Polish pilots from the beginning of aviation have been showing their skills and talents for flying. Poland celebrates annually an Aviation Day on August 28. This day commemorates the anniversary of the victory of pilots Cpt. Franciszek Żwirko and Stanisław Wigura in the International Tourist Plane Competition organized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), which took place in Berlin in 1932. More than 80 years after those unforgettable events – Polish sportsmen and sportswomen continue to prove that they are worthy the Wigura and Zwirko’s heritage. Thanks to them - Poles can proudly say that in the aviation we are the best in the world. Polish sportsmen are members of the Polish Aero Club, which is affiliated with other national aero clubs in the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Only in 2013, Polish pilots won 62 medals: 22 gold, 17 silver and 23 bronze ones.
In 2013 there has been a continuation of incredible victories of Polish glider pilots. Poles occupy two first positions in the ranking list of the FAI International Gliding Commission (IGC). For two years the World 's best glider pilot has been Zbigniew Nieradka who simultaneously is a current World Champion in the 18-meter class, after winning in Championships in Uvalde, Texas, USA in 2012. He is also the winner of the World Championships in Szeged, Hungary in 18-meter class and silver medalist in European Championships in the 18 meters class in Kaunas. The second ranked pilot - Sebastian Kawa, who since 2005 has occupied the first or second place in IGC Ranking list - is the most successful glider pilot in history – winner of 17 medals in World and European Championships, including 15 gold medals. Sebastian Kawa is the current holder of the World Champion title in gliding in the 15-meter class which he has obtained in Uvalde, Texas, and in the Standard class after winning Championships in Adolfo Gonzales Chaves in Argentina. In just 2013 he also won the gold medal of the European Championships in the 18 -meter class in Vinon-sur-Verdon, France and the gold medal in Standard class in the European Championships in Ostrow Wielkopolski. Sebastian Kawa is also a four-time winner and the only gold medalist in FAI World Grand Prix Gliding Championships which has been held since 2005 every two years. The vast majority of his successful flights were on Polish gliders - PW -5, Bravo , SZD-56-2 Diana 2. Currently he is involved in Himalaya Gliding Project and wants to be the first pilot who flew over the Himalaya mountains.
This year we also witnessed a historical success of Polish glider pilots - on the podium during the XVI European Gliding Championships in Ostrów Wielkopolski in standard class stood three Poles. European Champion in the Standard class became Sebastian Kawa, Vice-Champion - Łukasz Wójcik and Second Vice-Champion - Paweł Wojciechowski. Our Champions have won with overwhelming advantage of points, occupying the first three positions in the general ranking from the first day of competition. In Club class there were also a lot to celebrate - Jakub Barszcz won a silver medal and Łukasz Błaszczyk - a bronze one.
Gliding is not only a sport of cross country flying - Poland has also strong competitors in a discipline that combines the extreme maneuvers with majestic silence - gliding aerobatics. Sławomir Talowski won a silver medal in the IV World Championship in Glider Aerobatic advanced class. The Polish team composed of Katarzyna Żmudzińska, Magdalena Stróżyk and Piotr Haberland won a gold medal. In XVI World Glider Aerobatic Championship which was held at the same time, Maciej Pospieszyński (World Champion from 2012) won the bronze medal in the Unlimited class. He also obtained the title of Vice World Champion in the unknown programme. The team composed of pilots Maciej Pospieszyński, Stanislaw Makula Jerzy Makula, Piotr Haberland won a bronze medal in team classification. It is worth mentioning that Poles are the most successful team in the history of the FAI World Championships in Glider Aerobatic. Jerzy Makula was the first World Champion in this discipline (seven - times World Champion and four -times World Vice-Champion). In the same Championships Marek Szufa obtained the title of a Second Vice-Champion.
Great emotions and reasons to be happy were provided in 2013 by Polish airplane pilots. During the 21st World Championships in Precision Flying in Bautzen, Germany, Bolesław Radomski won a gold medal and the title of World Champion and Krzysztof Wieczorek won a silver medal and the title of World Vice-Champion. This result is so spectacular that among the top ten pilots in those Championships were six Poles! In addition, in the team classification Poland won the gold medal and a silver medal in the Precision landings. These excellent results are not a coincidence - Polish pilots from the start of the World Championships in Precision Flying organized in 1975, have been gaining the highest ranks ever since. Poles very often get it all – not only individual medals but also those in team classification.
Polish representation has been achieving similar success in the World Rally Flying Championships organized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). From the second Championships in 1978, Poles have been winning medals, usually gold, often taking all the places on the podium. During the last Championships held in Castellon in Spain, a crew consisting of Bolesław Radomski and Dariusz Lechowski won a silver medal and Michał Wieczorek and Michał Osowski won a bronze medal.
Polish achievements are not only the domain of glider pilots and airplane pilots. Shortly after the incredible success of the airplane pilots, pilots from National Paramotor Team won all four gold medals and one bronze in World Paramotor Slalom Championships organized in France. The Vice-Champions in Microlight Flying are Przemyslaw Jurkiewicz and Dominika Jurkiewicz. In Paramotor World Championships Emilia Plak triumphed in PF1f class, Ryszard Żygadło and Patrycja Lejk in PF2 class. Poland also has many Champions and Vice-Champions in aeromodeling.
