2016 in air sports

Last updated August 26, 2025

Paragliding

Paragliding World Cup

March 9 – 16: 2016 Paragliding World Cup Brazil in Castelo
- Overall winner: Félix Rodriguez (4450 points)
- Women's winner: Keiko Hiraki (4066 points)
June 4 – 11: 2016 Paragliding World Cup - Italy in Gemona del Friuli
- Overall winner: Andreas Malecki (1463 points)
- Women's winner: Silvia Buzzi Ferraris (1345 points)
July 2 – 9: 2016 Paragliding World Cup - Portugal in Serra da Estrela
- Overall winner: Donizete Baldessar Lemos (2447 points)
- Women's winner: Keiko Hiraki (2172 points)
September 3 – 10: 2016 Paragliding World Cup - France in Saint-André-les-Alpes
- Overall winner: Maxime Pinot (2184 points)
- Women's winner: Kirsty Cameron (1496 points)
October 1 – 8: 2016 Paragliding World Cup (final) in Saint-Leu
- Overall winner: Michael Küffer (2832 points)
- Women's winner: Klaudia Bulgakow (2259 points)

Paragliding Accuracy World Cup

May 5 – 8: Paragliding Accuracy World Cup #1 in Berane
- Overall winner: Goran Đurković
- Women's winner: Tamara Kostić
May 10 – 15: Paragliding Accuracy World Cup #2 in Vlorë
- Overall winner: Mile Jovanoski
- Women's winner: Tamara Kostić
August 5 – 7: Paragliding Accuracy World Cup #3 in Lombok
- Overall winner: Permadi Chandra
- Women's winner: Nunnapat Phuchong
August 11 – 15: Paragliding Accuracy World Cup #4 in Taitung County
- Overall winner: Zhifeng Zhu
- Women's winner: Nunnapat Phuchong

International and Continental events

May 27 – June 3: 3rd FAI Asian Paragliding Accuracy Championship in Taldykorgan
- Overall winner: Tanapat Leangaiem
- Teams winner: China
July 10 – 17: 5th FAI European Paragliding Accuracy Championship in Paluknys
- Men's winner: Matjaž Sluga
- Women's winner: Tamara Kostić
July 16 – 23: XXXIII Guarnieri International Trophy - Pre-World 2016 in Pedavena
- Overall winner: Federico Nevastro
- Women's winner: Seiko Fukuoka-Naville
August 8 – 20: 14th FAI European Paragliding Championship in Kruševo
- Overall winner: Honorin Hamard
- Women's winner: Seiko Fukuoka-Naville
- Teams winners: France (Honorin Hamard, Julien Wirtz, Maxime Pinot, Pierre Remy, Alexandre Jofresa, Seiko Fukuoka-Naville)
August 26 – September 4: 2nd FAI World Paragliding Championships in Montmin / Doussard
- Men's winner: François Ragolski
- Women's winner: Christina Kolb

