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Founded in 1905, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) is the international federation for air sports. Its CIVL commission covers paragliding and hang gliding. Their documents address competition, training and the comparison of pilot qualifications; each serves a different purpose.
FAI/CIVL
Publishes sporting rules and a training framework.
National body
Assesses and issues qualifications under its own rules.
IPPI
Communicates the level of a national qualification.
EN standards
Address equipment testing, not pilot assessment.
Competition rules and local regulations
Section 7 of the FAI Sporting Code sets out rules for CIVL disciplines. Its parts cover cross-country flying, aerobatics, accuracy landing and pilot rankings, among other topics. The code applies to FAI-sanctioned events; it does not replace national law, airspace requirements or the rules of a flying site.
SafePro Para: a shared training framework
CIVL SafePro Para describes five core stages of development: Ground Skimming, Altitude Gliding, Active Flying, Soaring and Senior Pilot. It helps national organisations compare training programmes and qualifications. An authorized organisation determines a pilot’s level through assessment; reading this theory lesson does not establish practical skill or award a rating.
IPPI: making a national rating understandable
The SafePro Para stage on an IPPI card helps site managers abroad interpret a national pilot rating. The card is valid only together with a current national licence or rating card. It provides no insurance and grants no automatic permission to fly in any country or at any site.
EN 926: wing testing, not a pilot rating
EN 926-1 specifies tests for paraglider structural strength; EN 926-2 classifies flight safety characteristics. These are European product standards, not pilot stages issued by FAI. A wing’s test result cannot replace correct sizing, sound condition, suitable training or assessment of flying conditions.
What to check before flying
- For a competition: the current Sporting Code and the event’s local regulations.
- For training: the national syllabus, an instructor’s assessment and your actual skills.
- For travel: the validity of your national document, local acceptance of IPPI, insurance, airspace and site requirements.
- For equipment: test documents for the exact model and size, the manufacturer’s instructions and its current condition.
Keeping these systems separate helps you find the right document. Permission to fly and a sound safety decision always depend on the country, site, conditions and pilot.
Competition categories, WPRS and GAP
FAI Category 1 and Category 2 competitions have their own organisational rules. The World Pilot Ranking System (WPRS) ranks pilots using results from sanctioned events; it is neither a training stage nor permission to fly. GAP is a scoring method for an individual cross-country task, not another name for WPRS. In the current Sporting Code, Section 7E addresses WPRS and Section 7F addresses XC scoring. Before entering an event, check the current code for the discipline, the event’s local regulations and its eligibility requirements. A ranking cannot replace any of those checks.
FAI: founding and limits of authority
FAI was founded in Paris on 14 October 1905 as an international federation for air sports. It provides a framework for sporting rules, records and cooperation. Its national members retain control over their own affairs, including the systems through which pilots qualify. Consequently, an FAI document does not itself issue a national pilot licence or grant permission to fly at a particular site. When evaluating training or travel requirements, identify the international framework, the competent national body and the local rules as three distinct sources of authority.
What CIVL does
CIVL is the FAI commission for hang gliding and paragliding. Its official site brings together the Sporting Code, competition documents, the SafePro Para training framework and information on the IPPI card. These have different purposes: sporting rules govern events, SafePro Para describes stages of development, and IPPI helps others understand a national rating abroad. The commission is not a substitute for a national training or regulatory body. For a particular flight or qualification, consult the current rule of the competent national authority and the requirements of the site or event.
Finding the right Section 7 document
Section 7 of the FAI Sporting Code is a collection of documents rather than a single rule for every activity. The 2026 list includes 7A for cross-country, 7B for aerobatics, 7C for accuracy, 7E for the World Pilot Ranking System and 7F for XC scoring. Choose the part that matches the discipline and the decision at hand; a ranking rule does not determine how an individual task is scored. Use the current edition and the event’s local regulations. Sporting rules do not supersede national airspace law or site requirements. This course explains how to locate and distinguish these sources, not how to qualify for an event.