FAI Environmental Codes of Conduct

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the world's air sports federation, issued an environmental policy statement in 1997 and an Environmental Codes of Conduct for its member organizations was produced in line with this policy. The codes includes the following measures (condensed):

Promotion of environmental awareness in air sports
The FAI is committed to protect the natural environment and to encourage its members to take environmental protection into account when practicing air sports. On behalf of all air sport practitioners, the FIA declares that:
-Everybody has a duty of care towards nature and the environment, but also has a right to enjoy the beauty of nature and to seek recreation in natural surroundings.
-Air sports are closely bound to nature and those who fly have a right to enjoy nature in their own way
-The air sport community therefore has an interest in maintaining and protecting the environment.
-Suitable areas need to be opened and maintained in sufficient numbers for the practice of air sports.

Understanding
Air sports people are aware of the need to maintain a balanced environment. All air sport participants have an influence on the environment through the use of land for airfields and access, the consumption of energy and the creation of waste, noise and emissions.
This means that we have to design our flying sites and conduct our operations with environmental awareness and sensitivity—not just by the organizers and providers of flying sites but with individuals, where responsibility for environmental awareness in air sports primarily lies.

Environmental information
Air sport participants should improve their knowledge about how natural phenomena inter-relate and about the effects of aviation activities on the natural environment.

Contact with the natural environment
Care must be taken in the use of natural resources, and open countryside must be treated with respect.

Landscaping and provision for wildlife on flying sites
Flying site infrastructure (airfield, parking areas, buildings) must be landscaped and maintained with provision for wild life where possible and appropriate.

Support for Environmental Protection Measures
Air sport participants should help to maintain and improve areas surrounding flying sites. The voluntary achievement of environmental objectives, instead of legislative restrictions, should be promoted.

Community Service "Eyes in the Sky"
Protected, endangered and threatened areas should be watched for possible damage

Conservation Volunteers
Each individual club should appoint a nature conservation and environmental representative.

FAI Action
The FAI is active in the promotion of environmental protection and nature conservation, in order to promote awareness, support environmental projects associated with air sport and demonstrate how air sports and their infrastructure make a positive contribution to the environment.
Actions dictate that flying sites should be laid out and operated in an environmentally sustainable fashion by employing energy-saving measures, and encouraging the introduction of appropriate new technologies. Environmentally threatening substances should be stored and handled properly. Permanent flying sites should be blended with the surroundings and grass and wild flowers allowed to grow on unused parts of the airfield. Temporary flying sites should be restored to a suitable environmental state when flying activities are terminated. Aircraft should be improved when economically feasible to keep pace with advances in energy and noise reduction.

To learn more about programs run by the FAI’s Environmental Commission, see
http://www.fai.org/environment/

LINK :
FAI