Served As The President Of The FAI Aerobatics Commission From 1986 to 2012

In mid-December, U.S. Advanced Aerobatic Team Captain, Jeff Petrocelli contacted Mike Heuer to let him know of the team pilots’ nomination for him to serve as the team’s manager. Although he had the team manager position on his “bucket list” of things to do in aerobatics, he was pleased and surprised to get the call.

Mike brings considerable FAI and CIVA experience to the table, which our teams strongly need to be successful. They require an experienced advocate on the championships site who knows the rules as well as all the personnel involved. Mike has worked with all of the WAAC contest officials in the past and believes he can be very effective while in the Czech Republic. The championships will be held in Hosín (LKHS) on August 6-15, 2020.

From 1986 to 2012, Mike served as the President of the FAI Aerobatics Commission (CIVA) and as a Vice President of Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. He served as U.S. Delegate to CIVA from 1984 to 2018. Well versed as a president and member of international juries at 27 World Aerobatic Championships, World Advanced Championships, and FAI special events from 1986 through 2014, Mike has a firm grasp on the rules and all the organizational details that go into a world championship.

Mike’s goal as team manager will be to relieve as much of the workload and stress on the pilots as possible as they must be free to focus on training and competing. This is key to our teams winning the Gold in future championships, a goal he knows everyone shares and to bring credit to the United States and IAC.

Mike will be working closely with team captain Jeff Petrocelli, who will speak for the pilots in planning for the championships, and Rob Holland who has been selected by the team to be their team coach. Rob brings many years of training and competition experience to the team as nine-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and a pilot on several teams. Training camps are planned this coming Spring in Union City, Tennessee prior to the team’s departure for Europe in late July.

The IAC Board of Directors has endorsed the Advanced Team’s choice of Mike Heuer as their team manager and fully support his efforts as team manager.

(Image provided with IAC news release. Pictured [L-R]: Mike Heuer and Rob Holland)

FMI: www.iac.org