The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the world's air sports federation, was founded in 1905.It is a non-governmental and non-profit making international organisation with the basic aim of furthering aeronautical and astronautical activities worldwide. Ever growing, FAI is now an organisation of some 100 member countries.

• The Foundation of the FAI
• What does the FAI do?
• Sporting Events
• FAI General organisation
• Education
• Registration of World Records
• FAI and the Outside World
• Air Sport Commissions
• FAI Technical Commissions
• To Find Out More About FAI

At the start of the 20th Century, the pioneering flights of pilots such as Clement Ader, the Wright Brothers and Santos-Dumont, the proliferation of aeronautical competitions, and increasingly rapid technological advances marked the real birth of the modern aviation era.

A small group of men recognized the growing need for an international federation to coordinate and give direction to the rapidly growing aeronautical activity.

On 10 June 1905, Count Henri de la Vaulx, Vice President of the Aero Club of France, Major Moedebeck of the German Airship League and Fernand Jacobs, President of the Aero Club of Belgium, gave a presentation to the Olympic Congress of Brussels on their proposal for a "Fédération Aéronautique Internationale". The delegates received the idea warmly, and in token of its support the Olympic Congress adopted thefollowing resolution:"This Congress, recognizing the special importance of aeronautics, expresses the desire that in each country, there be created an Association for regulating the sport of flying and that thereafter there be formed a Universal Aeronautical Federation to regulate the various aviation meetings and advance the science and sport of Aeronautics."

On 12 October 1905, an international aeronautical conference was convened in Paris. After two days of debate, the representatives of Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the USA adopted the entire package of proposed Statutes. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale was founded on 14 October 1905. From its inception, the FAI defined its principal aims as being to"methodically catalogue the best performances achieved, so that they be known to everybody; to identify their distinguishing features so as to permit comparisons to be made; and to verify evidence and thus ensure that record-holders have undisputed claims to their titles." The statutes also specified that each body holding sporting powers (i.e. the national members of FAI) should retain full and autonomous control over its own affairs.

Ninety years old, faithful to the decisions of its founding fathers, but also because the principles then established remain valid, the FAI's Statutes still reflect the objectives defined in 1905.

However, the appearance of new technologies and modern equipment, and the birth of entirely new air sport disciplines have meant that the FAI's sphere of involvement has broadened - and continues to expand. New objectives are adopted to reflect developments in society and in the aspirations of those who practice air sports.

An international, non-profit-making, non-governmental organisation, the FAI's main aim is the development throughout the world of sport aviation and astronautical activities.

The current statutes describe in detail its specific objectives:

• to make evident the essentially international spirit of aeronautics as a powerful instrument for bringing all people closer in mutual understanding and friendship regardless of political, racial or religious considerations, thereby helping to create international good will and thus build a better and more peaceful world;
• to bring together the air sports men and women of the world in international competition;
• to educate young people through sport in a spirit of mutual understanding and friendship;
• to coordinate its Members' separate efforts to further aeronautics and astronautics throughout the world;
• to protect and safeguard the interests of its Members in the use of air space;
• to provide a forum for the exchange of information and discussion of mutual problems with other elements of civil aeronautics.

To fulfill these objectives and meet the needs of each air sport and area of activity, the organisational structure of FAI continues to evolve. From time to time, new Commissions are created.

At present, the FAI comprises these elements:

• The General Conference, the supreme policy-making body, which adopts Statutes and By-laws - the foundation stones of the FAI;
• The Executive Board, principal executive body of FAI, responsible for implementing the decisions of General Conference and directing the day-to-day operation of the FAI;
• Eleven Air Sport Commissions representing, in addition to the General Commission, all 10 air sport disciplines under FAI control: ballooning, general aviation, gliding, rotorcraft, parachuting, aeromodelling, aerobatics, astronautics records, hang-gliding and microlights;
• Four Technical Commissions which control non-sporting activities: aerospace education, amateur-built aircraft; medico-physiological and environmental matters.

FAI activities include the establishment of rules for the control and certification of world aeronautical and astronautical records. FAI establishes regulations for air sporting events which are organised by member countries throughout the world. FAI also promotes skill, proficiency and safety in aeronautics. FAI confers medals, diplomas and other awards to those who have contributed to the achievement of these aims as well as for work done in the restoration of old aircraft.

In achieving these goals, FAI brings together people who take part in air sports from all over the world. They share the delight of gliding, the excitement of parachuting and ballooning, the fun of flying microlights and exercise their skill in aerobatics.

Within the framework of FAI, each air sport has an International Commission which is responsible formaking the rules for competitions and which generally oversees the activies of their particular air sport.

