Fédération_Aéronautique_Internationale

Fédération Aéronautique Internationale

Fédération Aéronautique Internationale

World governing body for air sports

Not to be confused with International Astronautical Federation.

The Fédération aéronautique internationale (French: [fedeʁɑsjɔ̃ aeʁɔnotik ɛ̃tɛʁnasjɔnal]; FAI; English: World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.[3] It maintains world records for aeronautical activities, including ballooning, aeromodeling, and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), as well as flights into space.

Quick Facts Abbreviation, Formation ...

History

The FAI was founded at a conference held in Paris 12–14 October 1905, which was organized following a resolution passed by the Olympic Congress held in Brussels on 10 June 1905 calling for the creation of an Association "to regulate the sport of flying, ... the various aviation meetings and advance the science and sport of Aeronautics."[4] The conference was attended by representatives from 8 countries: Belgium (Aéro Club Royal de Belgique, founded 1901), France (Aéro-Club de France, 1898), Germany (Deutscher Luftschiffer Verband aka "German Airship League", founded 1902), Great Britain (Royal Aero Club, 1901), Italy (Aero Club d'Italia [it], 1904), Spain (Real Aero Club de España [es], 1905), Switzerland (Aero-Club der Schweiz, 1900) and the United States (Aero Club of America, 1905).

On 2 February 2017 the FAI announced its new strategic partnership with international asset management firm Noosphere Ventures. FAI Secretary General Susanne Schödel, FAI President Frits Brink and Noosphere Ventures Managing Partner Max Polyakov signed the agreement, making Noosphere Ventures FAI's Global Technical Partner.[5][6]

The FAI suspended Russia and Belarus due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as a result of which pilots from Russia and Belarus will not be able to compete in any FAI-sanctioned event in the 13 FAI air sports disciplines, including paragliding, hang gliding, and paramotoring.[7]

FAI General Conference

The 117th FAI General Conference took place in Dayton, Ohio, US (the 'Birthplace of Aviation') on 26 and 27 October 2023. [8]

The 118th FAI General Conference will be held from 20 to 21 November 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sports

13 Sports:

  1. Aeromodelling (modelling (space modulation) – Space Modelling)
  2. Amateur-Built & Experimental Aircraft
  3. Ballooning
  4. Drones
  5. General Aviation
  6. Gliding
  7. Hang Gliding
  8. Microlights and Paramotors
  9. Paragliding
  10. Powered and glider aircraft Aerobatics
  11. Rotorcraft
  12. Parachuting (Skydiving)
  13. Space

Air Sport Commissions

  1. General Air Sports (CASI)
  2. Aerobatics (CIVA)
  3. Aeromodelling (CIAM)
  4. Amateur-Built and Experimental Aircraft (CIACA)
  5. Astronautic Records (ICARE)
  6. Ballooning (CIA)
  7. General Aviation (GAC)
  8. Gliding (IGC)
  9. Hang Gliding and Paragliding (CIVL)
  10. Microlight and Paramotor (CIMA)
  11. Rotorcraft (CIG)
  12. Skydiving (ISC)

Events

Main article: World Championships in Air Sports
Main article: World Cups in Air Sports

All the events sanctioned by the FAI are listed in the events calendar.[9]

World Championships

The first World Championships in a certain class took place in the following years:

  1. 1951: F1A, F1B, F1C
  2. 1960: F2A, F2B, F2C, F3A
  3. 1961: F1D
  4. 1970: F4B, F4C
  5. 1972: S-classes
  6. 1977: F3B
  7. 1978: F2D
  8. 1985: F3C, F3D
  9. 1986: F3E (now: F5B)
  10. 1989: F1E
  11. 1994: F5D (now F3E)
  12. 1998: F3
  13. 2010: F6A (WAG)
  14. 2010: F6B (WAG)
  15. 2010: F6D (WAG)
  16. 2011: F3K
  17. 2012: F3F
  18. 2013: F3N
  19. 2013: F3P
  20. 2014: F4H
  21. 2018: F3U
  22. 2019: F5J
  23. 2024: F3M

Activities

The FAI is the international governing body for the following activities:

The FAI establishes the standards for records in the activities. Where these are air sports, the FAI also oversees international competitions at world and continental levels, and also organizes the World Air Games and FAI World Grand Prix.

