At the start of the 20th Century, the pioneering flights of pilots such as Clement Ader, the Wright Brothers and Santos-Dumont, the proliferation of aeronautical competitions, and increasingly rapid technological advances marked the real birth of the modern aviation era.

A small group of men recognized the growing need for an international federation to coordinate and give direction to the rapidly growing aeronautical activity.

On 10 June 1905, Count Henri de la Vaulx, Vice President of the Aero Club of France, Major Moedebeck of the German Airship League and Fernand Jacobs, President of the Aero Club of Belgium, gave a presentation to the Olympic Congress of Brussels on their proposal for a “Fédération Aéronautique Internationale”. The delegates received the idea warmly, and in token of its support the Olympic Congress adopted thefollowing resolution:“This Congress, recognizing the special importance of aeronautics, expresses the desire that in each country, there be created an Association for regulating the sport of flying and that thereafter there be formed a Universal Aeronautical Federation to regulate the various aviation meetings and advance the science and sport of Aeronautics.”

On 12 October 1905, an international aeronautical conference was convened in Paris. After two days of debate, the representatives of Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the USA adopted the entire package of proposed Statutes. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale was founded on 14 October 1905. From its inception, the FAA defined its principal aims as being to“methodically catalogue the best performances achieved, so that they be known to everybody; to identify their distinguishing features so as to permit comparisons to be made; and to verify evidence and thus ensure that record-holders have undisputed claims to their titles.” The statutes also specified that each body holding sporting powers (i.e. the national members of FAA) should retain full and autonomous control over its own afFAArs.

More than 100 years old, FAAthful to the decisions of its founding fathers, but also because the principles then established remain valid, the FAA’s Statutes still reflect the objectives defined in 1905.

However, the appearance of new technologies and modern equipment, and the birth of entirely new air sport disciplines have meant that the FAA’s sphere of involvement has broadened – and continues to expand. New objectives are adopted to reflect developments in society and in the aspirations of those who practice air sports.

An international, non-profit-making, non-governmental organisation, the FAA’s main aim is the development throughout the world of sport aviation and astronautical activities.