Three Swiss receive a Paul Tissandier Diploma
Every year, the FAI honors individuals and groups who have distinguished themselves through their outstanding commitment and great passion for air sports. The award ceremony took place on October 22 in Vantaa, Finland. Yves Burkhardt, Andy Hunziker and Fredi Andrist were honored with the Paul Tissandier Diploma for their achievements.
The annual FAI Awards Ceremony is a highlight of the air sports calendar, recognizing the achievements of athletes, aviators, innovators and experts from around the world with FAI diplomas and medals. The ceremony also marked the start of the FAI General Conference, which was hosted this year by the Finnish Aeronautical Association.
He made ballooning famous in Switzerland
"It is a great honor for me to receive this FAI award," said Andy Hunziker as he accepted the Paul Tissandier Diploma. He received it for his decades of commitment to promoting ballooning in Switzerland, his national and European titles, his pilot training, his Alpine records and the construction of the world's largest hot-air balloon. He owes the nomination to his first apprentice pilot and current president of the Vordemwald balloon group. " I wanted to be a pilot from an early age, inspired by my mother. During my 45-year career as a professional pilot, I flew the first giant balloons with 20 passengers over Switzerland. The high mountain crossings with 12 passengers were like expeditions. They lasted 4 to 7 hours and led from Bern over the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau to the Matterhorn and on to Turin in Italy," says the passionate balloon pilot. Through his numerous television appearances, he brought ballooning closer to the whole of Switzerland. Hunziker is certain: "It was the only way I could get many young people interested in ballooning and train them to become pilots. Even after 50 years, ballooning over the Emmental still fascinates me."
Athlete and functionary
Fredi Andrist has been an active and successful sportsman for many years and is also an official at several levels of the Swiss Model Flying Association. He has been very active and successful both nationally and internationally in the FAI categories F1A, B and E for decades. In the F1E category, he has won a runner-up world championship title and two runner-up European team championship titles, as well as countless victories in Swiss championships and various international competitions. He has also celebrated many successes as team manager of the Swiss national free flight teams, including several world and European championship titles. He is highly regarded as an organizer of national and international competitions. Andrist has also served the association for decades as president and specialist member of the Free Flight Sports Commission, as head of finance and financial auditor of the Swiss Model Flying Association (SMV).
Commitment to air sports
The third Paul Tissandier Diploma to be awarded to a Swiss this year goes to an aviator who has made a strong contribution to light aviation across all disciplines. Yves Joel Burkhardt, who retired from active professional life and as Secretary General of the AeCS in the spring, has been active in Swiss air sports and model flying since 1972. After basic training in gliding, he dedicated his life to model flying and was President of the Swiss Model Flying Association from 1999 to 2011. He has been a member of the AeCS Central Board since 1997, first as Chief Financial Officer, then as Vice President, and from December 2012 to April 2025 he managed the business of the AeCS as Secretary General. He not only made an important contribution to the promotion of air sports at national level, but also represented Switzerland at international level. He was Vice President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and campaigned for air sports worldwide. He was Chairman of the Organizing Committees for the FAI F4 Scale World Championships 2018 and the IJMC Jet World Masters 2013, both held in Meiringen, and served on the organizing committees of other Model Flying World Championships and European Championships in Switzerland in 2000 and 2007. Yves began his aviation career as a model airplane pilot and was successful in competitions, including the Swiss Cup Team Glider Towing event. He was made an honorary member of the Swiss Model Flying Association for his services to model flying.
The AeCS warmly congratulates the honorees and thanks them for their valuable work!
Andy Hunziker at the award ceremony. Picture FAI