Parachuting

January 15 – 17: Para-ski World Cup #1 in St Johann im Pongau/Alpendorf
- Men's winner: Ule Uroš
- Women's winner: Magdalena Schwertl
- Junior mix winner: Sebastian Graser
- Master mix winner: Alic Gernot
- Overall teams winners: Austria
February 19 – 21: Para-ski World Cup #2 in Unterammergau
- Men's winner: Sebastian Graser
- Women's winner: Magdalena Schwertl
- Junior mix winner: Sebastian Graser
- Master mix winner: Marco Valente
- Overall teams winners: Austria
March 4 – 6: Para-ski World Cup #3 in Vrchlabí/Krkonoše
- Men's winner: Alessandro Di Prisco
- Women's winner: Magdalena Schwertl
- Junior mix winner: Sebastian Graser
- Master mix winner: Tomas Saurer
- Overall teams winners: Slovenia
no date set from #4 Para-ski World Cup in Srednja Vas v Bohinju
July 17 – 29: 40th CISM World Military Parachuting Championship in Kubinka
- Individual Accuracy winners: Dmitrii Mastafanov (m) / Olga Lepezina (f)
- Individual Style winners: Libor Jirousek (m) / Olga Lepezina (f)
- Overall Results winners: Dmitrii Mastafanov (m) / Olga Lepezina (f)
- Junior Individual Style winners: Andrey Izimetov (m) / Léocadie Ollivier de Pury (f)
- Junior Individual Accuracy winners: Gao Tinabo (m) / Darja Shastakovich (f)
- Junior Overall Results winners: Gao Tinabo (m) / Darja Shastakovich (f)
- Formation Skydiving winners: Belgium (m) / France (f)
- Team Accuracy winners: Hungary (Tamas Banszki, Szaboles Gal, Gabor Hirschler, Tamás Varga, István Asztalos) (m) / Belarus (Nataliya Nikitsiuk, Yuliya Fiodarava, Aksana Famina, Natalia Zimina, Valeryia Osipava) (f)
- Teams Overall Results winners: Russia (m) / Russia (f)
August 20 – 27: 6th FAI World Canopy Piloting Championships in Farnham
- Overall winner: Christopher Bobo
- Accuracy winners: Curtis Bartholomew & Eric Philippe
- Distance here was cancelled
- Speed winner: Christopher Bobo
September 11 – 20: 2016 FAI World Parachuting Championships - Mondial in Chicago
- Freefall Style winners: Libor Jirousek (m) / Olga Lepezina (f)
- Speed Skydiving winner: Henrik Raimer

Accuracy Landing

- Individual Accuracy Landing winners: Uroš Ban (m) / Nataliya Nikitsiuk (f)
- Junior Individual Accuracy winners: Sebastian Graser (m) / Tiantian ZHAO
- Team Accuracy Landing winners: Slovenia (m) / China (f)

Formation Skydiving

- 4 Way Formation winners: Belgium (m) / United States (f)
- 8 Way Formation winners: United States
- Vertical Formation winners: United States

Artistic Events

- Artistic Freefly winners: Russia 1
- Artistic Freestyle winners: France 2

Canopy Formation

- 2 Way Sequential winners: France 1
- 4 Way Sequential winners: Qatar
- 4-Way Rotation winners: France
October 11 – 16: 2nd FAI World Cup of Indoor Skydiving in Warsaw
- Open Freestyle winner: Inka Tiitto
- Junior Freestyle winner: Kyra Poh
- Dynamic 2-WAY winners: Poland
- 4 Way Formation winners: Belgium (m) / France 1 (f); Junior winners: Canada
- Vertical Formation winners: United States
November 3 – 6: 1st FAI World Wingsuit Performance Flying Championships in Zephyrhills, Florida
- Winner: Chris Geiler

Ultralight aviation

June 9 – 18: 2nd FAI European Paramotor Slalom Championships in Bornos
- PF1 Class winner: Alexandre Mateos
- Trike Class winner: Alexandre Mateos
- Racing teams winners: (Alexandre Mateos, Nicolas Aubert, Jérémy Penone, François Blanc)
- Nations winners: (Bartosz Nowicki, Wojtek Bógdał, Marcin Bernat, Paweł Kozarzewski, Piotr Ficek, Szymon Winkler, Krzysztof Romicki)
August 20 – 27: 15th FAI World Microlight Championships in Popham Airfield
- RAL 1 T winner: Czech Republic
- RAL 2 T winner: United Kingdom
- RGL 2 T winner: Hungary
- RWL 1 T winner: United Kingdom
- RWL 2 T winner: Russia
August 20 – 27: 9th FAI World Paramotor Championships in Popham Airfield
- Winners: France, 2. Czech Republic, 3. Poland

Hang gliding

July 16 – 30: 19th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship in Kruševo
- Winner: Christian Ciech
- Team winners: Italy (Christian Ciech, Alessandro Ploner, Suan Selenati, Filippo Oppici, Tullio Gervasoni)
July 17 – 30: 7th FAI World Hang Gliding Class 5 Championship in Kruševo
- Winner: Tim Grabowski
- Team winners: Austria (Christopher Friedl, Wolfgang Kothgasser, Walter Geppert)

