Following our Press Release of 26 July 2002, FAI today publishes the results of international competitions in the sports of Gliding and Precision Flying. We also draw your attention to a new World Record in Parachuting and to the remarkable 20-year sporting career of Tomas Suchanek (CZE), the new European Standard Class Gliding Champion.

15th WORLD PRECISION FLYING CHAMPIONSHIP
7.- 14.7.02, Lucko (CRO)

Winners
Individuals : Lubos HAJEK (CZE)
Teams : Czech Republic

Information
Competition / FAI – General Aviation Commission (GAC)

11th EUROPEAN GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIP
6.- 28.7.02, Bekescsaba (HUN)

Winners
Standard Class : Tomas SUCHANEK (CZE)
15 m Class : Frédéric HOYEAU (FRA)
18 m Class : Petr KREJCIRIK (CZE)
Open Class : Tassilo BODE (GER)

Information
FAI – Gliding Commission (IGC)

6th EUROPEAN GLIDER AEROBATIC CHAMPIONSHIP
16.- 26.7.02, Pasewalk (GER)

Results not validated, as the competition could not be completed due to bad weather conditions.

Information
Competition / FAI – Aerobatics Commission (CIVA) / FAI – Gliding Commission (IGC)

NEW WORLD RECORD IN PARACHUTING
7.7.02, Pujaut (FRA)

FAI has ratified the following new World Record :
Type of record : G-2-C Formation Skydiving, longest sequence (4-Way) / Claim # 7405
Location : Pujaut (FRA) / Coupe de France de Vol Relatif 2002
Performance : 42 formations
Team : France Maubeuge NPC (FRA) with David MOY, Erwan POULIQUEN, Marin FERRE, Julien LOSANTOS, Laurent PECHBERTY
Previous record : 39 formations (23.9.99 – Arizona Airspeed Team / USA)

Information
FAI - World Records / FAI – Int. Parachuting Commission (IPC) / Féd. Française de Parachutisme

TOMAS SUCHANEK (CZE) – 20 YEARS OF HIGH-LEVEL SPORTING PERFORMANCE

The new European Standard Class Gliding Champion, Tomas SUCHANEK, already has a large number of victories to his credit in two other air sports : Hang Gliding and Microlight Flying.
After starting to compete in Hang Gliding in 1982, he won the “Czechoslovak Nationals” in 1986 and started competing at international level in 1988. World Champion in Hang Gliding in 1991, 1993 and 1995, and European Champion in 1994 and 1996, he also became European and World Champion in Microlight Flying in 1993 and 1994. Tomas Suchanek’s name has been appearing among the winners of international gliding (sailplane) competitions since 1998, when he won the 2nd place at the European Club Class Sailplane Championships.

To crown his sporting career, Tomas Suchanek holds 10 World Records in Hang Gliding : Straight distance / Speed over a triangular course of 25, 50, 100, 150 and 300 km / Speed over an out-and-return course of 100 and 200 km).

Information
About T. Suchanek / FAI – World Records / FAI – Gliding Commission (IGC) / FAI – Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission (CIVL) / FAI – Microlight Commission (CIMA)

The FAI congratulates all sports(wo)men on their outstanding performances.

Lausanne, 31 July 2002

(Information about next FAI international competitions : FAI – Competitions)

Summer holidays (Northern Hemisphere) mean not only "sea, sand and sun", but also the high season for all air sports championships. In the last few weeks, several FAI World and Continental Championships were held in the sports of Aerobatics, Hang Gliding, Paragliding and Aeromodelling. The FAI now publishes the first results.

13th EUROPEAN HANG GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIP
20.6 – 6.7.02, Bled (SLO)

Winners
Class 1 : Manfred RUHMER (AUT)
Class 1 – team : Austria
Class 5 : Thomas SCHULZ (GER)
Class 5 – team : Italy

Information
Results / World Pilot Ranking / FAI – Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission (CIVL).

7th EUROPEAN PARAGLIDING CHAMPIONSHIP
4. – 20.7.02, Kobarid (SLO)

Winners
Cross-country / Overall : Alex HOFER (SUI)
Cross-country / Women : Louise CRANDAL (DEN)
Team : Switzerland

Information
Results / World Pilot Ranking / FAI – Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission (CIVL).

13th EUROPEAN POWERED AEROBATIC CHAMPIONSHIP
10. – 20.7.02, Panevezys (LIT)

Winners
Men : Ramon ALONSO (SPA)
Women : Pascale ALAJOUANINE (FRA)
Team : Russia
Free program : Klaus SCHRODT (GER)

Information
Results, participants, photos / FAI – Aerobatics Commission (CIVA).

2002 FAI SCALE WORLD AEROMODELLING CHAMPIONSHIP
10. – 21.7.02, Tillsonburg (CAN)

Winners
F4B (control line flying) : Marian KAZIROD (POL)
F4C (radio-controlled) : Andreas LÜTHI (SUI)

Information
FAI – Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM).

2002 FAI ELECTRIC FLIGHT WORLD AEROMODELLING CHAMPIONSHIP
12. – 21.7.02, Winterthur (SUI)

Winners
F5B (electric gliders) - Individuals : Urs LEODOLTER (SUI)
F5B - Team : Germany
F5D (pylon racing) - Individuals : Robert WIMMER (GER)
F5D - Team : Germany

Information
Results, photos / FAI – Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM).

8th WORLD HANG GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIP FOR WOMEN
11. – 21.7.02, Chelan Butte, WA (USA)

Winners
Individuals : Kari CASTLE (USA)
Team : Germany

Information
Results / FAI – Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission (CIVL).

