Abstract

Analysing the controversial definition of French autonomous flight shows how new values spread within the Californian sport of the 1970s. The transition from Californian hang-gliding to French autonomous flight seems to contribute to the Californian history of sport. This explains the complex working process introducing, spreading and justifying the new modalities of this sport. The first part of this article characterises Californian sport and looks at its role as a "counter culture" in the history of sport. Using a study of various pilots the article continues to show how the values that they defend contribute to the definition of the ethics of the autonomous flight. Finally the article deals with the double contradiction between autonomous flight and hang-gliding: on the one hand autonomous flight is only slightly regulated but often taxed by the centralist French state, on the other hand American hang-gliding is strictly organised in the home-country of liberalism and free economy. The sporting counter culture to autonomous flight does not occupy a signifi-cant position after breaking radically with the model of sporting competitions. It stays in contact with this model and finally contributes to its development. The extent and endurance of this development, which becomes visible not only within the new Californian activity but also in various older sports, finally show that there is a real transformation cycle – an upward trend in this sport or even sociological changes. Verf.-Referat