Gliding

Grand Prix gliding

January 23 – 30: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #1 in Vitacura
- Winner: Carlos Rocca
April 17 – 23: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #2 in Cerdanya
- Winner: Louis Bouderlique
May 1 – 8: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #3 in Usman
- Winner: Sebastian Kawa
May 14 – 21: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #4 in Varese
- Winner: Peter Hartmann
June 4 – 11: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #5 in Rennes
- Winner: Louis Bouderlique
June 18 – 25: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #6 in Niederöblarn
- Winner: Boštjan Pristavec
July 9 – 17: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #7 in Bicester
- Winner: Jan Omsels
July 24 – 31: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #8 in Ionia
- Winner: Jerzy Szemplinski
August 6 – 13: 2016 FAI Qualifying Sailplane GP #9 in Ebersbach-Musbach
- Winner: Matthias Sturm
November 5 – 12: 7th FAI World Sailplane Grand Prix Championship in Potchefstroom
- Winner: Holger Karow

International Championships

July 30 – August 13: 34th FAI World Gliding Championships in Kaunas
- Standard class winner: Louis Bouderlique
- Club class winner: Jan Rothhardt
- 20 metre Multi-Seat class winners: France (Duboc & Aboulin)

General aviation

September 4 – 9: 20th FAI World Rally Flying Championship in Santa Cruz
- Advanced Category winners: Czech Republic
- Unlimited Category winners: France

2016 Red Bull Air Race World Championship

- - March 11 & 12: WARC #1 in Abu Dhabi
    - Master Class winner: Nicolas Ivanoff
    - Challenger Class winner: Daniel Ryfa
  - April 23 & 24: WARC #2 in Spielberg
    - Master Class winner: Matthias Dolderer
    - Challenger Class winner: Florian Berger
  - June 4 & 5: WARC #3 in Chiba
    - Master Class winner: Yoshihide Muroya
    - Challenger Class winner: Cristian Bolton
  - July 16 & 17: WARC #4 in Budapest
    - Master Class winner: Matthias Dolderer
    - Challenger Class winner: Daniel Ryfa
  - August 13 & 14: WARC #5 in Ascot
    - Master Class winner: Matt Hall
    - Challenger Class winner: Kevin Coleman
  - September 3 & 4: WARC #6 in Lausitzring
    - Master Class winner: Matt Hall
    - Chellenger winner: Florian Bergér
  - October 1 & 2: WARC #7 in Indianapolis
    - Master Class winner: Matthias Dolderer
    - Chellenger winner: Luke Czepiela
  - October 15 & 16: WARC #9 in Las Vegas
    - Cancelled due to high winds.

Ballooning

February 24 – 29: 3rd FAI European Hot Air Airship Championship in Rottach-Egern
- Winner: Jacques-Antoine Besnard (6875 points)
June 24 – July 4: 3rd FAI Junior World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Marijampolė
- Winner: Rokas Kostiuškevičius (17035 points)
July 5 – 10: 2nd FAI Women's World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Birštonas
- Winner: Nicola Scaife (8713 points)
July 21 – 24: 2016 Luxembourg Balloon Trophy in Mersch
- Winners: 1. Sven Göhler, 2. Matthew Scaife, 3. David Spildooren
September 15 – 24: 60th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett in Gladbeck
- Winners: Switzerland 1 (Kurt Frieden & Pascal Witpraechtiger)
- 2nd place: Switzerland 2 (Nicolas Tièche & Laurent Sciboz)
- 3rd place: Spain 1 (Anulfo Gonzalez & Angel Aguirre)
October 30 – November 7: 22nd FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Saga
- Winner: Rhett Heartsill

