Charles Bolden is still aiming for the stars

NASA’s top man Charles Bolden is still aiming for the stars

Charles Bolden, who has been awarded the prestigious FAI Gold Space Medal for 2016, knows about space. Not only has he been in orbit four times, but for the last seven years he has been at the head of....

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Current Events

Nationale kampioenschappen zweefvliegen -

Event ID

: 18612    

Bid:

290

Event classification

: Second Category Event

Type of event

: Other

Disciplines / Task Styles

:

20 meter Multi-seat Class
Club Class
18 meter Class
15 meter Class
Open Class

Place

: Terlet (Netherlands)

Date(s)

: 13 May to 22 May 2026

Website

:https://nkzweefvliegen.nl/


Event Organiser


FAI Member of the Hosting Country

[flickr user=me tag="18612" ]

15th Paragliding World Cup Superfinal 2025 Spain, Pegalajar -

Event ID

: 17754    

Bid:

669

Event classification

: Second Category Event

Type of event

: Other

Disciplines / Task Styles

:

Cross Country

Place

: Pegalajar (Spain)

Date(s)

: 12 May to 23 May 2026

Website

:https://pwca.events/15th-paragliding-world-cup-superfinal-2025-spain-pegalajar/


Event Organiser


FAI Member of the Hosting Country

[flickr user=me tag="17754" ]

FAI World Gliding Championships in association with Avionic -

Event ID

: 18031    

Bid:

294

Event classification

: First Category Event

Type of event

: World Championship

Disciplines / Task Styles

:

18 meter Class
Open Class
20 meter Multi-seat Class

Place

: Czestochowa (Poland)

Date(s)

: 16 May to 30 May 2026


Event Organiser


FAI Member of the Hosting Country

[flickr user=me tag="18031" ]

FAI Junior World Gliding Championships -

Event ID

: 17796    

Bid:

245

Event classification

: First Category Event

Type of event

: Continental Championship

Disciplines / Task Styles

:

Club Class
Standard Class

Place

: Lake Keepit (Australia)

Date(s)

: 06 Jan to 20 Jan 2029


Event Organiser


FAI Member of the Hosting Country

[flickr user=me tag="17796" ]

US Nationals -

Event ID

: 18604    

Bid:

310

Event classification

: Second Category Event

Type of event

: Other

Disciplines / Task Styles

:

15 meter Class

Place

: Reedsville, PA (USA)

Date(s)

: 15 May to 23 May 2026

Website

:


Event Organiser


FAI Member of the Hosting Country

[flickr user=me tag="18604" ]

ASFC F3A World Cup China -

Event ID

: 18075    

Bid:

253

Event classification

: Open International - World Cup Event

Type of event

: Other

Disciplines / Task Styles

:

F3A (RC Aerobatic Aircraft)

Place

: Dan Feng (China (People's Republic of))

Date(s)

: 14 May to 18 May 2026

Website

:http://f3a.com.cn/en/


Event Organiser


FAI Member of the Hosting Country

[flickr user=me tag="18075" ]

Upcoming Events

21 May 2026 Rajac Open - Rajac (Serbia)
21 May 2026 Paragliding Accuracy World Cup - Prilep, Macedonia - Prilep (North Macedonia)
22 May 2026 2026 Stans Open - Swiss and German Championships 2026 - Stans (Switzerland)
22 May 2026 2026 Hunt a Max - Madziunai (Lithuania)
22 May 2026 2026 DUBNICA MAY 2026 - Partizanske (Slovakia)
22 May 2026 XPLORE H&F Challenge 2026 - Begunje na Gorenjskem (Slovenia)
22 May 2026 1st RM-Schupfart - Schupfart (Switzerland)
23 May 2026 2026 Jutland Heath Cup - Viborg (Denmark)
23 May 2026 2026 LASF Cup - Madziunai (Lithuania)
23 May 2026 2026 31th F3A Criterium International du Hainaut - Belgium - Grandrieu (Belgium)
23 May 2026 2026 F3L MARTIN CUP - Martin (Slovakia)
23 May 2026 2026 11th Sonnenland Cup Eurotour F5J - Oberpullendorf (Austria)
23 May 2026 2026 Örebro Open - Örebro (Sweden)
23 May 2026 2026 2026 Herning World Cup - Herning (Denmark)
23 May 2026 2026 JURA AIRTOUR OPEN 2026 - Moutier (Switzerland)
More events

 

Latest FAI World Record Claims

09 May 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a recognised course : 800,00 km/h Henry Ross Perot Jr. (USA)
09 May 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a recognised course : 972,00 km/h Bradley J Mears (USA)
08 May 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a recognised course : 922,00 km/h Timothy Riddell (USA)
08 May 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a recognised course : 918,00 km/h Henry Ross Perot Jr. (USA)
07 May 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a recognised course : 822,00 km/h Timothy Riddell (USA)
06 May 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a Commercial Airline Route : 881,00 km/hxr Christopher R. Yakabe (USA)
04 May 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a Commercial Airline Route : 790,00 km/h Blake Wolanin (USA)
02 May 2026 Parachuting : Highest overall average speed : 301,78 km/h Peter Symonds (GBR)
02 May 2026 Parachuting : Highest overall average speed : 301,78 km/h Peter Symonds (GBR)
02 May 2026 Hang Gliding and Paragliding : Free distance using up to 3 position checkpoints : 263,5 km Christopher Manzl (AUT)
01 May 2026 Parachuting : Highest average speed : 321,17 km/h Peter Symonds (GBR)
01 May 2026 Parachuting : Highest average speed : 321,17 km/h Peter Symonds (GBR)
22 April 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a recognised course : 974,00 km/h Scott M. Amidon (USA)
19 April 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a recognised course : 840,00 km/h Scott M. Amidon (USA)
19 April 2026 Powered Aeroplanes : Speed over a recognised course : 1 007,00 km/h Michael Hyland (USA)
More records

WAC Blog #2 - 21 August 2009

As I said earlier, we got a break in the weather and we are flying now. We plan to fly no further down on the Order of Flight list than pilot #31 – this has just been announced by the Flight Director. We are operating with an optional break as the ceiling is running at about 3,000 feet but it is going well. Below is a photo of the weather situation – this morning and then again, this afternoon. The British tell me that if you think the weather is bad, just wait. It will change. How true this is.

2018 FAI Young Artists Contest

Y-TOROPOVA-2011art1-1big
This year's theme is "Flying in the future". Give free rein to your imagination – you might earn one of the Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals!

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111th FAI General Conference

logoGC2017 frontpage
The next Conference will take place from 25 to 27 October 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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FAI Awards

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Browse the list of the FAI Awards recipients.

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Did you know...?

3h 54m 59s = World Record manpowered aircraft

Did you know...?

Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth

Did you know...?

There are 150 pilots in Paragliding Worlds

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