CIG Annual Plenary Meeting
The FAI Rotorcraft Commission (CIG) held its Annual Plenary Meeting on 25 and 26 March 2004 at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Expansion to the East : The Commission decided to launch a campaign to expand helicopter sport in the Gulf States and the Far East.
Elections : After announcing that he was not standing for re-election as CIG President, Mr Alfred-Pierre HERBERT (SUI) was elected CIG President of Honour. Mr David HAMILTON (NZL) was elected as new CIG President. 1st Vice-President is Konrad GEISSLER (GER), 2nd Vice-President is Mrs Irina GROUSCHINA (RUS) and CIG Secretary Mr Wolfgang PERPLIES (GER); see the updated list of CIG Officials & Delegates.
Future Competitions : The 12th World Helicopter Championship was awarded to the United Kingdom and will take place in Kemble, Gloucestershire from 15 to 20 August 2005. The FAI Sporting Calendar for Rotorcraft has been updated accordingly. Dataloggers will be used at this championship to record speed, height, position and timing during the navigation event.
Awards : No nominees for the Rotorcraft Gold Medal.
Next Plenary Meeting : Lausanne, 3 and 4 March 2005.
The Bicentenary of the Aeroplane
Last year, 2003, marked the centenary of the first powered, sustained and controlled flight by a manned heavier-than-air aircraft. The achievement of the Wright brothers in the USA is generally acknowledged and well known, but, 99 years before that, another very significant event in the history of the aeroplane occurred.
Two hundred years ago this year, in 1804, the first model glider embodying the configuration of the modern aeroplane as we know it was flown in England. The man behind this achievement was Sir George Cayley. Most people who regard flying as a matter of routine in 2004 have never heard of Sir George Cayley, and are blissfully unaware that the large, swift and streamlined airliners in which they fly are all descended from a small glider flown across a Yorkshire vale 200 years ago.
By clicking here (65 ko pdf file), our readers will be proposed an article written by Philipp JARRETT, a freelance author specialising in aviation.
Championships News
The Organisers of the following FAI Championships, amongst others, have updated their Webpages :
3rd FAI World Club Class Gliding Championship, Elverum (NOR) :
Information Bulletin #3
8th FAI European Microlight Championships, Castelo Branco (POR) :
Weight Policy and Official Competition Maps have been published. Competitors and Team Leaders are also reminded that a special discount will be granted on entry fees paid by 30 April 2004 (Registration form).
12th World Cup of Champions / 3rd Junior World Parachuting Championsihps in Freefall Style and Accuracy Landing, Kaluga (RUS) :
Information Bulletins and Competition Rules
2004 Parachuting World Cup, Stupino (RUS) :
Information Bulletins
International Cyber Air Sports (ICAS)
Initiated by the Wuhan Administration of Sports and the Wuhan Administration Committee of East Lake Development Zone (Optics Valley of China), the first International Cyber Air Sports Competition was held from 26 to 28 March 2004 at Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province (CHN). Intended to develop cyber air sports in China, the competition consisted of dogfight matches flown on personal computers, simulating fighter models manufactured in 1944; each match opposed 2 teams of 2 competitors each. Teams originating from 8 different countries attended the competition.
During the official ceremony, Mr Alvaro de Orleans-Borbon, Member of the FAI Executive Board, thanked the Organizer for associating FAI with this event, and pointed out that simulated flying was a challenging and fascinating discipline, opening the door to the practice of many other aviation disciplines.
New World Record Claims
Here is a selection of the World Record Claims received by FAI :
Class A - Free balloons / Claim number : 9119
Size category : AM-08 (Mixed balloons : 2 200 to 3 000 m³) General Category
Type of record : Altitude
Course/location : Greeley, CO (USA)
Performance : 12 801 m
Pilot : David HEMPLEMAN-ADAMS (UK)
Balloon : Cameron Balloons Roziere 90
Date : 23.03.2004
Current record : 10 589 m (25.11.1996 - Per Axel LINDSTRAND, UK)
Class R - Microlights / Claim number : 9171
Sub-class : RPL2 (Microlights - Paraglider Control / Landplane / Flown with two persons)
Type of record : Speed over a closed circuit of 100 km without landing
Course/location : Gorica (Slovenia)
Performance : 52.93 km/h
Pilot : Zoran ZELKO (Slovenia)
Co-pilot: Vojko PRAH
Powered Paraglider : V. Prah & team BWP 2003
Date: 04.04.2004
Current record : new
Class E - Rotorcraft / Claim number : 9172
Sub-class : E-1c (Helicopters - Take-off weight 1000 to 1750 kg)
Group 1 : piston engine / General Category
Type of record : Speed over a recognised course
Course/location : Perth, WA (Australia) - Melbourne, VIC (Australia)
Performance : 92.55 km/h
Helicopter: Robinson R44 - Astro
Pilot : Claude MEUNIER (Australia)
Date: 08.04.2004
Current record : new
Class F - Model Aircraft / Claim number : 9180
Sub-class : F1N (Indoor Glider) - F1 / Free flight Category
Type of record : N°118-a - Duration (ceiling less than 8 m)
Course/location : Twizel (New Zealand)
Performance : 49.8 sec
Aeromodeller : Timothy Michael HARTE (New Zealand)
Date: 17.04.2004
Current record : 39.6 seconds (24.11.2001 - Leonard George SURTEES, AUS)
The details shown above are provisional. When all the evidence required has been received and checked, the exact figures will be established and the record ratified (if appropriate).
For further information on World Records,
please consult the latest news, including all claims pending ratification, at :
- Balloons World Records
- Microlight World Records
- Rotorcraft World Records
- Model Aircraft World Records
Lausanne, 23 April 2004