The FAI organises the FAI International Drones Conference and Expo. This event offers a platform for organisations, businesses and individuals to discuss how drones are used today and to create a framework for how they will be used and impact on life in the future.

The FAI also keeps records set in human spaceflight, through the FAI Astronautic Records Commission (International Astronautic Records Commission – ICARE)[20]

Kármán Line definition

Main article: Kármán line

The FAI defines the limit between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, the so-called Karman Line, as the altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles; 330,000 feet) above Earth's sea level.[21]

Records

1971 USSR commemorative stamp depicting the Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal established by FAI

Among the FAI's responsibilities are the verification of record-breaking flights. For a flight to be registered as a "World Record," it has to comply with the FAI's strict rules, which include a proviso that the record must exceed the previous record by a certain percentage. Since the late 1930s, military aircraft have dominated some classes of record for powered aircraft such as speed, distance, payload, and height, though other classes are regularly claimed by civilians.

Some records are claimed by countries as their own, even though their achievements fail to meet FAI standards. These claims are not typically granted the status of official records. For example, Yuri Gagarin earned recognition for the first manned spaceflight, despite failing to meet FAI requirements. The FAI initially did not recognize the achievement because he did not land in his Vostok spacecraft (he ejected from it), but later it recognized that Gagarin was the first human to fly into space. The FAI then established the Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal, which has been awarded since 1968.[22]

Classes

Record flight diploma issued by the FAI

The following types of craft have records:[23]

Selected records

More information Date, Measurement ...

Awards

Diplome Paul Tissandier

The FAI Gold Air Medal was established in 1924 and was first awarded in 1925. It is reserved for those who have contributed greatly to the development of aeronautics by their activities, work, achievements, initiative or devotion to the cause of Aviation. The FAI has also awarded the Paul Tissandier Diploma since 1952 to those who have served the cause of aviation in general and sporting aviation in particular.[22]

The FAI also makes awards for each of the following air sports.

  • Awards for Ballooning:
  • Awards for General Aviation:
  • Awards for Gliding:
  • Awards for Rotorcraft:
    • The FAI Gold Rotorcraft Medal
  • Awards for Parachuting:
    • The FAI Gold Parachuting Medal
    • The Leonardo da Vinci Parachuting Diploma
    • The Faust Vrancic Medal
  • Awards for Aeromodelling:
    • The FAI Aeromodelling Gold Medal
    • The Andrei Tupolev Aeromodelling Medal
    • The Alphonse Penaud Aeromodelling Diploma
    • The Antonov Aeromodelling Diploma
    • The Andrei Tupolev Aeromodelling Diploma
    • The Frank Ehling Diploma
  • Awards for Aerobatics:
    • The Leon Biancotto Aerobatics Diploma
  • Awards for Astronautics:
    • The Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal
    • The V.M. Komarov Diploma
    • The Korolev Diploma
    • The Odyssey Diploma
  • Awards for Hang Gliding:
    • The Pepe Lopes Medal
    • The FAI Hang Gliding Diploma
  • Awards for Microlight Aviation:
  • Awards for Aviation and Space Education:
    • The Nile Gold Medal
  • Awards for Amateur-Built Aircraft:

FAI Young Artists Contest

The FAI Young Artists Contest[45] is an international painting competition for youngsters between the ages of 6 and 17. Each FAI Member Country organises the contest in their country, and the national winners are submitted to the International Jury each year.

Members

Active members

More information Country, Member name ...

Associate members

More information Country, Member Name ...

Affiliate members

More information Country, Member Name ...

Temporary members

More information Country, Member name ...

