The first transatlantic crossing in a gas balloon, two of the longest human-powered flights ever recorded, and an over-6000 km airship flight completed in 1928: just four of the incredible, record-breaking feats the anniversaries of which will be celebrated by the FAI in 2018. 

Dating back to the early 1900s, each one still stands as a record in the air sports field, and represents the triumph of human determination, bravery and skill when pitted against often seemingly insurmountable odds.

As the world governing body for air sports activities, the FAI is the global authority on the many thousands of space and aviation records created and ratified by the Federation since its foundation in 1905.

It shares the achievements of air sports pioneers via a series of articles and social media messages, offering access to the most valuable, interesting and exclusive documents and pictures from the Federation’s archives to the public and the media.

The list of records and achievements in aviation and Space flight that the FAI plans to mark during 2018 includes:

• The 30th anniversary of cyclist Kanellos Kanellopoulos’ close to four-hour flight between the Greek islands of Crete and Santorini in a human-powered aeroplane (April 1988)
• The 40th anniversary of Americans Ben Abruzzo, Larry Newman and Maxie Anderson’s historic, five-day transatlantic crossing in a gas balloon (August 1978)
• The 90th anniversary of German pilot Dr. Hugo Eckener’s 71-hour airship flight between the United States and Germany, which remains the longest and furthest journey ever completed in an airship (November 1928)
• The 5th anniversary of Alexis Reichert’s 53-second flight in Aerovelo’s enormous, prize-winning human-powered helicopter, Atlas (September 2013)

Below is a full list of all the notable anniversaries this year: