Florent Oddon wins historic 3rd straight world aerobatic title
By Willie Bodenstein
Pictures supplied
10.09.2026
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French aerobatic pilot Florent Oddon has made history in spectacular fashion, becoming the first pilot to win three consecutive FAI World Aerobatic Championship titles.
Oddon sealed the record at the 33rd FAI World Aerobatic Championship in Mason City, Iowa, where he also helped France take the team title after two weeks of high-pressure competition against the world's best aerobatic pilots.
Held from 23 August to 2 September, the championship saw pilots from eight nations take to the skies above Iowa, flying highly demanding sequences within the confines of the 1 km³ aerobatic box.
Oddon came out on top in the overall individual standings with a score of 81.363%, with Romania's Romain Fhal taking silver on 79.425%. France's Mikaël Brageot completed the podium in third with 79.374%.
The victory adds to Oddon's world titles from 2022 and 2024, making him the first pilot in the 66-year history of the championship to win three consecutive individual titles.
But Oddon wasn't finished.
Freestyle finale
The championship's top 12 pilots then went head-to-head in the four-minute Final Freestyle, where the competitors were free to showcase their creativity and precision - with music or an audio track if they wished.
Once again, Oddon came out on top, scoring 81.270%.
Brageot made it a French one-two with 76.513%, while the USA's Jeff Boerboon claimed third on 76.021%.
For the French team, the success continued in the team standings. Oddon, Brageot and Sébastien Souchet combined to secure the gold medal ahead of the USA, represented by Craig Gifford, Boerboon and Aaron McCartan.
Romania took third, with Fhal joined by Vlad-Alexandru Popescu and Dan Stefanescu.
The result underlined the strength of the French aerobatic programme, which arrived in Iowa with a 10-strong team and benefited from a dedicated period of training in the USA ahead of the championship.
The French team later highlighted the commitment required to compete at this level, describing the results as a testament to the “hard work, dedication and passion” of everyone involved in the programme.
“This French Aerobatics team can count on a strong and close-knit squad for the coming years.”
How the championship works
Powered aerobatic competition is all about precision, preparation and the ability to perform under pressure.
Pilots begin with a Free Known sequence, combining five figures announced by the FAI Aerobatics Commission with five of their own choosing from the approved Aresti catalogue.
That is followed by three Free Unknown flights. Here, pilots are given a new sequence no less than 12 hours before flying it - and crucially, they are not allowed to practise the sequence beforehand.
The championship then culminates in the Final Freestyle, where the leading pilots have four minutes to put their own stamp on the sky.
For Oddon, those four minutes were enough to add another gold medal to an already remarkable championship record.
