Great excitement, spectacular races in the sky and a sporting success that will be remembered for a long time – that is how the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix qualifiers concluded, held from 21 to 31 May 2025 at the airfield in Nowy Targ. The Polish Aviation Museum was proud to be one of the partners of this prestigious event, and the Museum Director, Tomasz Kosecki, had the honour of presenting the winners with special prizes funded by our institution.
A local champion’s triumph and an organisational success
The winner of this year’s qualifiers was Stanisław “Stacho” Biela – a pilot from the Podhale region, a member of the Nowy Targ Aero Club and one of the brightest figures in Polish gliding. By advancing to the finals of the 12th edition of the Sailplane Grand Prix, to be held in St. Auban, France, he proved that the Polish school of flying still ranks among the world’s best.
Second place went to Gintas Zube from Lithuania, and third to Sebastian Kawa, who, however, did not stand on the podium as he was forced to make an outlanding near Mount Klak and did not make it back in time for the award ceremony.
It is worth emphasising that the competition organised by the Nowy Targ Aero Club was the first event of this rank at the Podhale airfield in decades. Despite organisational challenges, the event proceeded successfully, and competitors from Poland, Austria, Germany, France, Slovenia, Slovakia and Lithuania praised the high organisational standard and the atmosphere of the event.
Gliding – a Polish speciality and heritage
Gliding is a unique sport with deep roots in Poland. Our country can boast both outstanding pilots and designers who have written themselves into the pages of world aviation history. The Polish Aviation Museum has been nurturing this heritage for years – both in its educational and exhibition spaces.
It is precisely in this spirit that the Museum’s new permanent exhibition is being created – “With the Wind and Against the Wind. Civil Aviation”, whose opening is planned for Sunday, 24 August 2025, as part of the Polish Aviation Day celebrations.
Among the unique exhibits will be, among others, historic gliders: the Żaba (Frog), Wrona (Crow), PW-5 Smyk (prototype), S-1 Swift (prototype), as well as the IS-4 Jastrząb (Hawk) – a design that reached a staggering speed of 450 km/h in a dive!
Our goal is to showcase the beauty and diversity of civil aviation in Poland, with particular emphasis on the role of gliding as a sport that combines technology, imagination and piloting skill.
Once again, we congratulate the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix winners and keep our fingers crossed for Stanisław Biela in the finals in France. We thank the Nowy Targ Aero Club for their excellent cooperation and invite all aviation enthusiasts to visit our Museum!
In the meantime, we invite you to view the photo gallery from the qualifiers at the Nowy Targ Airfield:
Photos by Sara Straszek, Nowy Targ Aero Club
