The world’s oldest aviation competition is behind us! From Thursday to Saturday, we had the opportunity to cheer on Polish aviators at the 60th South-Western Poland Flight. The event was organised by the Kraków Aeroclub, which this year celebrates the 95th anniversary of its founding, and took place at the airfield in Pobiednik Wielki near Kraków. It was a unique occasion to celebrate not only the pilots’ successes but also the rich history of the Kraków Aeroclub, which for nearly a century has contributed to the development of aviation in Poland.
The undisputed winner was Michał Wieczorek, the current world champion in precision flying. This was already his fourth victory in this competition (previously in 2015, 2016 and 2018), which allowed him to match the achievements of Bolesław Radomski from the Pomeranian Aeroclub. The current leader in terms of victories is still Janusz Darocha from the Częstochowa Aeroclub, but after winning the 60th South-Western Poland Flight, Michał Wieczorek is hot on his heels.
On Saturday, the navigation competition took place. It lasted one hour and 15 minutes, and the pilots had to fly a scenic route over localities such as Igołomia, Bochnia, Brzesko, Dobczyce and Niepołomice, in hilly terrain south of the Vistula River. The pilots’ task was to identify 10 photographs and 11 signs. Weather conditions were demanding, with strong wind, which only increased the level of difficulty of the navigation challenge.
Michał Wieczorek, who was already in the lead after the first day, expressed satisfaction with his fourth victory in this prestigious event. In the final classification, he beat his club colleague Kamil Wieczorek and Marcin Chrząszcz from the Wrocław Aeroclub.
The official closing ceremony took place on Saturday afternoon — approximately 150 people attended. Among the guests were: the Director of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków, Tomasz Kosecki, the President of the Polish Aeroclub, Jerzy Makula, former competitors of the Kraków Aeroclub, including Edward Popiołek, and Kraków aviation seniors. During the ceremony, prizes were awarded to the best competitors. Director Tomasz Kosecki presented a special award for the “Best Competitor of the Kraków Aeroclub”.
We congratulate all participants on their effort and commitment, and wish the winners continued success in future competitions.
