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President’s Foreword
The FAI World Air Games Dubai 2015 will go down
in history as a fantastic event. With 951 pilots and
competitors from across the world it truly was the
biggest multi-sport air sports competition ever held.
Fromthe inspirational opening ceremony to the very last
day, the Emirates Aerosports Federationwelcomed us
with open arms and put on a spectacular show. It was
something I and everyonewhowas there,will never forget.
But perhaps more important than the sheer size and
scope of these Games, the lasting memories I will take
from them was that they were the friendly Games. It
was a chance for pilots of all different nationalities and
disciplines to come together and share their stories, to
inspire others and to be inspired.
Parachutists learned about Paramotoring,
Paramotorists learned from Aerobatic Paraglider
pilots, those pilots were in turn inspired by Powered
Aerobatics, and so on. Because of the closeness of
all the venues it was possible to take in numerous
different sports in a day. In short, it was unique.
The photographs in this book reflect that. They tell the
story of each discipline, and through that they tell the
story of the FAI World Air Games as a whole. It is a good
story to tell.
As air sports enthusiasts we all share a common feel
and passion for the sky and the air. And although
our own discipline, be it Ballooning, Aero Modelling,
Gliding or Helicopters, may absorb our attention most
of the time, it can only be positive that we share these
moments with each other across our sports.
Equally, the chance to break bread and make friends
with people from so many different countries was
only positive. For every waking hour we absorbed the
passions of our fellow pilots and competitors. It meant
we left Dubai renewed and revitalised, with a new
understanding of our own sports and disciplines, which
we will share with others at home. In this way, the story
of the FAI World Air Games Dubai 2015 will be told
many times.
I want to salute the work accomplished by the host,
the head office, the officials, the members and all
the volunteers who spent a tremendous amount of
energy and time to make the competition happen. The
challenges were great, as was the complexity in terms
of logistics, but we pulled it through together. Thank
you for your hard work.
Let me say too how grateful I am to our hosts for
their hospitality and generosity. The Organising
Committee, under the leadership of FAI World Air
Games President H.E. Saeed Mohammed Harib,
Vice President H.E. Nasser Hmouda Al Neyady and
Director H.E. Youssif Hassan Al Hammadi, made
sure that everything took place in the best possible
conditions. The Games would not have been
possible without the passion for air sports shared
by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed
bin Rashid al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and
Chairman of the Dubai Sport Council. Thank you
your Highness!
It is wonderful to have this book to help us remember
the Games, I hope you enjoy it. With the success of
the Dubai event, we can now look optimistically at the
future of the FAI World Air Games, our flagship event. I
already look forward to the next edition!
Dr John Grubbström
FAI President