Seven organizations are members of the Aero Club of Canada (ACC). They are as follows:

• Aerobatics Canada (AC)
• Canadian Balloon Association (CBA)
• Canadian Sport Parachuting Association (CSPA)
• Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada (HPAC)
• Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC)
• Soaring Association of Canada (SAC)
• Ultralight Pilots Association of Canada (UPAC)

A sporting licence from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale / World Air Sports Federation (FAI) is required if you enter competitions in Canada in which you or your team may be setting a national or world record; competing in World Championships outside Canada; or for those who wish to accumulate points towards a world-ranking in FAI sanctioned competitions. This licence is required in order to participate and for any of these records or rankings to be recognized by the international federation.

Please reach out to your association to determine which records you are eligible to compete for. All associations have records specific to their Canadian air sport fully documented. For international records, you can check the FAI website at www.fai.org. A record must be a Canadian record first before you can apply for a world record.

First, you must be a current member of one of the seven associations listed above. You must be a Canadian citizen or a resident of Canada for at least 185 days annually. You cannot hold a licence for two countries at the same time. You must study the sporting code as posted on the FAI site at www.fai.org.

The CSPA and MAAC request that their association members send their applications directly to their main offices rather than to the ACC office.

The fee is $75, payable by cheque, to Aero Club of Canada, or check your online banking for e-transfer capabilities. Send e-transfers to [email protected].

The CSPA and MAAC also accept credit cards. The expiry date for your sporting licence is Dec. 31 each year. It is advised that you don’t wait until the last minute to apply. Failure to obtain your sporting licence could let your whole team down so get it done as soon as possible.

If you think you have set a world record, your first step is to visit the FAI website at  www.fai.org. Please check the records listed in your category. The FAI website lists the procedure for record attempts and has the accompanying downloadable documents which must be submitted. You will then advise the applicable Aero Club of Canada member association (as listed on this site) immediately, as we only have seven days to register your attempt with the FAI. 

Use the PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF A NEW WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT form. Your member association will verify and then forward your dossier to the Aero Club headquarters, within the allowable 120 days. The fee is currently 100 Swiss Francs, which will be billed to the ACC and we will, in turn, send the bill to your member association, who will collect it from you.

The Canadian Sport Aeroplane Association (CSAA) is presently inactive but ACC is hoping a group will come forward to reactivate it in the near future.