From 16 to 21 June 2026, the airport in Pobiednik Wielki hosted the latest edition of the prestigious precision flying competition – the 63rd Franciszek Żwirko South-West Poland Air Race. The Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków once again had the honour of being a partner of this event and the sponsor of a special prize.
The South-West Poland Flight is the world’s oldest aviation competition, dating back to 1929. Organized by the Kraków Aeroclub, it counts towards the Polish Airplane Cup rankings.
This year’s event featured 25 competitors – 24 representing nine sports clubs and one from the Swiss Confederation. Participants competed for points, piloting Cessna 150, Cessna 152, A22, and A23 aircraft.
Two events were held during the competition: the navigation event and the landing event.
Michał Wieczorek from the Kraków Aeroclub won the navigation event; second place went to Marcin Chrząszcz, representing the Lower Silesian Aeroclub, and third place to Krzysztof Skrętowicz from the Częstochowa Aeroclub.
Kamil Wieczorek, a member of the Kraków Aeroclub, won the landing competition. The remaining places on the podium were taken, in order, by Marcin Chrząszcz and Michał Wieczorek.
After the points from both events had been tallied, the winners of the 63rd South-West Poland Air Race were:
As is now tradition, the winner of the competition received a special prize sponsored by the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków. Tomasz Krzaczyński, Deputy Director for Administration and Investment, presented the prize on behalf of the institution.
The South-West Poland Air Race is an event with a history stretching back almost a century, inextricably linked to its patron, Franciszek Żwirko – the winner of the famous 1932 Challenge and a two-time winner of the Kraków competition. Every year, the competition is held to commemorate him and to highlight his extraordinary achievements.
The Polish Aviation Museum has been preserving the memory of Polish aviation history for many years. That is why we take great pride in participating in events that carry on this unique legacy. Our partnership in the competition organised by the Kraków Aeroclub is not only a way for us to support the aviation community, but also a means of fulfilling our educational mission.
Congratulations to the winners, participants and organisers – we’re already looking forward to the next edition of this extraordinary competition!
We invite you to view the photo gallery from the event:
photo: Adrian Król – member of the Council of the Polish Aviation Museum, vice-president of the Polish Aeroclub and Jarosław Dobrzyński from the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow
