Circumnavigating the globe, crossing continents, setting foot on the moon… There are many significant aviation and space achievements to celebrate in 2019, with the help of records held by the FAI.

From the earliest days of human flight to the most recent extreme air sports records, all the anniversaries being marked by the Federation in 2019 have one thing in common: they represent the innovation, skill and courage of air sports amateurs and professionals throughout modern history.

Having ratified over 18,000 air sports records since its foundation in 1905, the FAI is the world governing body for air sports activities and the global authority on the many thousands of space and aviation achievements that have changed the course of history.

The stories of these heroes of aviation and air sports will be shared by the FAI throughout the year via our articles and social media messages, with links offering public access to the most valuable, interesting and exclusive documents and pictures from the FAI archives.

The list of records and achievements in aviation and space flight that the FAI plans to mark during 2019 includes:

• 50 years since the Apollo 11 moon expedition
• The first airplane flight across the English Channel in 1909 by France’s Louis Bleriot
• Piccard and Jones' first non-stop round-the-world balloon flight in 1999
• First woman to set an aviation record: Maryse Bastié in 1929

2019's notable anniversaries

Image Credit: NASA