The 33rd FAI World Aeronautic Championships just finished on Wednesday, September 2, in Mason City, Iowa (KMCW), with a combination of well-known pilots sharing the limelight with new competitors across the board. Organized by the International Aerobatics Club (IAC) under the auspices of the Federation Aeronautique International (FAI), the competition changes venue each year to promote fairness and alter conditions enough to challenge the participants.
The WAC2026 saw warm temperatures and fair skies punctuated by a storm or two. The competition itself breaks down into several categories in which the pilots are judged by an international panel of their peers. Contestants fly a series of programs, with the first set of figures “known” ahead of time, and three “unknown” sets of figures to follow. At the conclusion of that, on the final day the WAC holds a Freestyle event. All results can be found here, except the Final Freestyle results, which had not yet been posted at press time, but should also show up on that page.
In the Overall results, the top place was won for the third time in a row by Florent Oddon, from France, in an Extra 330SC, with an overall percent score of 81.363. Second place Romanian Romain Fhal came in with 79.425, and third position came to Oddon’s countryman Mikaël Brageot at 79.413. The top U.S. pilot, Craig Gifford, just missed the podium in fourth place at 78.294. The highest scoring woman was American Ekaterina “Kate” Volkova at 73.979 in an Extra 300SC.
With a strong first-third showing, the French national team took first place, with Oddon and Brageot joined by Sébastien Souchet, at 77.366, for a team average of 79.380. The U.S. team scored the silver, led by Gifford and joined by Jeff Boerboon at 77.164 in an Extra 330SC and Aaron McCartan in an XA-41 at 75.834 for an average of 77.097. The Romanians came in third place overall with a score of 76.651.
One new facet to the competition was the livestream broadcast of the event. WAC commentator Rob Dumovic remarked on it and the competition this year: “While this was my first WAC, I was thoroughly impressed by the support of the town and organizers to put together this event in about four months,” said Dumovic, who founded Spread Aviation and has served as a designated pilot examiner and longtime aerobatic instructor. “And every volunteer put on multiple hats and performed tasks on demand to keep the contest rolling. From setting up and tearing down judges lines, serving food, moving tables and chairs, and escorting guests also made for a fantastic experience for the competitors and those watching at home on the livestream. I was extremely proud of the work we did to bring the live video to the friends, family, and supporters around the globe for the first time ever.”
