Getting Organized

(photo: Vol Libre)

At World level the question was: should our sport be served by existing soaring (sailplane) organisations, including the FAI’s Commission International du Vol à Voile (CIVV) or was it different enough to need its own infrastructure?

The initiative was taken by Ann Welch (UK), who was Chairman of the Rules and Classes sub-committee of CIVV. In June 1974 she circulated a questionnaire via FAI to all National Aero Clubs asking questions about hang gliding and, specifically, if it should have its own commission within the FAI. The response was positive for hang gliding, approved by FAI and everything set in motion for an inaugural meeting to prepare for a Commission Internationale de Vol Libre to be held directly after the big international competition at Kössen in March 1975.

Now the wild young sport, the ‘surfing of the sky’, as the press of the time called it was well on the way to finding a home within the FAI. Now it could organise itself in a way which could serve its own growing needs: claims for flight achievements accurately monitored and recorded; safety and training ideas exchanged between people who really understand the problems and challenges; true World Championships organised.

Ann Welch presided over that first meeting in Austria and the Commission took shape. Three months later, on 26/27 June 1975 the first Annual Meeting of CIVL was held in Paris, with Ann again presiding and Dan Poynter as Secretary. Thirteen countries were represented. Towards the end of the meeting Dan Poynter became the first elected President and Ann, in recognition of her being ‘the first, if not the only, instigator of the Commission’, was made President of Honour, a post she was to hold for the remainder of her life, almost 30 years.