Czechia crowned World Rally Flying Champions in Italy

Czech pilots Petr Jonáš and Marek Velát have claimed their third FAI World Rally Flying Championship title, leading Czechia to overall victory in both the overall and team standings at the 24th edition of the event in Ferrara, Italy.

Jonáš, 36, and Velát, 28, previously secured world titles in 2018 and 2023, and once again proved their status as one of the sport’s outstanding crews. Over four intensive competition days, they demonstrated consistency, accuracy and teamwork across all key elements of Rally Flying: flight planning, navigation, observation and precision landing.

Their performance placed them ahead of Poland’s Marcin and Michał Chrząszcz, who won silver, and fellow Czechs Lukáš Běhounek and Kryštof Bobek, who secured bronze. No other crews than the Czechs and the Polish placed in the top third across all four tasks, highlighting the dominance of the two nations.

Czechia also triumphed in the team competition, thanks to the combined efforts of its two medal-winning crews, ahead of Poland in second place and France in third.

Gold medallist Jonáš commented:

“We are incredibly proud to represent the Czech National Aeroclub and to bring home our third World Rally Flying Championship title from Ferrara — and, even more importantly, to win the Team Trophy for the Czech team once again after many years. We truly enjoyed the local atmosphere, the challenging tasks, and above all the great spirit of competition and friendship between nations. A huge thank you to everyone who supported us on this journey.”

FAI General Aviation Commission President Ralf Grunwald said:

“Rally Flying is like a treasure hunt in the skies, where crews rely on nothing more than their map, compass and teamwork. It demands skill, observation and composure, and Ferrara was the perfect place to test them. My thanks go to Competition Director Filippo Pappale and his wife Giovanna, as well as the whole organising team for delivering an outstanding Championship. My congratulations also go to the winners on their well-deserved victory, and to all participants for the remarkable team spirit they showed.”

The 24th FAI World Rally Flying Championship was organised by the Aero Club d’Italia and the Aero Club Ferrara, bringing together 42 crews from across the globe.

Results

Overall

Petr Jonáš / Marek Velát (CZE)
Marcin Chrząszcz / Michał Chrząszcz (POL)
Lukáš Běhounek / Kryštof Bobek (CZE)

Team

Czechia
Poland
France

Team – Champions