Huge congratulations to our candidate Luisa Rizzo of Italy, the first runner-up in The World Games Athlete of the Year 2023 poll. With over 50,000 votes, this represents the most outstanding performance by an Air Sports athlete in The World Games Athlete of the Year poll! The FAI is thrilled with the visibility Luisa has generated for drone racing and air sports overall. Thank you to Luisa and all those who voted for her!

The FAI is pleased to announce the launch of its whistleblowing channel, aimed at providing a secure platform for reporting concerns related to misconduct or wrongdoing anywhere within the Federation.

‍Jim Richmond, a true legend in the world of aeromodelling, sadly passed away on 15 December 2023 at the age of 96, leaving a remarkable legacy that spans over nine decades. He was a genuine CIAM Legend.

Born on 22 November 1927, Jim's passion for aviation ignited at the tender age of five. From there, he embarked on a journey that would see him create groundbreaking innovations, win numerous competitions, receive prestigious awards, and inspire new generations of pilots.

These days, commercially available, fully or partially completed model aircraft are manufactured mainly from foamed plastics or various other plastics. Some manufacturers still supply models built from balsa and other types of wood and attractively covered with colourful films.

It was over dinner back in 2018 - at the 1st FAI European Indoor Skydiving Championships at VossVind wind tunnel in Norway - that Andreas Hemli, Trude Sviggum and Hans Christian Amlie conspired to put in a bid to host the FAI European Artistic Events and Formation Skydiving Championships and World Cups. Their bid was successful, and the FAI Skydiving Commission (ISC) entered the competition in the calendar for 2021. Planning began in earnest, but in 2020, Covid struck.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has recently made updates to its List of Prohibited Substances and Methods. These updates will come into effect on 1 January 2024. 

The WADA Prohibited List is a crucial component of the World Anti-Doping Code, to which all Signatories, including the FAI, must adhere. The list specifies the substances and methods that are prohibited in both in-competition and out-of-competition settings, as well as the substances that are banned altogether.

34-year-old Hiroki Ito is well-known in the Remote Control Helicopter world for his intense focus and skill. Since 2005, this Japanese pilot, who lives in Shizuoka Prefecture, has clocked up seven world champion titles in the aeromodelling class of F3C aerobatic helicopters. In 2023 he was awarded a CIAM Legends medal for his outstanding achievements. This medal recognises world champions who have won the title at least three times.

By Barrie Lever, CIAM F3 Pylon Racing Chairman

The exciting World of RC Pylon Racing visited Doha (Qatar) between the 22nd and 25th November for the 2023 Qatar International Pylon Race Meet.

The Qatar RC Sport Centre were the hosts for this prestigious event, all four CIAM RC pylon racing classes (F3D, F3E, F3T and F3R) were flown at the meeting. Competitors came from around the World to experience for the first time this inaugural RC pylon race meet in the Middle East.