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Glen Dell of South Africa is the new Advanced World Aerobatic Champion. Dell lives near Johannesburg. He is a pilot for South African Airways.

The 6th Advanced World Championships came to a close today. The Third Unknown was not flown due to bad weather and the contest was called by Contest Director L-G Arvidsson.

In the Team results, France won the FAI Gold Medal. In second was Russia followed by the Czech Republic in third place.

The next AWAC is scheduled for 2006 with a location yet to be decided.

After the completion of the First Unknown programme, the Russians are first in the Team results at AWAC in Ljungbyhed.

Russian Team pilots Anatoly Belov, Valeriy Korchagin, and Andrey Bespalov were the three top placing pilots on their team.

In second is France with pilots Gerard Bichet, Simon Roy, and Frederic Chesneau leading the group. Chesneau is the current Advanced World Aerobatic Champion, having captured the Peter Celliers Trophy in Slovenia in 2002.

In third is the Czech Republic. Their top pilots are Petr Biskup, Martin Vecko, and Martin Muck.

The first Unknown compulsory flight programme was completed this evening in Ljungbyhed. Glen Dell of South Africa captured the gold medal in the flight with an outstanding 82.05%. He was closely followed by Gerard Bichet of France with 81.00% and Anatoly Belov of Russia with 79.79%.

Combined totals from the Free and Unknown programme now place Dell in first place in the event followed by Bichet and Tomo Poljanec of Slovenia.

Pilots have begun flying the first in a series of three "Unknown" flight programmes at the Advanced World Aerobatic Championships in Ljungbyhed, Sweden today.

The 1st Unknown is shown here.

Unknown figures are chosen by 10 of the teams -- as determined by drawing of lots --- but all teams can submit a proposed sequence of figures. The one to be used is chosen by the International Jury from those submitted.

The sequence cannot be practiced and must be provided to all pilots at least 24 hours before the flight programme begins. A total of three different Unknowns will be flown at AWAC, weather permitting.

Andrey Bespalov of Russia took first place in the Free Programme (Programme #1) at the VI Advanced World Aerobatic Championships being held at Ljungbyhed, Sweden. Andrey flew his YAK 55 to an 81.87% of points possible.

Second was Glen Dell of South Africa followed by Gerard Bichet of France.