Suspended members

More information Country, Member Name ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Presidents". 28 June 2017.
  2. [2]
    "FAI Secretariat". FAI. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  3. [3]
    "History". FAI – Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. 28 June 2017. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  4. [4]
    "The Postal History of ICAO". Icao.int. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  5. [5]
    "FAI names Noosphere Ventures as its new Global Technical Partner". www.fai.org. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  6. [6]
    "Noosphere Ventures to Bring Next Big Thing to Air Sports". noosphereventures.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  7. [7]
    FAI SUSPEND RUSSIA AND BELARUS Archived 15 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine TUESDAY 1 MARCH, 2022 xcmag.com, accessed 19 April 2022
  8. [8]
    "'Birthplace of Aviation' Dayton, USA, to host 117th FAI General Conference 2023 | World Air Sports Federation". 6 June 2023.
  9. [9]
    FAI Events Calendar
  10. [10]
    "FAI Aerobatics Commission". FAI. 31 July 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  11. [11]
    "FAI Aeromodelling Commission". FAI. 31 July 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  12. [12]
    "FAI Ballooning Commission". FAI. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  13. [13]
    "FAI General Aviation Commission". FAI. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  14. [14]
    "FAI Gliding Commission". FAI. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  15. [15]
    "FAI Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission". FAI. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  16. [16]
    "FAI Amateur-Built & Experimental Aircraft Commission". FAI. August 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  17. [17]
    "FAI Microlight & Paramotor Commission". FAI. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  18. [18]
    "FAI Skydiving Commission". FAI. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  19. [19]
    "FAI Rotorcraft Commission". FAI. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  20. [20]
    "FAI Astronautic Records Commission". FAI. August 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  21. [21]
    Dr. S. Sanz Fernández de Córdoba (24 June 2004). "The 100 km Boundary for Astronautics". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  22. [22]
    "Awards". FAI. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  23. [23]
    "FAI records". FAI. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  24. [24]
    F5 – Electric Flight Archived 17 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine, FAI Aeromodelling Commission, retrieved 17 February 2022.
  25. [25]
    FAI Aeromodelling Commission, Volume F9 Drone Sport 2023 Edition, Effective 1st February 2023
  26. [26]
    "FAI Record File (troy-bradley)". FAI. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  27. [27]
    "FAI Record File (bertrand-piccard)". FAI. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  28. [28]
    "The FAI ratifies Solar Impulse's World Records". FAI. 10 October 2010. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  29. [29]
    "Perlan Project". perlanproject.org. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  30. [30]
    "FAI Record File (john-trevor-egginton)". FAI. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  31. [31]
    "FAI Record File (felix-baumgartner)". FAI. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  32. [32]
    "FAI Record File (Class G (Parachuting))". FAI. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  33. [33]
    "Kanellos Kanellopoulos (GRE) (384) | World Air Sports Federation". FAI. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  34. [34]
    "Kanellos Kanellopoulos (GRE) (385) | World Air Sports Federation". FAI. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  35. [35]
    "Holger Rochelt (FRG) (389) | World Air Sports Federation". FAI. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  36. [36]
    "Justin Mauch (USA) (16930) | World Air Sports Federation". FAI. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  37. [37]
    "FAI Record ID #18027". 1 March 2019. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  38. [38]
    "Flight detail Donizete Lemos". 13 October 2016. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  39. [39]
    "FAI Record ID #18028". 1 March 2019. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  40. [40]
    "Flight detail Rafael Saladini". 13 October 2016. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  41. [41]
    "FAI Record ID #18029". 1 March 2019. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  42. [42]
    "FAI Record File (brooke-knapp)". FAI. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  43. [43]
    "Greg Kendall (USA) (18685)". www.fai.org. 29 August 2018. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  44. [44]
    Gibbs, Yvonne (13 August 2015). "NASA Dryden Fact Sheet – Helios Prototype". NASA. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  45. [45]
    "FAI Young Artists Contest". FAI. 29 June 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Fédération_Aéronautique_Internationale, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.