CIVL Plenary 2024 has unanimously supported the creation of the Hike and Fly Committee within the FAI Hang Gliding and Paragliding Commission. The decision was not unexpected. On the contrary, it was long worked out and planned. After the plenary 2023, the working group for the H&F discipline was created with the scope to understand how to build a new discipline into FAI work-frame.

The members of the workgroup: Alistair Andrews, Andreas Viehböck, Arild Arnesen, Brett Janaway, Eli Egger, Gavin McClurg, Igor Erzen, Joao Pedro Simonsen, Kinga Masztalerz, Luca Basso, Manuel Waldburger, Michel Joulot, Philipp Hänggi, Rémi Bourdelle, Tilen Ceglar, Tomas Matera and Íñigo Redín have achieved great progress under the leadership of Thomas Senac. They have studied all the rules of existing Hike and Fly competitions with the scope of finding the most suitable format for FAI 1 and 2 events. Worked out applicable rules taking into consideration fairness safety and consistency. Created a dedicated subsection to Section 7. Studied competitors' ranking mechanism. Proposed the WPRS formula for H&F events. So when the completed project was presented to the plenary the delegates greeted it with applause. 

Now it is official. This discipline will join the CIVL free flight family. The committee consists of the members of the existing working group, but they are still expecting more hike and fly professionals to join it. Thomas Senac was nominated and unanimously approved as Hike and Fly committee chair.

On the photo: Thomas Senac (FRA) upon election.

 

CIVL Event management system CIVLcomps.org has already been updated to accept Hike and Fly events.

Please get familiar with the new Section 7 L - Paragliding Hike and Fly, which will come into effect May 1, 2024, but the organizers of FAI 2 in this discipline are welcome to abide by the rules from now on.

Applications for FAI 2 status in AMS.fai.org and WPRS ranking will be available soon.

And by the way... A bonus!

CIVL Plenary decided to give Hike and Fly events free-of-charge sanctioning for the year 2024.

So hurry up to climb the new ranking ladder!