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Quite frequently, I am asked to explain why FAI brings together such strange bed-partners. After all, on the face of it, a free-flight aeromodeller does not have all that much in common with a gas-balloonist, nor a freestyle skydiver with an ultralight helicopter pilot, nor a MIR astronaut with a paraglider enthusiast. There is immense diversity in FAI, and if this "gathering of the clans" did not exist for historical reasons, it would be quite impossible to create it by consensus. Just imagine trying to convince round-the-world yachtsmen, canoeists, sub-acqua enthusiasts, swimmers, windsurfers, fishermen and similar folk who use the water to abandon their separate organisational structures and merge for the common good. It would not happen, but then it does not need to happen, because acquatic activities do not generally suffer from heavy government regulation. Air sports are unique in that they are all - to a greater or lesser extent - regulated by governments, and these governments are all under pressure (from ill-informed militant ecologists and other powerful pressure groups) to further restrict air sport activity. To resist such trends we need to be strong. And there is strength in numbers, and in being united. That is why it is so vital to maintain a unified world air sports structure. But we have to admit that the unity is sometimes only skin-deep. Much still needs to be be done to improve mutual comprehension between air sport disciplines. Even sports which have an enormous amount in common, like gliding and hang-gliding/paragliding are only just beginning to put in place concrete arrangements for cooperation - to the mutual benefit of both activities. Occasionally, we see occasions where air sports are brought together - skydivers jumping from balloons (recently also a paraglider landing on a balloon!), microlights towing gliders - but there is little systematic cooperation. Here is a plea for a new initiative. We need to develop an "Airathlon" event to help bring air sports closer together. Triathlon has just been admitted to the Olympic Games. Athletes compete in three events: cycling, swimming and running. The champions are superb all-round athletes. Could we not devise a similar event which would be attractive to the public, and identify all-round superstars of the air, as well as promoting unity? Just imagine the possibilities: Lighter-than-Air.....Gravity.....Soaring: The air athlete flies a hot-air balloon (accompanied by an observer/pilot) round a prescribed task, drops a marker on target, and then climbs to altitude for a skydive. On leaving the basket, he is judged for style in freefall and then makes an accuracy landing on a target. He straps on his glider/hang glider/paraglider and races round a prescribed course... and in the case of a tie-break the contestants fly control-line model aircraft in combat... Of course this would be an elite activity. Of course the rules would be difficult to draft. Of course there would be practical problems. But would this not be fun, and encourage people to broaden their horizons? Let us have your views and comments on our discussion board
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