The FAI World Grand Prix aims to develop the artistic aspect of aerobatic demonstrations and flying to music. Open to top level solo pilots, formation teams and constructors, the FAI World Grand Prix is the only international competition where each pilot flies to music (2 programmes). The 17th FAI World Grand Prix was held at Brno, Czech Republic, on May 18th and 19th 2002, together with the new Haute Voltige Performance, “The Call of the Skies”.

Under a clear blue sky and with a public audience of more than 15’000 enthusiasts, the FAI World Grand Prix was held for the first time in Central Europe. Czech TV broadcast 3 x 6 min. live reports on their morning show (pre-event) and a 30 minutes report was broadcast on Sunday 26th May at 4.30 pm.

Competition results
SOLO PILOTS : 1. Klaus Schrodt, GER : 21945 points - Extra 300 S / 2. Mikhail Mamistov, RUS : 21375 points - Sukhoi 31 / 3. Nikolay Timofeev, RUS : 21030 points - Sukhoi 31 / 4. Viktor Tchmal, RUS : 10500 points - Sukhoi 31 / 5. Peter Besenyei, HUN : 10470 points - Extra 330 L / 6. Jurgis Kairys, LIT : 10380 points – Juka / 7. Alexander Krotov, RUS : 8205 points - Sukhoi 31

FORMATION TEAMS : 1. Flying Bulls, CZE : 20970 points - Zlin 50 LX / 2. Matadors, GBR : 19905 points - Su26/31 / 3. Space Knights, FRA : 17895 points - AcroEze

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS : 1. Extra, GER / 2. Sukhoi, RUS

The Martin Stahalik Trophy was awarded to Klaus Schrodt, Solo Category winner of the 17th World Grand Prix.

Spectacular demonstrations
Haute Voltige Performance : The “Call Of The Skies” was performed each day after the competition. The story was told through the aircraft and for the first time, military aircraft (Mig21, Mi24, Galeb) and radio controlled aircraft joined the Haute Voltige solos and formation teams.
Juka : an aircraft manufactured by Jurgis Kairys (http:\\www.haute-voltige.com/e/grand_prix/aircraft/juka.htm), made its first public display with spectacular aerobatic abilities.

FAI World Grand Prix to include new air sports
After the successful demonstrations of aeromodelling presented this year at Brno, aeromodelling will be fully integrated to the FAI World Grand Prix competitions as of 2003; a future introduction of other air sports like parachuting or helicopter flying is under evaluation.

For further information about the 17th FAI World Grand Prix and next competitions, please visit our Website www.fai.org or www.haute-voltige.com

Lausanne, May 28th, 2002

version française

At 7.52 AM, May 20th, 1927 a small single-engine aircraft took off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island. 33 ½ hours later, on May 21st, the same aircraft landed at Le Bourget Airport, Paris. At the controls of the Ryan monoplace named Spirit of St Louis, a 25-year-old mail pilot, Captain Charles Lindbergh. On August 31st, 1927 the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) ratified Lindbergh’s performance as the new World Record for non-stop flight. The FAI opens its archive files …

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) - the World Air Sports Federation - is the sole organisation authorized to certify aeronautical and astronautical world records worlwide. 75 years after the first non-stop solo Transatlantic flight, the FAI opens its archives to celebrate the event that changed the course of aviation history.

As Raymond Orteig, a New York hotel owner, offered a $25,000 prize to the first aviator to fly an aircraft directly across the Atlantic Ocean between New York and Paris, Charles Lindbergh started to build a special plane. On May 20th, 1927 the heavy loaded Spirit of St Louis took off with 451 gallons of gas, two canteens of water and … 4 sandwiches ! After clearing the obstacles at the end of the runway, Charles Lindbergh continued his flight over Cape Cod and Nova Scotia. As darkness fell and low fog started to form over the sea, Lindbergh headed for the open Atlantic. After several hours fighting against nature, avoiding storm clouds and trying to find a way around the fog, the first indication of his approach to the European coast was a fishing boat. After flying over Ireland and England, he saw the French city of Cherbourg passing below his wings as the sun went down for the second time during the flight. He circled the Eiffel Tower, flew over the airfield and finally landed at Le Bourget at 10.22 PM. Charles Lindbergh had conquered the Atlantic alone, covering 3610 miles in 33 ½ hours and won the Orteig prize.

The certification of this flight required several documents to prove the performance. A sealed barograph, an instrument working with atmospheric pressure, was loaded on the aircraft; its six-hour cylinder recorded the altitudes flown and proved that the flight was uninterrupted. The start of the flight was attested by the US National Aeronautic Association and the Procès-verbal established by the Aéro-Club de France on Lindbergh’s arrival attested that the barograph was found sealed and reported that 322 litres of gas (85 gallons) remained in the sealed tanks. This Procès-verbal was signed by no less than 13 French officials, the US Ambassador Myron Herrick, the Belgian Air Attaché Willy Coppens and, of course Charles Lindbergh himself. Finally, the FAI General Secretary Paul Tissandier informed the National Aeronautic Association on August 31st, 1927, that Lindbergh’s flight was certified as the « Class-C World Record for non-stop flight over a distance of 5809 kilometres ».

The four pages long Procès-verbal
Two pictures of the barograph
An extract from the barograph trace

Lausanne, May 17th, 2002

During his visit to the local flight school of Zar on April 29th, Alexander Kwasniewski, the President of Poland, took over the role of patron of the entire Polish airsports movement. Mr. Kwasniewski renewed thereby a practice, which had been already decided in the thirties by the Polish President at that time. During his official address, the President pointed out the importance of aviation and airsports for his country.

Invited to the ceremony by Mr. Jan Karpinski, President of the Aero-Club of Poland, Mr. Wolfgang Weinreich, President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, emphasized the high educational value of airsports for youth. Furthermore, he mentioned the numerous successes of Polish airsportsmen and women, and thanked the Aero-Club of Poland for its readiness to take over important tasks in the world of airsports : the next World Gliding Championships will take place in 2003 in Leszno, and furthermore, the Polish city of Krakow will also host in 2003 the 96th FAI General Conference, the first FAI General Conference to be held in Poland since the thirties.

Lausanne, May 2nd, 2002