Polish gliding legend Sebastian Kawa is the latest recipient of the prestigious FAI Gold Air Medal at the 2024 FAI Awards Ceremony. Attendees at the glittering event, held yesterday as part of the 118th FAI General Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, watched FAI President David Monks and and SAC General Supervisor Dr. Ahmed F. Alfahaid present the award to Kawa in recognition of his great contribution to aeronautics. He is the very first Polish name to join a long list of air sports women and men, past and present, who have received the FAI Gold Air Medal, standing out from the crowd through their outstanding achievements.

Upon receiving FAI's most esteemed accolade, Kawa shared his impressions and thoughts on this remarkable milestone in his illustrious career.

"I never dreamed that one day I would be the first Pole to be awarded the FAI Gold Air Medal. Did Charles Lindbergh, crossing the ocean on wings, expect that in the future a glider competitor would receive the same award? I don't think so, because in aviation it was a completely different era. The FAI Gold Air Medal reflects the history of aviation. After those daredevils who crossed the oceans, it was given to discoverers of phenomena, such as Willey Post, who changed our reality by discovering the Jet Stream; great designers of engines and fast planes; military pilots breaking speed and speed of sound records; cosmonauts. This story reflects how we have already mastered the entire planet in the air and its orbit. 

"In the period that I personally remember as a child, Paul MacCready was awarded this medal, and he needs no introduction, because glider pilots have all stared for hours at the MacCready speed ring, and the flight of a Gossamer Condor is a symbol of the extreme efficiency of the aircraft propelled only with human muscle.

"To name a few other awardees, Hans Verner Grosse proved dozens of times how great the possibilities are in engineless aviation by breaking flight records… Bertrand Piccard flew around the world in a balloon. A different era began.

"Gliding is just a sport that, compared to these huge milestones, has been modestly hidden somewhere in the background since the beginning of our adventure with flying. But sport is competition and this MOTIVATES development. Sport tests pilots and tests new aerodynamic ideas or material technologies. Didn't the glider wing pave the way and give tools to designers of wind turbines or longer-range planes? Gliding also tested and proved numerical weather models in extreme detail.

"Gliding embraces the most beautiful arenas on our planet, and, utilising natural currents for hours, it has shown quiet routes around them not imaginable for previous aviators. Pilots in extreme tests during races learn to look for new ways and fly in conditions that looked impossible previously. We learned a lot and through training and testing we can discover new places showing spectacular gliding areas to the world, as we proved recently by flying over K2 mountain and Karakoroum.

"Yes, the sport of gliding is faced with modest possibilities, of which I am an example, crossing five state borders for the first competition and getting to know the Alps only during the competition. And now, after many years, I am testing and giving opinions on new designs created by new manufacturers in my country. I would like to thank everyone who supported my candidacy, and especially warmly to Marina Vigorito Galletto for taking the initiative to appreciate the gliding competitor."

• Sebastian Kawa's biography

Award Citation

Sebastian Kawa is a double victor of the World Air Games and boasts an impressive collection of accolades. His triumphs include securing 23 medals in FAI World Championships and an additional 16 medals in European Championships.

Together with the National Championships, he has earned over 100, predominantly gold, medals throughout his gliding career. Sebastian has also set numerous gliding-related records and has been a leader in the FAI world rankings for several years.

Beyond his participation in various competitions, Sebastian has succeeded on challenging flights over the Himalayas and blazed the gliding trails across the Caucasus. His active promotion of aviation is evidenced by his authorship of numerous publications, his engagements in televised programs, and his presence in social events. He willingly shares his knowledge and experience with the aviation community and actively conducts training sessions for young pilots.

Apart from his competitive and ambitious nature, Sebastian is an empathetic person, always striving to help those in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he provided medical care to the local community and personally vaccinated over 6,000 people. Furthermore, he engaged in humanitarian aid when the war in Ukraine broke out, organising collections and participating in the delivery convoys. He opened his own home to accommodate a refugee family. Notably, he also mobilised the aviation community to contribute to the collections related to the impact of the war. He eagerly engages in various charity actions, inviting the winners of auctions aboard his glider. His presence always increases the amounts collected for those in need.