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Record-Breaking Flights by Grant Boyd
The fastest time to fly from one airport to another.
The top payload carried in a type of aircraft. The shortest duration to reach an altitude.
hese are just a few examples of the thousands of recognized flying-related records out there. In terms of “powered aircraft,” current records date back to the infancy of flight. While some
obviously cannot be broken, such as the Wright Brothers’ first flight, there are many other feats to be created and records awaiting a challenger to rewrite history.
Background & Qualifications
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) was founded in 1905 and is the certifying body for the ratifica- tion of world and continental records and the organization of international competitions in aviation. Also known as The World Air Sports Federation, the organization consists of associates from more than 100 member
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countries. “Athletes” – those in competition and look- ing to set new records – compete in sports that include aeromodelling, amateur-built and experimental aircraft, ballooning, drones, gliding, microlights and paramotors, paragliding, power and glider aerobatics, rotorcraft, sky- diving, space, as well as general aviation.
The organization’s General Aviation Commission (GAC) is responsible for powered aircraft-related feats. Over- all, there are more than 800 records in the turboprop category and almost four times as many in the turbo- jet category under the GAC’s governance. Examples of such records falling under the merits of “Speed Over a Recognized Course” can be seen in the table on page 20. Speed Over a Recognized Course records represent the fastest certified speed of an aircraft flying between two cities or geographical features. Records may be flown between any cities or geographic features designated for that purpose, and any time spent on the ground counts as flying time.
The minimum distance between the start and finish points for airplane world records must be at least 249 statute miles (400 kilometers) in length and 125 statute
Citation Mustang, King Hussein International Airport, Jordan.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHEPHERD AERO