The 23rd FAI World Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship, 14th FAI Women World Hang Gliding Class 1, and 9th FAI World Hang Gliding Class 5 Championship have launched in Krushevo, North Macedonia. The event is being held from 6 to 19 of August 2023 and 131 pilots from 22 nations have gathered to compete. In Class 1, eight pilots are competing for Women's champion title and all 104 of the pilots are competing for the Champion title overall. In Class 5 there are 27 pilots competing for the title of the world champion in Class 5.

John Dickenson, inventor of the modern hang-glider, died on July 5, 2023. His funeral will be held on August 25 in Mona Vale, NSW, Australia. John was the holder of the highest FAI award, the FAI Gold Air Medal.

A Short Story of Hang Gliding

Hang gliding began with Otto Lilienthal in 1891. The German engineer completed over 2000 flights. His gliders were very complex and difficult to build or repair, with a control system that proved inadequate to deal with turbulence. Lilienthal died following a crash; still, he proved that flying was possible.

Hiromi Furukawa (JPN), hot air balloon pilot and CIA PMR & Officials Subcommittee member shares an update from the WatchMeFly & Balloon Live project.

By Hiromi Furukawa (JPN), hot air balloon Pilot, CIA PMR & Officials Subcommittee member

The 5th FAI Women’s World Hot Air Balloon Championship (WWHABC) in Northam, Australia is quickly approaching. It was planned for 2021 but, as we all know, due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was postponed to this year, 2023.

For the first time the WWHABC will be hosted outside of the Northern Hemisphere.

Twenty-five planes representing 12 nations are revving their engines at the Mȃcon-Charnay aerodrome in France ready for the 23rd FAI World Rally Flying Championships. The well-known teams of Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia will be joined by reigning champions South Africa, Germany, Spain and Portugal, with a warm welcome being extended to China and Italy.

When meeting Maryla Boutineau, you find a thoughtful, warm person with a peaceful nature. Yet as you flick through the pages of her two volumes of ‘Les Femmes dans les Nuages’ (The Women in the Clouds) which tell the stories of the many women who contributed to the development of aviation, your mind boggles at the ferocious graft that she has thrown her mind and body into over the past three years, and you start to realise the passion that lies behind the calm exterior.

Greg Principato serves as the President and CEO of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), which is the FAI Member in the United States. NAA will host the 117th FAI General Conference in Dayton, Ohio, scheduled to take place on 26 and 27 October 2023. We asked him five key questions:

Why is it important for representatives and officials to attend this General Conference?

The FAI Ballooning Commission (CIA) is expanding their social media footprint by introducing FAI Hot Air TV.  

Ever heard of Gordon Bennett TV? Now we’ll be “On Air” with FAI Hot Air TV!