The momentous FAI Council meeting of May 1998 will doutless be remembered chiefly for the decisions, recorded on the President's Page, to award the 2nd World Air Games in 2001 to Spain (Andalucia) and to move the headquarters of the FAI from Paris to Lausanne, the Olympic Capital. But another, apparently less glamorous decision may in the long term prove to have been equally important.
The FAI now has a "Business Plan", a document that sets out in detail where we are, where we want to go to, and how we propose to get there. The Business Plan (which will be a living document, subject to constant refinement and up-dating) is based on 4 underlying principles :
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That FAI should be universally recognised as the world leader in air sport.
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That it should promote increased participation in sporting and recreational aviation.
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That, to succeed, FAI needs to have modern operations, management systems and facilities.
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And that all these things need to be paid for, to a greater extent, out of funds that do not come directly from Members' pockets.
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In the months ahead, some of the goals and strategies in the Business Plan will be explained. Let me give one example now. Among the FAI's main roles are the making and enforcement of rules, and the administration of international air sport events. "Goal 3" of the Business Plan reads that FAI shall "...act as the central coordinating directorate of international air sports competitions, using the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a model".
The key aspect of the IOC model is that the IOC is a net distributor of funds to its member groups. The FAI now has a declared, explicit ambition to emulate the IOC's achievement. This will take time. But the Spain 2001 and Lausanne decisions were vital steps along the road towards a strong, financially independent FAI, capable of supporting air sport world-wide.
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Max Bishop
Secretary General FAI
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