The legendary parachutist Sergey Kiseliov was awarded the FAI silver medal in 2020. A 10-time world record holder, he has made an outstanding contribution to parachuting during his exceptional career.
Reported by Usukura ZENTA (Member of TEAM JAPAN weather team) on “FUSEN” vol.182 – Japan Balloon Federation official magazine - English edit by Katsura ENDO (CIA- PMR S.C. Asia Reporter)
The moment that all of us got in the airplane, heading to Leszno, Poland from Tokyo, Japan, after we were advised everybody’s test result were negative for Covid-19, we felt deeply relieved and very happy. If any of us had tested positive, it would have been considered close contact for the others and travel plans would be in jeopardy...
On 13 September 2016, at the FAI World Parachuting Championships Mondial in Chicago, USA, Swedish speed skydiver Henrik Raimer landed after a jump with no idea whether it would place him at the bottom or the top of the results table.
“I had total focus on stability (not speed) on that jump and it was very stable. I remember when I landed, and my team-mates asked how it was. My response was that either it was super slow or super fast. It ended up being super fast!”
The most important question on the minds of the competitors at the start of any gas balloon race is: “What will the winds do?” Here, Australian aviator and adventurer Ruth Wilson explains how the winds affected the first stages of the 2021 Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, which launched from Torun in Poland on 20 August.
Up, up and away! The 2021 Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett got off to a flying start yesterday, as the 15 teams taking part took to the skies above Aeroklub Pomorski in Torun, Poland.
After being delayed for a day due to bad weather, the launch of the 64th edition of this legendary gas balloon race began under clear skies at around 9.30pm local time on Saturday 21 August 2021.
The Swiss team SUI-3 was the first to take off, having won the honour of starting the race in the launch sequence draw.
Congratulations to Roy Gommer, Netherlands, who took a gold at the 5th FAI Junior World Hot Air Balloon Championship 2021 which was held in Lezsno, Poland and finished on 14 August.
A high-flyer in her academic life as well as in aeromodelling, Kristina Ivanova of Bulgaria has won the 2021 Aeromodelling Scholarship of the FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM), with a prize of €2000 and Spirit of Flight diploma.
Famed for its excellent gliding conditions, and the only place in Europe to feature night gliding, Leszno is a popular spot in the aviation world, especially as it is alone in having held the World World Gliding Championships four times (1958, 1968, 2003, 2014).
Hungary’s ‘City of Sunshine’, Szeged, will welcome around 100 balloonists for the 22nd FAI European Hot Air Balloon Championship, being held between 13-18 September.
Article by Jonathan Perron-Clow, CIA PMR member - Canada
As we all sat at home during the spring of 2020, our favorite balloon events getting cancelled left and right, a few of us got chatting about the dream of bringing competitive ballooning back to Eastern Canada.