Aerobatics

May 28: 2016 Sky GP in Durban
- Winner: Patrick Davidson
July 20 – 30: 7th FAI World Advanced Glider Aerobatic Championships in Matkopuszta
- Winner: Sebastian Jansson
- Team winners: Hungary (Dávid Józsa, Miklós Hoós, Péter Szabó)
July 20 – 30: 19th FAI World Glider Aerobatic Championships in Matkopuszta
- Winner: Ferenc Tóth
- Teams winners: Hungary (Ferenc Tóth, János Szilágyi, János Sonkoly)
August 4 – 14: 12th FAI World Advanced Aerobatic Championships in Radom
- Winner: Loïc Lovicourt
- Teams winners: France (Loïc Lovicourt, Romain Vienne, Benoît Faict)
August 20 – 27: 20th FAI European Aerobatic Championships in Moravská Třebová
- Winner: Mikhail Mamistov
- Teams winner: France (Olivier Masurel, Mikael Brageot, Alexandre Orlowski)

Model aircraft

April 11– 16: 2016 FAI F1D World Championships for Free Flight Indoor Model Aircraft in Slănic
- Senior Individual winner: Yuan Kang Lee
- Senior Teams winners: (Istvan Botos, Dezso Orsovai, Zoltan Sukosd)
- Junior Individual winner: Călin Bulai
- Junior Teams winners: (Vladyslav Klymenko, Iurii Vytko, Denis Zhariy)
May 7 – 13: 2016 FAI F2 World Championships for Control Line Model Aircraft in Perth
- F2A winner: Paul Eisner
- F2B winner: Orestes Hernández
- F2C winners: (Robert Fitzgerald & Mark Ellins)
- F2D winner: Illia Rediuk
July 20 – 24: 2016 FAI F1E European Championships for Free Flight Model Aircraft in Turda
- Winner: Franciszek Kanczok
- Teams winner: Poland
July 22 – 31: 2016 FAI F3 European Championships for Model Helicopters in Włocławek
- F3C winner: Ennlo Graber
- F3N winner: Eric Weber
- F3C Teams winners: Switzerland
- F3N Teams winners: United Kingdom
July 29 – August 6: 2016 FAI F3A European Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft in Untermünkheim
- Winner: Gernot Bruckmann
- Teams winner: Switzerland
July 30 – August 6: 2016 FAI F3J World Championship for Model Gliders in Vipava
- Senior winner: Arijan Hucaljuk
- Junior winner: Dillon Graves
- Senior Teams winner: Germany (Manuel Reinecke, Dominik Prestele, Ryan Höllein)
- Junior Teams winner: Germany (Max Finke, Jan Christoph Weihe, Felix Parsch)
August 1 – 7: 2016 FAI F1 Junior World Championships for Free Flight Model Aircraft in Prilep
- F1A winner: Mickail Lomov
- F1B winner: Dmytro Merzilakov
- F1P winner: Daniel Bogomaz
- F1A Teams winner: Poland
- F1B Teams winner: Russia
- F1P Teams winner: Russia
August 13 – 20: 2016 FAI F1 European Championships for Free Flight Model Aircraft in Aradac/Zrenjanin
- F1A winner: Roland Koglot
- F1B winner: Aleksey Burdov
- F1C winner: Artur Kaitschuk
- F1A Team winners: France
- F1B Team winners: Russia
- F1C Team winners: Poland
August 13 – 20: 2016 FAI F5 World Championships for Electric Model Aircraft in Lugo
- Winner: Johannes Starzinger
- F5D winner: Tomáš Andrlík
- Team winners: Austria (Johannes Starzinger, Karl Waser, Franz Riegler)
- Team F5D winners: Czech Republic
August 20 – 28: 2016 FAI F4 World Championships for Scale Model Aircraft in Ploiești
August 22 – 30: 2016 FAI S World Championships for Space Models in Lviv
- Winner: Robert Kreutz
- Team winners: Ukraine
October 1 – 8: 2016 FAI F3A Asian-Oceanic Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft in Taichung
- Winner: Onda Tetsuo
- Junior winner: Minemura Shoutaiou
- Team winners: Japan
October 2 – 8: 2016 FAI F3 World Championship for Model Gliders in Hanstholm
- Senior winner: Arijan Hucaljuk
- Junior winner: Dillon Graves
- Seniors Team winners: Germany
- Juniors Team winners: Germany

References

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