All FAI Contests, Championships and Record Setting activities are conducted under the direction of the FAI Air Sport Commissions. Other matters are dealt with by FAI Technical Commissions. These are listed later.

Regulations, rules or recommendations which have been accepted by the Commissions during their annual meetings are followed up by the delegates themselves at the national level and with Member-countries which need help developing their air sports.

World Championships are foremost in all sporting events and take place every two years.Other events are Continental Championships and International Competitions. Some 20 Championships are listed in the FAI Annual Sporting Calendar.

These events promote excellence -- and this is what FAI is for. FAI brings together people who livefar apart to compete in an event in which they can give their best in skill and determination. These competitors will have already won club and national competitions to be able to represent their countries.

Member-countries are represented in FAI by their principal National Airsport Control organisation which may join either as Active or Associate Members, depending upon the extent of their activitiesin the various air sports. Active members hold voting rights at the FAI General Conferences which are convened annually at varying locations worldwide.

The FAI has eight elected officers: The President, six Executive Directors and the Secretary General.

The FAI Executive Board is the executive body of FAI. It implements the policies and decisions of the General Conference. The FAI Secretariat is responsible for the day to day operations of FAI. The administrative staff is headed by the Secretary General, and the Secretariat is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Most children are fascinated by flight... to them it is a dream. Among other things, the Aerospace Education Commission holds a painting contest every year for the young people of member-countries and prizes are given.

Besides developing aeronautics, one of the activities of FAI is to certify and register records. Some of the first records in aviation were registered as far back as 1906 by FAI. Some of the greatest feats in aeronautics and astronautics have been put in the books of FAI. All disciplines are involved, from Spacecraft to Human-Powered flight.

FAI is also involved in the decision-making process concerning safety, training and other regulations as well as in achieving the best utilization of air space in cooperation with ICAO (the International Civil Aviation organisation) at which FAI has a permanent representative.

FAI has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee and three air sports, Gliding, Hang Gliding/Paragliding and Parachuting have been accepted as Olympic Sports. FAI is a member of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and the International World Games Association (IWGA).

FAI and its members also are very mindful of their responsibilities in respect to the environment and participate in the deliberations of both national and international organisations concerned with environmental awareness and protection.

• FAI Air Sport General Commission
• FAI Ballooning Commission
• FAI General Aviation Commission
• FAI Gliding Commission
• FAI Aeromodeling Commission
• FAI Parachuting Commission
• FAI Aerobatic Commission
• FAI Astronautic Records Commission
• FAI Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission
• FAI Microlight Commission
• FAI Rotorcraft Commission

• FAI Aviation and Space Education Commission
• FAI Amateur-Built Aircraft Commission
• FAI Medico-Physiological Commission
• FAI Environmental Commission

Just as their predecessors, sensing the staggering potential of aviation, decided to create the FAI, so the present leaders of the FAI are planning for the future.

New directions of emphasis are emerging without in any way calling into question FAI's long-standing overall aims and areas of responsibility.

FAI is working towards having its activities better promoted in the media and amongst the public at large, so as to increase the popular appeal of air sports. Each year, FAI produces and distributes world-wide a series of TV programmes on major FAI championships.

The project for World Air Games to be held every 4 years is linked to this drive for popularization, The Games aim to create more cohesion among the air sports, to the individual benefit of each of them. The second World Air Games were held in Spain in June 2001.

The campaign to have air sports, notably parachuting, taken into the programme of the Olympic Games forms part of the same effort to bring air sports into the public eye.

Media coverage, without any doubt, will be an important factor in attracting new air sport enthusiasts (especially amongst young people), and this is one of FAI's other priorities.

The FAI gives high priority to environmental protection. A special commission was established to study ways of minimizing emissions and noise, and of saving energy. There are many environmental projects around the world making use of air sport equipment such as microlights (for example to guide geese to new breeding grounds). Airfields, with all their unpopulated green space, have been shown to be havens for plant and animal life.

The centenary of the FAI, in 2005, will be an opportunity to look back on a century of achievement, but also to look forward to a century of new opportunity for those who dream to fly.

Perhaps you just want to fly, enjoy skydiving or hang gliding but aren't sure how to start. You can findout more from the people in your local aero clubs or FAI National Member organisation and they will give you all the information and help you will need. It is all part of a great international fellowship and you will find a lot of enthusiastic people involved. Whether or not you are already flying or you just intendto start, you can always contact your FAI National Member organisation or the address below..

Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Avenue Mon Repos 24
CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
Tel. +41 21 345 1070
Fax. +41 21 345 1077
Email: info@fai.org