On Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd December the CIAM Bureau meeting was held in Lausanne, Switzerland. This was the first face-to-face gathering since 2019, as previous meetings had been conducted via Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions. It highlighted the undeniable benefit of personal interaction compared to previous virtual meetings. While Zoom allowed for important discussions to continue to take place, the absence of personal interaction was keenly felt.

Excitement is building in Narromine, New South Wales, Australia ahead of the 37th edition of the FAI World Gliding Championships which runs between 2nd to 16th December 2023. Eighty competitors will represent 21 nations at the event.

Sebastian Kawa is the reigning champion in the 15m Class

At the recent 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championship in Namwon, Korea, the world’s best pilots captivated the audiences with their adrenaline-fuelled style of flying and incredible skills. While the natural focus is on the competitors and the action, there is a group of people who play a crucial role behind the scenes: the judges. These dedicated people are essential to ensure fair competition by upholding the rules and evaluating the pilots’ performances.

Over 145 participants were warmly welcomed to the 117th FAI General Conference, which took place in Dayton, Ohio, USA on 26 and 27 October 2023.

The return to an in-person conference was much appreciated by delegates after three consecutive online conferences that the FAI General Conference was held in person. Delegates from 45 Members and 12 Commissions were present or represented. They were welcomed by the hosts, USA’s National Aeronautic Association (NAA).  

The 12th FAI World Paragliding Accuracy Championships have launched in Sopot, Bulgaria. It will be held from October 20 to October 28, 2023. The event is organized by Sports Club Shambala with the Support of the NAC of Bulgaria (Bulgarski Natsionalen Aeroklub). 130 pilots from 31 nations came to compete. The team size is 4 pilots consisting of both males and females without limitation but not less than one representative of each gender. All in all, there are 27 female pilots competing in the event.

Recent years have seen a huge upsurge in the use of electric propulsion in aeromodelling. This technology lets model aircraft - from the smallest to the largest - rise towards the sky effortlessly. Despite these developments, competition classes requiring significant physical effort in their execution have experienced tremendous growth with many enthusiastic athletes, including young girls and boys, taking part.

The 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championship in Namwon, Korea was filled with excitement yesterday as the Elimination and Double Elimination rounds took place.

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