EXTRACT FROM MAY 2000 FAI COUNCIL MINUTES

ITEM 19 - WORLD RECORDS – CRITERIA FOR POINT-TO-POINT RECORDS

19.1.	The FAI President introduced discussion on the current criteria for point-to-point records, which allowed a claimant for a long-distance  record  (e.g. round-the-world) also to claim world records for every intermediate leg and combinations of legs.

19.2.	He explained that this was a matter for GAC to resolve. The reason why he had decided to invite Council comment was that, in a recent case, one of explicit goals of the pilot concerned was to set a new unofficial record as the holder of most FAI records. The President felt that this devalued FAI records, which should retain real value. This was not in any way to denigrate the pilot concerned, who had achieved some really outstanding and remarkable aviation feats. But the value of records was proportional to their rarity, not to their number. Council took note and requested that GAC look at this question and evaluate whether a change in their record rules was required.  The GAC President fully supported the FAI President’s approach and agreed to ensure that GAC would respond to Council’s wishes.

19.3.	It was pointed out that this problem applied not only to GAC, but to all Commissions. Over 300 new UAV records had just been created. Other categories had the same problem. Asked whether Council should give guidance to Commissions on the maximum number of records permissible, the FAI President replied that this was best left to Commissions to decide.

19.4.	The Vice President for USA expressed surprise that, having talked about the need to be more business-minded, to increase participation, and to raise more revenue, Council members now seemed eager to withhold recognition of records. He felt that Council was not the right forum for this debate.

19.5.	The President emphasized that it was his wish to raise the value of records, not to rush into judgements. He was making an appeal to Commissions to curb inflation, to uphold the prestige of FAI records.

19.6.	Council agreed to task Commissions with reviewing their record systems and reporting back to Council.