Olavi Rautio

Olavi Rautio had a passion for aviation, especially when it came to his favourite hobby of gliding. Rautio spent much of his teens gliding on the ice in the southern Finnish town of Kotka. By the 1940s he had begun a scholarship in Spain, which allowed him to spend time at the national gliding centre in Huesca. In 1949 he won a competition to stay in the air as long as possible, spending more than 13.5 hours in the crosswinds.

After competing in several World Cup competitions in Spain during the 1950s Rautio eventually returned home to Finland, founding the glider’s association in 1975. He was a member of the board of the Finnish Aviation Association from 1964 until 1989, with him serving as their chairman from 1978 to 1989. He was also involved with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), serving as the President of the organisation from 1990 to 1992. Rautio was then invited to become the honorary chairman of the Finnish Aviation Association in 1992.