About the Aeronautical Federation of Macedonia
The first aeronautical organizations in Macedonia were founded in 1923 in Skopje and Strumica. The first air show took place in fall 1926 on a nearby hill in Skopje, called Zajchev Rid. The first meeting of the Founding assembly of the Aeronautical society was held on 15th of January 1945. In the same year two gliders of the type “Ciling” were produced in the renewed aeronautical workshop
In April 1946 the Macedonian Government made a decision to establish a gliding union of Macedonia which later grows in to a State committee for aeronautics. The Aeronautical centre of the Republic was founded 1951. The centre had 30 gliders, 150 parachutes and 19 aeroplanes. The first Macedonian glider “Ilindenka” was constructed in 1955. ”Ilindenka” participated in many international contests in that period. The period between 1951 and 1956 was the “Golden age” for the development of aeronautics in Macedonia. Over 1800 modellers, 842 glider pilots, 222 aeroplane pilots and 85 instructors from all aeronautical branches were trained in that period.
From the rich base of the aeronautical personnel which was a respective indicator of the Aeronautical heritage of the Macedonian region, the Aeronautical union of Macedonia trained over 24.000 aero and rocket modellers, over 5000 skydivers, more then 3.200 glider pilots, over 800 aeroplane pilots and more then a hundred paraglider and hang-glider pilots.
In 2003 the Aeronautical union of Macedonia changes its name to Aeronautical Federation of Macedonia which is the only national federation that covers all aeronautical branches. Aeronautical federation of Macedonia is a member of Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) and it had the honour to have it’s own delegate to be elected twice for a vice president of this eminent world organization. After Republic of Macedonia gained independence, the Aeronautical Federation of Macedonia became a regular member of FAI on the General conference in Tel Aviv in 1993.
The first Office for aeronautical medicine was founded in 1993. The office determines the health condition of all of the aeronautical personnel in Republic of Macedonia.
With its organization and activities AFM includes: Aeronautical and rocket modelling, gliding, aeroplane flying, parachuting, ballooning, paragliding, hang-gliding, ultra-light aeroplane flying and aeroplane construction. The AFM participates in the organization of the state and international contests, aeronautical happenings for popularisation of the aeronautical sports, selection and preparation of the athletes for participation in international contests. The sport clubs which are members of the AFM work on selection, education and training of young people for the aeronautical sports, for the needs of commercial aviation, the Armed forces, the police and the government of the Republic of Macedonia.
The AFM with its members has five sport aero fields in Skopje, Kumanovo, Shtip, Prilep and Bitola. These five Aero clubs provide training of rocket and aeronautical modellers, glider pilots, skydivers and aeroplane pilots. The paraglide pilots are trained in the few paragliding clubs that are members of the AFM.
