Air sports

Air Sports

T-6 Gold Start passing the finish pylon at the 2014 Reno Air Races
Highest governing body	Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Characteristics
Contact	No
Mixed-sex	Yes
Type	Outdoor recreation
Presence
Country or region	Worldwide
Olympic	No
Paralympic	No
World Games	1997–2021

The term "air sports" covers a range of aerial activities, including air racing, aerobatics, aeromodelling, hang gliding, human-powered aircraft, parachuting, paragliding, soaring, and skydiving. ^[1]

Recognized and regulated air sports

Hang gliding

Many air sports are regulated internationally by the Switzerland-based Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and nationally by aero clubs such as the National Aeronautics Association (NAA) ^[2] and the Royal Aero Club (RAeC). The FAI has separate commissions for each air sport. For example, the commission for ballooning is the Commission Internationale de l'Aérostation (CIA). ^{[3] [4]}

Sports within the categories of air sports and their respective commissions are as follows: ^{[1] [5] [6]}

Motorized

• Aerobatics (CIVA)
• Aeromodelling (CIAM)
• Air racing (GAC)
• Drone racing (CIAM)
• Flyboarding
• Powered hang gliding (CIMA)
• Powered paragliding (CIMA)
• Rally flying (GAC)
• Rotorcraft (CIG)
• Ultralight aviation ^[a] (CIMA)

Wind/Gliding

• Ballooning (CIA)
  • Cluster ballooning
  • Hopper ballooning
• Canopy piloting (ISC)
• Gliding ^[b] (IGC)
• Hang gliding ^[9] (CIVL)
• Human-powered flying (CIACA)
• Kiteboarding/kitesurfing
• Kiting
  • Kite fighting
• Paragliding (CIVL)

Gravity

• BASE jumping
  • Cliff jumping
• Bodyflight
• Bungee jumping
• High diving
• Parachuting/skydiving (ISC)
  • Banzai skydiving
  • Skysurfing
• Trapeze
• Wingsuit flying (ISC)

Other activities

Other aerial activities not governed by the FAI rules:

• Rocket Racing League (an attempt to create a new air sport) ^[10]

Competitions

• Reno Air Races
• FAI World Grand Prix
• World Air Games

See also

• Lawn chair Larry
• Airsport, a Czech aircraft manufacturer

Notes

1. "Ultralight aircraft provide a new form of air sport and of leisure activity open to all." ^[7]
2. "Sailplane soaring is both a safe and widely accessible new air sport." ^[8]

References

1. "Air Sports". topendsports.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
2. "Air Sports - NAA: National Aeronautic Association". naa.aero. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
3. "FAI Ballooning Commission (CIA)". fai.org. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
4. Levinson, D.; Christensen, K. (1996). Encyclopedia of World Sport: Acrobatics to gymnastics. Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present. ABC-CLIO. p. 71. ISBN   978-0-87436-819-2 . Retrieved 10 November 2021.
5. "List of Air Sports A-Z". rookieroad.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
6. "World Air Sports Federation". fai.org. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
7. Official Journal of the European Communities: Information and notices. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. 1983. p. 288-3. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
8. "The Rotarian". The Rotarian. Rotary International: 28. November 1976. ISSN   0035-838X . Retrieved 10 November 2021.
9. Technical Soaring. 21–22. Soaring Society of America: 53. 1997. ISSN   0744-8996 https://books.google.com/books?id=NzxWAAAAMAAJ . Retrieved 21 October 2021.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
10. Richards, Rashna Wadia (20 May 2021). ""This Isn't Some TV Show, Okay?"". Cinematic TV. Oxford University Press: 154–195. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190071257.003.0005. ISBN   978-0-19-007125-7 . Retrieved 11 November 2021.

External links

• Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)
• National Aeronautic Association (NAA)