22 Dec 2017

Brazilian athletes honoured at first-ever Brazilian Airsports Champions Dinner

Brazilian parachute, hot air balloon, paraglide, hang glide, microlight, aeromodelling , paramotor, glider and aerobatics champions came together last month at the 1st Brazilian Airsports Champions Dinner.

The event was organised by the Commission of Airsports in Brazil (CAB), a national body that represents and administrates all the sports recognised by FAI, and was held on November 22 at Clube Atlético Indiano in São Paulo, Brazil.

It marks the first time the CAB, with the support of FAI, has paid homage to athletes of both the past and the present, as well as those who support airsports in Brazil.

Airsports pioneers whose achievements were celebrated at the dinner included engineer and Embraer founder Ozires Silva, who was awarded the title Godfather of Airsports in Brazil, and Walter Nutini, the 87-year-old former president of the Brazilian Aeromodelling Association (ABA) who was responsible for organising both the first Brazilian and the first South American aeromodelling championships.

The guest of honour was aviator and glider pilot Paulo Villares, a representative of the Santos Dumont family.

FAI gifts including autographed special editions of “High Flyers - 1905-2005” – the FAI book commemorating a century of aeronautical achievements – and Breitling pens, were presented to the award winners by CAB President Marina Posch Kalousdian (top picture).

She said: "Our goal was to honour airsports and support Team Voa Brasil 2018, which includes all the athletes eligible for next year's world championships.

“I would like to thank the FAI for its contribution to this first-ever Brazilian Airsports Champions Dinner, an event we intend to become an annual milestone in the airsports calendar here.”