• Weather And Political Climates Postpone Non-Stop Global Balloon Mission
• FAI World Grand Prix Of Aviation
• FAI World Grand Prix Of Aviation - Preliminary Schedule
• FAI Media Workshop - 5 To 7 February 1999 - Closing Statement

Spirit of Peace, the non-commercial, Anglo-American team which plans to be the first manned crew to circumnavigate the globe non-stop by balloon, has postponed its attempt this season.

Weather and political climates have forced the three-pilot flight crew, Jacques W. Soukup, a US citizen living in Lacock, Wiltshire, Crispin Williams from Langford, Somerset, and Mark Sullivan from Albuquerque, USA, to reschedule their expedition.

Since mid-November, the team has been monitoring weather conditions and the political situation looking for the best route to circle the Northern Hemisphere. Today, on the advice on their weather team, the pilots, together with their families and the mission's primary sponsors, decided that a safe global route would not materialise before the traditional close of the launch window in late February.

Speaking on behalf of his fellow pilots, Williams and Sullivan, Soukup, said: "The primary motivation for our decision was the safety of our flight team. Unstable patterns over the Atlantic Ocean have made predicting a safe crossing impossible. Our capacity to forecast weather patterns more than two days out has been hindered by La Nina. Attempting to cross the Atlantic, let alone the Pacific, without a predicted weather pattern would put our team at considerable risk".

The expedition also ran into a major hurdle when the People's Republic of China rescinded its permission for the Spirit of Peace to fly over its country. Permission was withdrawn after another around the world balloon team violated the terms of an agreement to fly over China in specific corridors.

Pilot Williams continued, "The traditional close of the window for this hemisphere is determined by the monsoon season in Southwest Asia. This monsoonal flow now prevents us from flying around China. The flow would push the balloon into Chinese air space".

The Spirit of Peace combination helium gas and hot air roziere balloon built by Bristol-based Cameron Balloons will stay in the USA. The balloon envelope will remain in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while the pressurised capsule will be transported to the Fantasy of Flight attraction in Florida for public display.

Future flight plans will be discussed and announced at a future date. The Spirit of Peace Mission is sponsored by individuals and supported by non-profit making organisations, and aims to promote world peace and raise money for international charities. The flight is sanctioned by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), an 85-member country, non-governmental and non-profit making international organisation which aims to further aeronautical and astronautical activities worldwide. Further information about the Spirit of Peace Mission can be found at the Spirit of Peace Web sit on www.spiritofpeace.com

President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), Mr. Eilif NESS, awarded trophies to the Champions of the 1st Series of the FAI World Grand Prix of Aviation:

• Mr. Peter BESENYEI (Hungary) 1st Place - Solo Aerobatics
• SKY BOX (Czech Republic) 1st Place - Formation Teams

The ceremony took place at the Olympic Museum, Lausanne on 05th February in the presence of representatives of all Air Sports Commissions. Mr. Ness underlined the very important role of the FAI World Grand Prix of Aviation in the research and development of future FAI competitions (format, public & media friendliness) and air sports technology. The 1st Series of the World Grand Prix were held between November 1996 - November 1998 and in January 1998, the competition was opened to all types of aircraft, solo and formation teams.

It was the first time a formation team has been recognised by the FAI.

A "Media Work Shop" (MWS) was held in Lausanne from February 05 to 07, 1999 for the benefit of Media Advisers from each of the FAI Air Sport Commissions.

The aims of the MWS were:

• To have in each and every ASC a contact, which can be used to do the media work in their environment.
• To give some basic tools (information) on how to handle media aspects of the events (i.e. press conferences, accidents, results distributions, etc.)
• To encourage Air Sport Commission Media Advisers to establish close working relationship with publications associated with air sports
• To invite prominent speakers from the most dominant international media and International Sporting Federations to share their experience and give their views
• To start a few select short-term programs in 1999 that will allow to achieve tangible results (i.e. top competitors profiles, images and winners interviews from each World Championships in 1999, etc.)

You will find below the closing statement prepared by the participants to this MWS.

Media Co-ordinators from FAI Commissions met in Lausanne from 5 - 7 February 1999 for a Workshop, at which all aspects of FAI's media policy in the period leading to the next World Air Games and beyond were studied. This was the first occasion on which selected FAI Commission representatives had come together to achieve a common goal.

All participants in the Workshop agreed on the following points:

1. In order to ensure the future health and growth of the air sport movement, air sports need to be more "media-friendly" and attractive to the general public, as well as to competitors.
2. A new philosophy is required in which FAI and its Commissions take a pro-active lead in shaping the future development of air sports, rather than just reacting administratively.
3. Changes in FAI contest rules are required, especially as regards:
   • Contest length
   • Contest format
   • Scoring systems
   • Result reporting arrangements
4. It is necessary to create, at FAI Headquarters, a FAI Media Resource Centre and an Internet Discussion Forum on media affairs.
5. NACs, competitors and event organisers need to be educated about Sporting Code and other FAI requirements through guidelines and other information media, citing specific references.
6. Each Commission needs to have a permanent designated media post-holder, and Commissions need to share information about successful initiatives, working permanently together to achieve a cohesive and unified FAI approach to media work.