The Absolute World Speed Record

Before WW1 there were no regulated distances or altitudes for absolute world speed records. Between 1920 and 1923 the regulated distance was 1 kilometre, at less than 100 meters above the ground. This course had to be covered four consecutive times, twice in each direction. 1923 – 1953 the regulated distance was extended to 3 kilometres, since the measured times got too short for accurate measurments with the equipment of the time - less than ten seconds. After 1953 a distance between 15 and 25 kilometres at any altitude was allowed as an alternative to the low-level 3 km runs. This course has to be covered twice in opposite directions. After 1955 all absolute world speed records have been set over a high-altitude 15/25 kilometre courses.

The Absolute Speed Records list also contains FAI homologated records for longer distances, when those records were faster than the contemporary Absolute records. Absolute records are indicated by bold font, while "non-absolute" records are indicated by normal font. Seaplanes are indicated by an asterisk (*).

You will notice that the exact speed figures might differ between this and other published record lists. We do not claim that this list is accurate in all respects, but the most accurate sources have been used, and the conversion between km/h and mph has been done to seven figures of accuracy. Even the FAI itself messed up the calculations a couple of times! Most of the data comes from works by Ferdinand Käsmann.

Record speed figures are usually given with several decimals in tables of this type. This is a rather ridiculous practice, since neither the distances or the times used for calculating the speeds have ever been measured to this accuracy. In order to give this accuracy distances would need to be measured to centimetres and times to ten-thousands of seconds. This has never been done. A reasonable accuracy for the figures is probably only to the nearest whole km/h or mph.