After two years of postponement, there are high hopes that the 17th FAI World Microlight Championships 2022 in Hosín, Czech Republic, will be a contest to remember. A welcoming atmosphere is of great importance to event organiser Jiří Nečas - pictured above - who wants to encourage newcomers to the sport with an international fly-in included at the event, where friends and family can participate and support their teams.

Nečas is also keen to support less experienced competitors to learn the theory and practice of navigation: prior to the competition start, there will be the first ever Microlight Navigation Camp for pilots who are new to competing to discover what they need to know about navigating the routes and about the scoring equipment and procedures.

• Location: Hosín airfield in the Czech Republic.
• Opening ceremony and briefing: 23 July
• Contest: 24-29 July
• Closing ceremony and prize giving: 30 July
   

Nečas is an experienced organiser, having previously arranged the Czech Open Microlight Cup in 2020, and the Czech Microlight Championships. Another regular contest Nečas has organised is the Petr Tuček Navigation Cup, a 10-round one day navigation competition which runs between April and September over the weekends.

We asked Nečas to share some information about his plans for the 17th FAI World Microlight Championships.

Have you had experience as a competitor yourself?

Yes, I got my pilot licence over eight years ago as I wanted to participate in navigation microlight competitions. I made it to the Czech team and my first international competition was the FAI WMC at Popham, Great Britain, in 2016. After this I was back in Hungary at the European Microlight Championships. As a father now, my preferences have changed a little as family takes priority, and organising suits me better! But when my wife and I can find a babysitter, we like to compete – she is my navigator in our AL2 crew. We definitely plan to go back into competitions when our family has grown.

16th FAI World Microlight Championships 2018, Nagykanizsa Airport, HUN. Image by Wolfgang Lintl

What are the challenges and enjoyment of organising a world championship?

Our main challenge is enticing competitors back to events following the change in the world in the last two years. It has understandably become harder for people to leave their comfort zone, which is reflected in event registration numbers. This is why we are trying to make it as interesting and welcoming as possible this year.

What I enjoy most is the competition atmosphere, meeting the pilots… And always once the competition is finished, when I am satisfied with the way things have gone and everyone is happy, then I have peace in my soul!

What is the situation for microlight as a sport in the Czech Republic?

Our microglight team is very motivated. They have made the most of the last two years for preparation. Most of our pilots are young – under 30 years old – and we have full AL1 and AL2 categories and in AL2, in fact, we have an all women crew. In WL2 we will be defending championship from last years.

Could you tell us a little about the location in Hosín?

The Hosín airfield is fully equipped, with a rich history in the flying community. It has previously held World championships in aerobatics and gliding, as well as a lot of local contests. We have a paved runway and fuel station as well as accommodation and a restaurant.

Do you have a message for potential competitors?

If this is your first big competition, don’t be afraid to join in! The navigation camp will be hosted by experienced instructors, some with titles, who provide training for those who want to learn more. Registration will remain open right up until the beginning of the competition, so let us make the 2022 championships legendary together!

Competition format

• Classic classes - RAL 1 T (Movable Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown solo)
• Classic classes - RWL 1 T (Weight-shift Control / Landplane / Flown solo)
• Classic classes - RWL 2 T (Weight-shift Control / Landplane / Flown with two persons)
• Classic classes - RAL 2 T (Movable Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown with two persons)
• Autogyro - RGL 1 T (Autogyro / Landplane / Flown solo)
• Autogyro - RGL 2 T (Autogyro / Landplane / Flown with two persons)

 

Images: Jiří Nečas