Many of you will have heard of "Medecins Sans Frontieres", the organisation that gives medical help to those in need throughout the world whenever there is a natural disaster or a destructive war.

"Aviation Sans Frontieres" may not be so well known to you, but it does equally vital work, providing airlift to transport food, medecine and other vital supplies to remote areas. The pilots and support staff are volunteers who often lend their aircraft free of charge for humanitarian purposes.

FAI has received an appeal from the President of "Aviation Sans Frontieres" for financial support from all air sport people to help them give relief to the stricken people of Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala, who are suffering so terribly in the aftermath of the hurricane.

Please, if you feel able to contribute, send your contribution, however small, to:

Alternatively, cheques can be sent to:

Thank you for any help you are able to give.

The Spirit of Peace around the world balloon flight received best wishes for a successful mission today from the Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi A. Annan. The Anglo-American balloon mission, attempting to be the first to circle the globe non-stop in a balloon, is promoting equality for all and a genuine concern for human welfare above a diversity of cultures, religions and political systems. Secretary General Annan wrote to Spirit of Peace Pilots Jacques Soukup, Crispin Williams and Mark Sullivan:

The Spirit of Peace expedition will be the first manned non-stop circumnavigation of the globe by balloon. This non-commercial adventure is made possible primarily by the donations of individuals and the involvement of non-profit organizations. As the mission glides around the world it will promote equality for all and a genuine concern for human welfare above a diversity of cultures, religions and political systems in the Spirit of Peace.

For more details on this mission please visit their web-site at: http://www.spiritofpeace.org

You will undoubtedly already be aware of the imminent Free Balloon Non-Stop Around the World - World Record attempts about to be launched from various takeoff sites in different continents, under the control of the respective NACs.

The very nature of these flights makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to exactly predict their flight-path. One of the major problems likely to jeopardise a successful flight is certainly the difficulty for the teams to obtain all the proper overflight permits and/or clearances in good time. Although these flights all operate under standard ICAO Flight Plan procedures, time and again they find themselves in the very difficult and dangerous situations where they have to alter course, and possibly lose any chance of making a successful flight, in order to avoid banned airspace.

The aims of these aeronauts are clearly in line with FAI's statutory objectives to: "make evident the essentially international spirit of aeronautics as a powerful instrument for bringing all people closer in mutual understanding and friendship regardless of political, racial or religious considerations, thereby helping to create international good will and thus build a better and more peaceful world"

In this spirit, I would therefore like to ask for your help in making sure that your fellow airsports men and women, your country's people and authorities give a warm welcome to these pioneering pilots, crews and teams, and provide every reasonable assistance when requested. It is of vital interest to all the teams to know that they can count on your help, and any "good news" from potential problem areas would be most welcome. Please feel free to contact us for any additional information or for relaying any message in this respect to the teams.