14th WORLD HANG GLIDING CLASS 2 CHAMPIONSHIP
11. – 21.7.02, Chelan Butte, WA (USA)

Winners
Individuals : Manfred RUHMER (AUT)
Team : United Kingdom

Information
Results / World Pilot Ranking / FAI – Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission (CIVL).

1st WORLD HANG GLIDING CLASS 5 CHAMPIONSHIP
11. – 21.7.02, Chelan Butte, WA (USA)

Winners
Individuals : Christian CIECH (ITA)
Team : Italy

Information
Results / World Pilot Ranking / FAI – Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission (CIVL).

Lausanne, 26 July 2002

version française

Steve Fossett has completed the first circumnavigation of the earth in a balloon in the Southern Hemisphere, as per FAI rules, and the first earth circumnavigation in a balloon crewed by only one person. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale – The World Air Sports Federation - salute a remarkable flight.

Subject to detailed analysis of the evidence for the flight and subject to confirmation that it was conducted in full compliance with all the applicable provisions of the FAI Sporting Code, Mr Fossett looks likely to be able to claim new FAI world records in the following categories :

AM 14 (Rozier Balloons with a volume of between 16000 and 22000 m3) :

Time Around the World : no record yet achieved by AM14 balloon.

Distance : with approximately 31’300 km flown, the current record set by Steve Fossett (22’910 km flown in 1998) should be broken.

Duration : the current record of 12 days 12 hours 57 minutes set by Steve Fossett in 2001 should also have been broken.

Depending on the performance he achieves, it is also possible that he may be in a position to claim the Absolute World Record (for any type or size of free-flying balloon) for Shortest Time Around the World – currently standing at 15 days, 10 hours and 24 minutes, set by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones in Breitling Orbiter 3 in 1999. Since his Round the World track is shorter, he is probably unlikely to be in a position to break the Absolute Distance Record of 40 814 km also set by Piccard and Jones in 1999.

When the flight is complete, Official Observers will immediately start their analysis of the flight data. Since Mr Fossett is the holder of a FAI Sporting Licence issued in the USA, the records claimed must first be ratified as US National Records by the National Aeronautic Association in Washington DC, the FAI’s member organisation in the USA. Once this has been done, the evidence will be carefully checked by FAI’s experts and ratification by the FAI as world records will follow soon thereafter.

The Observers will be checking especially the evidence for the exact time and place of take-off and landing, and the precise trajectory followed by Mr Fossett’s balloon. They will also wish to make quite sure that the balloon did not touch the earth’s surface at any intermediate point between the launch and landing.

For further information :
www.fai.org
www.spiritoffreedom.com (discontinued website)

History of World Records set by J. Stephen FOSSETT
Round the World Flight Rules
The Rules Explained
Previous Around the World Ballooning Attempts (1980 -1998)
Longest Balloon Flights

Lausanne, 2 July 2002

The season of FAI World Aeromodelling Championships will start soon with three championships to be held on the European and North American continents in the coming weeks. Following is a brief description of the different FAI categories that will compete.

2002 Electric Flight World Championships / July 14th – 21st, 2002 / Winterthur - Switzerland
The competition site of these “Silent Wings” championships is located north east of Winterthur in northern Switzerland. Released or launched into the air from the hands of their pilots, these electric powered motor gliders (FAI category F5B) use NiCd cells as their power source, which may be recharged during flight by solar cells; the motor gliders are radio-controlled throughout their 5-minute flights, to complete tasks in distance, duration and landing. In the Pylon Racing events (FAI category F5D), radio-controlled racers (max. weight of 1.25 kg) fly 10 times around a 400 m. triangular course; the winner is the pilot who covers the total distance of 4 km in the shortest time and with the fewest infringements of the official course.
For further information : www.silentwings.ch

2002 World Scale Championships / July 12th – 21st, 2002 / Tillsonburg, Ontario - Canada
The aim of the so-called “scale” contests is to recreate accurately the appearance and realism of the full-size aircraft (scale accuracy, colours, markings, realism of flight, etc.). Two types of scale models will compete at Tillsonburg. The control line flying scale models (FAI category F4B) are powered by piston, jet or electric engines; to control their models, pilots use a control handle connected to a line 15 to 21.5 m. long and attached to the aircraft. The radio-controlled flying scale models (FAI category F4C / max. weight of 10 kg) have to accomplish basic flight manoeuvres (take-off, landing, circles) and in some cases aerobatic figures.

2002 World Control Line Championships / July 14th – 22nd, 2002 / Sebnitz - Germany
Controlled according to the same principles as described above (control line flying scale models), 5 categories will compete at Sebnitz :
Speed models (FAI cat. F2A) have to attain a maximum speed over a measured course of 1 km (10 laps of a 15.9 m radius circle). Aerobatic models (FAI cat. F2B / max. 5 kg) must perform prescribed manoeuvres. Team racing models (FAI cat. F2C / max. 0.7 kg) : three models, each representing a team (1 pilot + 1 mechanic), fly simultaneously on the same circuit; eliminating rounds are followed by semi-finals and a final. Combat models (FAI cat. F2D) : two of these piston-engine models (max. 5 kg) fly at the same time in the same circle; the aim is to cut a streamer attached to the opponent’s model, points being awarded for each cut made. Scale models (FAI cat. F4C) : see hereabove.
For further information : www.sebnitz-2002.de

Lausanne, 1 July 2002