Today the U.S. Advanced Aerobatic Team, led by team manager Mike Heuer, officially withdrew from the 2021 World Advanced Aerobatic Championships.
"The USA's support for international aerobatic competition is unwavering, but the international sanctioning body, CIVA, came up with a plan that was entirely incompatible with the needs of the U.S. Team," said IAC President Jim Bourke. "Our team could not work with the changing contest dates or venues which made it impossible to ship planes nor could they arrange to have a coach present at the contest. One by one our team members left the team feeling discouraged. I've asked the IAC's CIVA delegate, Mike Gallaway to express our profound disappointment and feelings of discouragement at the next CIVA plenary, and to protest the transformation of what should be a world event into an event that is run entirely by and for teams from continental Europe. My thanks to everyone on the U.S. Team for the amazing effort they put forward this year. They may not find a place on the podium but they served their country well."
