Reigning F3A World Champion Team USA triumphed once again in the 2017 FAI F3A World Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft, claiming the gold medal and hanging on to the “MAP Trophy” for another two years period.

More than 60 pilots took part in the championship which took place at Villa Gesell Airport in Villa Gesell, Argentina.

The event ran from November 4 (Opening Ceremony) to November 12 (Closing Ceremony).

Completing the team podium line up were Team Japan in silver medal position and Team France in third place.

On 13 November 1907, French engineer and bicycle maker Paul Cornu made history by becoming the first man to fly in a rotary wing aircraft.

The primitive helicopter – a twin-rotor craft powered by a 24-horsepower engine – only lifted Cornu about 1.5m off the ground, holding him there for 20 seconds at Coquainvilliers, near Lisieux in France.

But that was enough for Cornu to take his place in the history books as the first man to successfully fly a rotary wing aircraft.

• China International Hot Air Balloon Tournament, International Paramotor Invitational Championships, and International Skydiving Championship winners crowned
• Huge exhibitions and awe-inspiring air show attract 300,000 attendees
• 100 happy couples tie the knot in hot air balloons

More than 1,000 pilots, athletes, coaches and referees from 37 countries converged on Wuhan, China, for the first edition of the FAI – ASFC World Fly-in Expo (WFE).

The first edition of the FAI World Fly-in Expo (WFE) will be held from 4 to 7 November 2017 in Wuhan, China. The event promises to be a mega-event with more than 1000 pilots, athletes, coaches and referees from more than 30 countries to take part in the air shows and competitions. It will feature 788 aircraft - 588 for the air shows and 200 for the exhibition.

100 exhibitors from general aviation companies and other air sports federations, clubs and enterprises will be present.

The TOP Wingsuit flyers from around the globe will get together at Skydive Fyrosity, Overton, NV to compete in the most challenging skydiving competition - Wingsuit Flying.

The sessions of the 111th FAI General Conference were held at the Royal Savoy Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 26 and 27 October 2017.

More than 100 delegates from Active, Associate Member Countries and International Affiliate Members were present, as well as FAI elected Officers, Presidents of Honour, Companions of Honour, delegates appointed by Presidents of Commissions and Observers.

FAI has launched its new website, offering easier access and an up-to-date design that works on mobile, tablet and desktop.

The address is www.fai.org.  

The FAI website now features a cleaner look and a simpler navigation structure, making it easy for all those interested in air sports to keep in touch with what is happening in the competition scene, in world records and more generally in air sports.

Day 2 at the 2nd FAI World Indoor Skydiving Championships was long, hard and packed full of excitement. There are eight championship events here in Laval, Canada – here’s a roundup of what happened during the day.

In the hotly contested 4-Way Formation Skydiving, 15 countries have been battling it out. After completing five rounds on the first day of the comp, they all completed a further four today. The final round is on Sunday 22 October 2017. 

They call him The Showman – and for good reason. Russia’s Leonid Volkov, 29, has shaken up the indoor skydiving competition scene since first blasting into it five years ago.

Consistently one of the best performers in his chosen discipline of Freestyle, watching Volkov fly is more like watching a dancer perform, or an actor act. His performance starts outside the tunnel, as he adopts the character he has decided to be.

Indoor Skydiving is spectacularly impressive to watch – especially when the best in the world are competing, like they are this weekend at the 2nd FAI World Indoor Skydiving Championships in Montreal, Canada. 

But for the uninitiated, it can look confusing too. Here’s our 60-second guide to understanding Indoor Skydiving.