This year’s El Yelmo International Festival of the Air will have a female focus, organisers say.
The 20th El Yelmo International Festival of the Air “will bring together some of the best international female pilots,” organisers said.
The festival, held each year in the Sierra de Segura, Andalucia, Spain, has invited a dozen female pilots from across the free flight world to take part.
They include Lydia Jaecques from Belgium, Karen Skinner from the UK, Helina Nieminen (Finland), Beatriz García (Spain), Emilia Plak (Poland), Cristine Mer (France), Emi Morota (Japan) and women’s acro world champion Cristina Kolb (Austria).
Organiser Ramón López said: “The festival will bring together the best paragliding and paramotor pilots worldwide and will have the largest number of women pilots in the history of the festival.
“It is a clear reflection that free flight has an increasing acceptance among women.”
He added: “In total, a dozen women who have important achievements, starred in aerial adventures or have broken records in different areas will be invited.”
They will join other high-level (male) pilots such as Paco Guerra, Javi Guerra, Vicente Palmero, Ramon Morillas, Nico Aubert, Veso Ocharov, Jack Pimblett, Víctor Rodríguez, Manu Tejeiro and David Tejeiro.
The El Yelmo International Festival of the Air focuses on Acro and paramotoring display flying, with a strong free flying XC element. There is also a trade show, film festival and social programme.
The 2019 festival runs 31 May to 2 June 2019.
