Reliability of the data in this publication

The data has been taken from a large number of sources. Some of the data are from official FAI record documentation of approved World Records. The data from such documents has been verified and checked through established procedures. Even then, some differences has been discovered. The rules for World Records has been changed several times but as a rule the data derived from FAI sources are reliable.

The subclasses and size categories for balloons and airships were changed to the present definitions in 1978, but earlier flights have in this book been reclassified according to the present rules for easier comparison.

Definition of World Record

Sporting Code, General Section, paragraph 6.1

A World Record is the best performance certified by the FAI and established in an FAI Class, Category or Group as specified in the Sporting Code and/or Specialised Section.

Recognised Balloon and Airship records

There are record categories for distance, duration, altitude, shortest time around the World and for airships also speed. These are the only recognised World Records.

Better performances exist but have never been claimed as a World Record. This is the case for many airship flights during the World Wars, when, for military reasons, flight performances were kept secret. There are many examples in this book of airship performances much better than existing World Records.

FAI was established 1905. One main objective was to control and register aviation records. Thus, performances made before 1905 were never official records.

Claims for other types of records

In many publications, records are claimed for other activities such as first flights over the Atlantic or first solo flight and similar. Those claims are no recognised records and such claims are not always reliable.

A lot of work has been spent on checking of the data. In most cases two or more sources have been used and compared and they may not all be listed as sources. Still there may be many inaccuracies and numerous omissions.

Contributions

FAI                                                   CIA records Subcommittee               Troy Bradley

Don Cameron                                   Gunars Dukste                                  Jan Fröjdman

Ulrich Hohmann                                Sabu Ichiyoshi                                   David Owen

Norman Pritchard                              Robert Rechs                                    Erwin A. Sautter

Jean Sax                                           Kark Stefan                                      Hannu Tiitu

And many many others

Further comments, additions, corrections and any other help are most welcome.

Hans Åkerstedt