In 2024, Sebastian Kawa was awarded the FAI Gold Air Medal, FAI’s highest accolade, "for his dozens of triumphs in international championships, his significant contribution to aviation promotion through publications and televised programs, and his admirable engagem...

Nicola Scaife is from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and works as a balloon pilot. She began competing in 2013 at the Australian National Ballooning Championships when she was in her late 20s. In 2023 at the 5th FAI World Women's Hot Air Balloon Champio...

Karen Skinner was born in the UK and first took to the air in a microlight aged eight, with her uncle. After moving to Spain, Karen discovered a school offering a paramotor course and learned to fly, appreciating the advantages to flying a paramotor: "Within a coup...

Klaus Ohlmann is one of Germany's - and the world's - most outstanding glider pilots and instructors. He gives total personal and physical commitment to his activities, using his exceptional proficiency to achieve the highest performances and to break a great numbe...

Corinna Schwiegershausen was born in Bremen, Germany in 1972 and took up hang gliding in 1991. She has been FAI Women's World Hang Gliding Champion four times. "My father started the sport and I immediately wanted to go flying as well," she has said. "It just fe...

Female FAI World Drone Racing Champion 2019 - and 2018 - Wanraya Wannapong, who goes by the name “Milk” when she is racing, is one of the youngest, and most successful competitive drone racers in the world. The Thai schoolgirl, who lives in Bangkok with her pare...

Ferenc Toth spent over 20 years at the top of his game, after winning his first major competition in Glider Aerobatics in 2000, aged 32. That was the FAI European Aerobatic Glider Championships, held in Provence, France, and it was a close battle between him and Je...

Christian Ciech is one of the most consistent and successful pilots in competition hang gliding. He has held FAI European and World Championship titles at the same time, and has also won numerous FAI team gold medals. He learnt to fly in 1988 when he was 17. "I ...