At the IAC’s fall board meeting, November 12, the contest director and the location and dates of the 2022 U.S. National Aerobatics Championships were approved by the IAC board of directors. Mike Heuer IAC #4 was approved as contest director and the U.S. Nationals will once again be held in Salina, Kansas on October 2-7, 2022.
Mike’s aerobatic career started in 1965 when he attended the Antique Airplane Association’s annual fly-in in Ottumwa, Iowa and witnessed one of the few aerobatic contests that were in existence at that time. It spurred him on to learn aerobatics and he flew his first contest in Monroe, Louisiana in 1968 in a Ryan ST-A. Over the years, he competed in Sportsman through Advanced categories in a Pitts S-1S, Pitts S-2B and an Extra 230.
In late 1969, Mike’s father Bob Heuer and some of the other area United Airlines pilots decided a new aerobatic club was needed in the country and the term “grassroots aerobatics” was coined during early discussions. Bob was the first IAC president remaining in office for two terms. When he announced running again for president, Verne Jobst was talked in to serving as president. Much to Mike’s surprised he was nominated to be Verne’s vice president at the IAC annual meeting.
Since that time Mike has served as IAC president from 1981 through1990 and again from 2014 to 2018. In 2001 Mike was inducted into the IAC’s International Aerobatics Hall of Fame.
An airline pilot for nearly thirty years, he retired in 2007 and devoted most of his time since to IAC and sports aviation activities and served as President of CIVA for 26 years as well. He has served on the IAC board as President, Vice President, and Treasurer for over 17 years. He also served as Sport Aerobatics editor and as Executive Director for a time.
Mike has continued his work as IAC’s historian. He brings with him previous U.S. Nationals experience when he served as the Assistant Contest director in 2018 for the U.S. Nationals which were held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Mike has the full support and encouragement of the IAC board of directors and the club is looking forward to a successful event in October 2022.
Updates and details can be found on the Nationals webpages here: www.iac.org/us-national-aerobatic-championships
