Host of the FAI General Conference 2025, Finland has been represented in a variety of air sports at FAI World and FAI European Championships, World Cups, and the FAI World Air Games, with some major successes. There are also several air sports athletes putting Finland on the map with FAI records. 

Kirsi Seppälä of the Finnish Aeronautical Association gives an overview of Finland's top air sports athletes' recent participation in FAI World and European Championships and introduces the names of pilots and athletes holding FAI World and European records:

Aeromodelling

At the 2024 FAI F2 World Championships for Control Line Model Aircraft in Indiana, USA, the Finnish F2D – Combat team (Jussi Forss, Timo Forss and Kimmo Valkonen) became vice-champions, beaten only by the USA team. Jussi Forss, who has been competing in this class for many years, successfully defended the title he earned in Poland in 2022 to remain world champion once again. 

Team champions Kimmo Valkonen, Jussi Forss and Timo Forss hold aloft the Finnish flag in 2024. Photo: Anne Forss

"Success is based on the flying skills acquired as a result of goal-oriented training. However, aeromodelling is also a motorsport and a technical sport, so the equipment must be in the best condition when going to the races. This minimises all technical setbacks and, on the other hand, increases resilience against them. When that basic package is in order, there is also time to discuss more sophisticated race tactics and opponents. All this is emphasised towards the end of the race", says Jussi Forss.

Jussi Forss celebrated his nomination as Aviation Athlete of the Year at the Sports Gala with his partner Heli Koskinen. Photo: Timo Forss

Like Forss, Lassi Nurila has dedicated many years to aeromodelling competition. Specialising in Aerobatic Model Aircraft (F3A class), Nurila won the 2024 FAI F3A European Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft in Belgium in 2024. This was not his first podium: in 2023 he took the World Champion title in Australia, after having claimed European Champion in Spain in 2022. At the 2025 FAI F3A World Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft this year in Indiana, USA, Nurila became Vice-Champion. 

Lassi Nurila says, "My success is based on a long-term commitment to the sport. I have developed my skills gradually, set new goals with success and constantly strived to improve details, including in the equipment that I design and manufacture myself. I try to maintain a relaxed attitude, the most important thing is to enjoy what I do. F3A Team Finland's coaching, cooperation and good team spirit have been key factors in supporting our own development".

Lassi Nurila at the FAI European Championship in 2024. Credit: AASH RC Royal Club

Gliding

The pilots of the Finnish national gliding team, Juha Sorri and Simo Kettunen, won the FAI European Gliding Championship gold in Poland in 2023. They flew in the 20-metre 2-seater class as one crew. At that time, Simo Kettunen flew his first international championships; Kettunen has previously served as the head coach of the Finnish national gliding team for several years.

Juha Sorri and Simo Kettunen are ready to take of and have and the competition. Photo: Jussi Forsten

Juha Sorri and Simo Kettunen say that their success is based on Juha's long experience in competitions and Simo's experience in competitions and coaching, as well as both of them being involved in the national team's coaching circle, which has created a basis for preparing for the competitions, training and creating routines for the competitions.

European Champions Juha Sorri and Simo Kettunen on the podium. Photo: Teemu Sundström

In addition to adult air sports athletes, there are young, talented aviators in Finland. Among them is Kim Toppari who won the FAI European Junior Gliding Championship in 2023 in the Club class, and achieved the silver medal at the FAI World Junior Gliding Championships in Poland in 2024.

Glider pilot Markku Kuittinen was named the "Aviation Athlete of the Century" when the Finnish Aeronautical Association celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019.  He won gold at the World Gliding Championships in 1987 and 1995, and bronze at the World Championships in 1989. At the national level, Markku won gold at the Finnish Championships in 1977, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994.

In June 2020, Finnish glider pilot Hannu Nurmiranta, gained FAI European Records in the beginning of 2020s when the new 13 metre glider class was established. He gained the record for 'Speed over a triangular course of 300 km' with 104,5 km/h on 24 June 2020, just days after his record of 101,6 km/h for Speed over an out-and-return course of 500 km

Skydiving

Finnish wingsuit athlete Tatjana Maksudov holds the current world record for furthest distance flown in a wingsuit by a woman. At the 5th FAI Wingsuit Flying Championships in Beaufort, North Carolina, USA, she flew an incredible 5.4 km (3.3 miles). Speaking from the competition, where she was one of two women competing in the wingsuit performance class, she commented that there was a positive atmosphere: "Such great sportsmanship, everyone's rooting for each other, everyone's wanting each to do their best."

This year Tatjana represented Finland once again, competing in the 3rd FAI European Wingsuit Flying Championship and 5th FAI World Cup of Wingsuit Flying in Prostejov, Czechia alongside her team mates Janne Saikko and Marko Mäkelä. 

L-R Janne Saikko, Tatjana Maksudov and Marko Mäkelä at the 5th FAI Wingsuit Flying Championships in Beaufort, North Carolina, USA.
Credit: Anthony Armendariz

Paragliding

Another of Finland's FAI record holders is Jouni Makkonen, a well known cross country paragliding pilot. He flew across Finland on 11 June 2021 to set a new European paragliding record for Free Distance, recording an impressive 500,86 km - the first 500km paragliding flight made in Europe. This put Finland on the map for long distance paragliding flights, alongside South Africa, Brazil and Texas. Makkonen hopes one day to reach 600km.

Advocacy for success in Finland 

Success requires the seamless functioning of different areas: the competition equipment and training facilities, as well as the athlete and their coach and support staff, must be in order. Although in sports aviation, a competition performance is usually an individual performance, support teams are needed. Every team leader, glider wingman and aeromodelling pilot's assistant are important.

The Finnish Aeronautical Association promotes aviation in many ways. The Federation's advocacy work ensures that airspace and flight and flying sites are also available for recreational and sports aviators. The Federation cooperates continuously with the authorities so that the needs of enthusiasts and athletes and the characteristics of the sports are taken into account in the regulation of aviation.

Header image credit: AASH RC Royal Club, from 2024 FAI F3A European Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft