Home
Latest news
How to do records
About maps
Record claim form
Official Observers
Official Observers guide
Observer application form
Sporting licences
Equipment hire
BMAA home page

Calculate & convert
FAI distance calculator
FAI min speed calculator
Wind chill calculator
GPS file format converter
Championship records elapsed time normalization calculator

FAI
Microlight & paramotor World Records
World record claims pending ratification
The rules (Section 10)
The rules (General section)
FAI Licences
Colibri badges
FAI Licence applications

UK RECORDS
UK record claims pending ratification

Landplanes
WL1T (Solo Weightshift)
WL1E (Solo Weightshift, electric)
WL2T (2 seat Weightshift)
WL2E (2 seat Weightshift, electric)
AL1T (Solo 3 Axis)
AL1E (Solo 3 Axis, electric)
AL2T (2 seat, 3 Axis)
AL2E (2 seat 3 Axis, electric)

Paramotors
PF1Tm (Solo, male)
PF1Tf (Solo, female)
PF1E (Solo, electric)
PF2T (2 Seat)
PF2E (2 Seat, electric)

Paratrikes
PL1T (Wheels, Solo)
PL1E (Wheels, Solo, electric)
PL2T (Wheels, 2 seat)
PL2E (Wheels, 2 seat, electric)

Powered Hang gliders
WF1T (Solo)
WF1E (Solo, electric)
WF2T (2 Seat)
WF2E (2 Seat, electric)

Microlight Autogyros
GL1 (Solo)
GL2 (2 Seat)

Seaplanes
WS1 (Solo Weightshift)
WS2 (2 seat Weightshift)
AS1 (Solo 3 Axis)
AS2 (2 seat, 3 Axis)

Amphibians
WM1 (Solo Weightshift)
WM2 (2 seat Weightshift)
AM1 (Solo 3 Axis)
AM2 (2 seat, 3 Axis)

Other stuff
Absolute records
Record statistics
Ann Welch Diploma
Remarkable feats
 
Grey links indicate no
UK records set in class

Site last updated by RMH
29 Jul 2024, 14:09

Absolute records
Have you ever wanted to know what is the fastest, furthest or highest that a microlight or paramotor can go?

These are known as absolute records and represent the most difficult kind of record to break.

Six absolute records, three for Microlights and three for Paramotors were approved by the CIMA Plenary in 2014. Any person who sets a World record shown below after 1 Jan 2015 will receive a De la Vaulx Medal

Fastest Microlight (Horizontal speed)

UK record
Performance 187 Km/h (101 Kt)
Date 14 Apr 2002
Pilot Julian Harris (GBR)
Co-pilot Robert Sharp
Aircraft Jabiru UL, registration G-ENRE
Location Isle of Sheppey, Kent, UK
Initial claim received: 15 April 2002, Detailed claim received: 25 April 2002, Ratified as a UK record 11 June 2002, Ratified as a World record 23 July 2002.
Class AL2T : Movable Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown with two persons / Thermal engine
Record Speed over a closed circuit of 100 km
Min. 188.87 Km/h (102 Kt) to beat this record.
World record
Performance 413.28 Km/h (224 Kt)
Date 18 Apr 2022
Pilot Niklas Anderberg (SWE)
Co-pilot Fredrik Lanz
Aircraft Blackwing Sweden AB BW 635 RG
Engine Rotax 915 iS
Location Landskrona (Sweden)
Class AL2T : Movable Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown with two persons / Thermal engine
Record Speed over a straight course
Min. 417.42 Km/h (226 Kt) to beat this record.

Fastest Paramotor (Horizontal speed)

UK record
Performance 77.3 Km/h (42 Kt)
Date 19 Sep 2015
Pilot Barry Holleran (GBR)
Aircraft Dudek Hadron
Engine Polini Thor 250
Location Earnley, West Sussex
Information from FAI
Class PF1Tm : Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown solo / Thermal engine / male
Record Speed over a closed circuit of 50 km
Min. 78.07 Km/h (43 Kt) to beat this record.
World record
Performance 80.55 Km/h (44 Kt)
Date 8 Apr 2012
Pilot Ryan D. Shaw (USA)
Aircraft Dudek Plasma
Engine Simonini Mini 2 EVO 230
Location Peoria, AZ (USA)
Class PF1Tm : Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown solo / Thermal engine / male
Record Speed over a straight course
Min. 81.36 Km/h (44 Kt) to beat this record.

Furthest Microlight (Distance)

UK record
Performance 896.79 Km (485 Nm)
Date 30 Sep 1987
Pilot Brian Milton and Peter Davis (GBR)
Aircraft 2 CFM Shadows
Engine Each 1 x Rotax 447
Location Southampton, Hampshire to Kirkwall, Orkney (UK)
Departed Southampton Airport at 0845, arrived Kirkwall 1615
Class AL1T : Movable Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown solo / Thermal engine
Record Distance in a straight line
Min. 905.76 Km (490 Nm) to beat this record.
World record
Performance 1369 Km (740 Nm)
Date 6 Sep 1988
Pilot Bernard D'otreppe (BEL)
Aircraft Aviasud Engineering Albatros
Engine 1 Rotax 377
Location Fréjus La Palud (France)
Class AL1T : Movable Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown solo / Thermal engine
Record Distance in a straight line
Min. 1382.69 Km (747 Nm) to beat this record.

Furthest Paramotor (Distance)

UK record
Performance 149.65 Km (81 Nm)
Date 6 Mar 2012
Pilot Michel Carnet (GBR)
Aircraft Dudek Nucleon 29 / Nirvana Instinct 200
Engine Simonini 200
Location Petersfield, UK
Observer Mark Morgan
Ratified as a World record
Class PF1Tm : Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown solo / Thermal engine / male
Record Distance in a closed circuit with limited fuel
Min. 151.15 Km (82 Nm) to beat this record.
World record
Performance 1105 Km (597 Nm)
Date 23 Apr 2007
Pilot Ramón Morillas Salmeron (ESP)
Aircraft Advance Omega 7
Engine PAP ROS 1450
Location Jerez, Cadiz (Spain) - Lanzarote, Canarias (Spain)
More info www.draconexion.com
Class PF1Tm : Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown solo / Thermal engine / male
Record Distance in a straight line
Min. 1116.05 Km (603 Nm) to beat this record.

Highest Microlight (Altitude)

UK record
Performance 7684m (25206 Ft)
Date 16 Mar 1984
Pilot Bob Calvert (GBR)
Aircraft Puma Sprint / Robin 3 Cyl
Location Peasington (UK)
Class WL1T : Weight-shift Control / Landplane / Flown solo / Thermal engine
Record Altitude
Min. 7915m (25962 Ft) to beat this record.
World record
Performance 9720m (31885 Ft)
Date 18 Sep 1994
Pilot Serge Zin (FRA)
Aircraft Air Création Norgil
Engine 1 Rotax 582
Location Saint-Auban (France)
Class WL1T : Weight-shift Control / Landplane / Flown solo / Thermal engine
Record Altitude
Min. 10012m (32842 Ft) to beat this record.

Highest Paramotor (Altitude)

UK record
Performance 6629m (21746 Ft)
Date 3 Oct 2015
Pilot Giles Fowler (GBR)
Aircraft Bailey Matrix / Ozone Viper3 26
Engine Bailey Hornet 160cc
Location Chatteris, Cambridgeshire
Observer Paul Bailey and Paul Mahoney
Class PF1Tm : Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown solo / Thermal engine / male
Record Altitude
Min. 6828m (22398 Ft) to beat this record.
World record
Performance 7589m (24895 Ft)
Date 19 Sep 2009
Pilot Ramón Morillas Salmeron (ESP)
Aircraft Advance Sigma 7
Location Hushe's Valey (Pakistan)
Class PF1Tm : Paraglider Control / Foot-launched / Flown solo / Thermal engine / male
Record Altitude
Min. 7817m (25642 Ft) to beat this record.
World records courtesy FAI. See the FAI website for the definitive list of World records, this listing last checked 27 Mar 2023. World record claims pending ratification are NOT included here.