Next year Serbia is to host the 16th FAI European Paragliding Championship in Nis. The event was postponed from 2020 when it was not possible to hold it due to COVID. Although there was another successful Test event in 2019, the organiser asked and was granted the possibility to have another Test event to try new technological facilities and train staff that will work next year.

The European Championship Test Event, Serbian & Hungarian National Championship took place in Nis and Niska Banja from 1st till 7th of August 2021. It was organised by Paragliding club Ares and the Aeronautical Union of Serbia, represented by its Secretary General Zeljko Ovuka. There were 4 valid tasks 50-70 km long and 1 day was cancelled due to strong wind. No incidents happened. The first day was weak and nobody got to the goal. On the second day, the weather improved. That made it possible to figure out the leaders: Vladimir Bacanin, Milan Stevic, Dusan Djordjevic, Srdjan Kesic and Predrag Dudic from Serbia, Balazs Vertes, Gyula Fichtinger, Lorant Falucskai and Peter Budai from Hungary, Alexander Frider from Russia, Darko Stankovski from North Macedonia and Tudor Dorobantu from Romania. In women, the favour was on the side of Katalin Juhasz, as the other famous Hungarian pilotess Adel Honti was returning to competition after a long break and was struggling to get into shape. The third task settled the winners. Darko, Vladimir, and Balazs won it and also the fourth but in a different order. Adel made an effort to be the first woman on goal in the fourth task thus securing herself a place on the podium. Daniel Dimov from Bulgaria was among the first pilots in goal in the 2d task and the very first in goal in the 4th task, but the current leading points scheme did not let him be considered as a task winner. 

The participants of the competition were greeted by the municipal and governmental officials at the opening ceremony that took place in the fortress of Nis. The support which local authorities provide to the event is exceptional. There is a confirmed plan to make a paved road to the take-off financed by the government. It will ensure the smooth run of the championship and development of the paragliding in the region. The airport operations and competition flights are coordinated in harmony to all parties' safety and satisfaction. Nis airport also provided the competition organisers with the most precise weather forecast that made the job of the meteo director – Zoran Petrovic (Gugi) – much easier. Due to his private state of health, Gugi had to go to the hospital for the last 2 days, but even from there, he did not stop supporting the organisation with weather reports and recommendations.

The event was run in a pleasant friendly atmosphere which was also due to the effective work of Mirka Golubovic and Jelena Krachun as the operation and retrieve management. The updated Flymaster retrieve system was tested and the staff was trained. In their free time, the pilots enjoyed the hot baths of Niska Banja, music concerts and discotheques, a wine degustation festival. At the closing ceremony, an important notice was made by the meet director Goran Dimiskovski. He said that, as we observe, the sport has survived pandemic and we have learned to have satisfying and safe events in current conditions. It gives us the optimism to look into the future.

Winners in Overall:

1    Vladimir Bacanin        SRB    
2    Balazs Vertes       HUN    
3    Darko Stankovski     MKD

Serbian Nationals:

1    Vladimir Bacanin    
2    Milan Stevic
3    Dusan Djordjevic    

Hungarian Nationals:

1    Balazs Vertes    
2    Lorant Falucskai    
3    Jozsef Szabo

Female:

1    Katalin Juhasz HUN
2    Adel Honti    HUN
3    Dora Furesz HUN

Congratulations!

More info and results: https://airtribune.com/preeuro2021/results