About the International Gliding Commission (IGC)

The FAI Gliding Commission (IGC) is the body within the FAI which is responsible for all international aspects of air sports involving gliders (not including hang gliders and paragliders, which belong to the CIVL) and motor gliders. An exception is the sport of gliding aerobatics, which is handled together with powered aerobatics by the FAI Aerobatics Commission.

Rules:
The IGC makes all the rules for international (world and continental) championships,world records and badges. The rules are published in the FAI Sporting Code, which has a General Section and a section for each air sport. The gliding section is Section3. The rules include definitions (glider, motor glider, classes, flights) procedures for flight documentation and verification, competition rules and technical specifications.

Championships:
On the basis of bids from the member organisations, the IGC decides on the venues of all world and continental championships. For world championships this decision is taken four years in advance. Here is a list of forthcoming events.

Development:
An objective of the IGC is to further the development of gliding sport and to encourage its spread to more countries. The IGC-defined class structure has had a strong influence on the technical development of gliders and motor gliders. In these technical questions the IGC can rely on expert advice from our sister organisation, the OSTIV (Organisation Scientifique et Technique de Vol à Voile).

The advent of GPS navigation equipment has made a great impact on the sport of gliding. The IGC has set up a procedure for approving GPS flight recorders for record and badge flights.