Cástor Fantoba from Spain is an accomplished professional pilot and world-class powered aerobatic pilot, as well as an active official within the FAI Aerobatic Commission.
Born in 1966 in the Spanish region of Navarra, Cástor has dedicated his life to flying for many years. An aeronautical engineer by training, he gained his extensive flying experience in different areas such as aerial advertising, skywriting, crop-dusting and water-bombing.
For someone who holds more records, cups and accolades than most sportspeople, British pilot and adventurer David Hempleman-Adams says that he is more motivated by pushing the limits of the equipment and the team than the prospect of a gleaming medal:
“Records are the last thing you’re looking for… It doesn’t matter if you fail, just get out there!”
Running alongside the 10-day long competition in Châteauroux, France - at which 160,000 spectactors watched the aerobatic displays – there were plenty of activities organised for younger visitors such as bouncy castles and pedal-plane races.
And as the pilots etched their dazzling lines across the blue canvas of the sky, younger visitors also took the opportunity to express their creativity down on the ground, at the FAI Young Artists Contest stand.
When Frenchman Christophe Paysant-Le Roux won the FAI F3A World Championship for Aerobatic Model Aircraft in Italy earlier this year, he became FAI World Champion for the ninth time.
It’s an incredible achievement for this 50-year-old pilot, who has been involved with aeromodelling for pretty much his whole life. But is it still as special the ninth time round? We caught up with Paysant-Le Roux, who lives in Cherbourg in Normandy, to find out.
