Video • Team Bios • Photo Gallery
august 29 - closing ceremonies
Chaeteau de Valencay was the site of the WAC closing ceremony.
A toast to Team USA and the Bronze!
Our congratulations to US Team for its outstanding performance, resilience, perseverance, and dedication to the sport -- as well as their outstanding sportsmanship!
Peggy Riedinger (Assistant Judge) and Marty Flournoy (USA Judge)
August 29 - 4 minute free Programe
Congratulations to Rob Holland, now a Three-time 4-Minute Freestyle Gold Medalist. This is a record for most number of times won, let alone in a row! We're proud of you Rob!
This was Holland's third consecutive victory in this program at which he really excels and scored almost 300 points ahead of the second place pilot, Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic. Holland flew his MXS in the competition after shipping it via cargo aircraft to Europe earlier in the month.
FAI and CIVA medals were presented during the closing ceremonies and awards banquet.
Full results can be found at www.civa-results.com.
AUGust 28 - Flight awards
Congratulations to Melissa Pemberton for winning the Silver Medal in the women's division in the Known Programme at WAC. Medals for the flight programs were presented today in Chateauroux. Closing ceremonies and other trophies and awards will be tomorrow night at a chateau near the airfield. Melissa is shown with Guy Auger, Contest Director of the WAC.
August 28 - Competition Day 9
WAC organizers have now notified everyone that the 2nd Free Unknown (Programme 4) at WAC
has been canceled. This means the WAC is now complete.
The Four Minute flights (known in CIVA rules as the "Final Freestyle" or Programme 5) will be flown tomorrow morning in Chateauroux. A huge airshow is also planned for tomorrow and the organizers expect to attract over 20,000 spectators. The US Team won the Bronze in the team competition. Because of insufficient female entries in the competition, the teams became "mixed gender" which added Aude Lemordant to the French team results and Svetlana Kapanina to the Russian team results. The following images show the top twenty placings in the overall, combined results and the team results. Be sure to go to www.civa-results.com for complete information and scores.
The top 50% will be flying the 2nd Free Unknown today. Congratulations to 5 USA team members who made the cut - Goody Thomas, Rob Holland, Jeff Boerboon, Melissa Pemberton and Brett Hunter. GO USA!
The WAC organizers just announced via Twitter that the flying of Programme 3 (the 1st Free Unknown) should finish in about an hour (approximately 18.15 central European time). We then look forward to the results.
august 27 - competition Day 8
The WAC is now underway again after weather delays this morning. Low ceilings plagued the event today but flying has now resumed with the remaining 18 pilots scheduled to fly Free Unknown #1 (Programme 3). Some of the top-ranked pilots are to fly this afternoon including Alexandre Orlowski and Aude Lemordant. The first pilot was in the air at about 14.00 local time in Chateauroux. The programme should finish today. One of the links on the www.civa-results.com page are images of the Free Unknowns each pilot will fly. Click on the pilot's name to see the sequence. Only one American, Mark Nowosielski is left to fly the Free Unknown today.
The competition this morning was slow getting going, the cloud base was at 420 m and the regulatory minimum limit is 800 m. But some sunny intervals and the cloud ceiling is getting higher, the Free Unknown Programme I should continue pretty soon. 11:30GMT.
The draw for the Free Unknown Programme II has been carried out.
Follow the action and view some nice photography on the WAC2015 Facebook page;
https://www.facebook.com/WAC2015France/
Images posted by the organizers at: https://www.facebook.com/WAC2015France/
August 26 - competition Day 7
The Free Unknown Programme I is in progress. 37 of the 58 competitiors have scores posted this evening:
https://www.civa-results.com/2015/WAC_2015/flight31.htm
At the moment Jeff Boerboon, Rob Holland and Brett Hunter are in the top ten scores for this Free Unknown.
Jeff Boerboon on the ramp walking through the Free Unknown 1 Programme.
Photo posted by the organizers.
August 25 - competition day 6
The competitors submitted their figures for the Free Unknown Programme II today.
Results are now "official" for the Free Programme. Flying for the Free Unknown Programme I
began today with Americans; Brett Hunter, Goody Thomas, Melissa Pemberton, Michael Gallaway
and Benjamin Freelove all getting their turn in the box. See today's results here:
https://www.civa-results.com/2015/WAC_2015/flight31.htm
Check out www.civa-results.com for more details, where you will also see the
sequences each pilot has chosen for the Free Unknown on one of the pages the
WAC organizers have placed on the site.
Patty Wagstaff, three-time US National Aerobatic Champion and former member
of the US Team stopped by Chateauroux today to offer her best wishes to the team.
August 24 - competition day 5
Today's local paper says: "The weather disrupts the flights."
And that is referring to yesterday's rain delay. Sunday's competition did get underway around 4pm and continued until sunset at 8:15pm in order to make up for the lost time. Normal conclusion of flights is 7pm. The Free program is quite far along, with only 18 of 58 pilots still to fly.
https://www.civa-results.com/2015/WAC_2015/default.htm
Monday woke to high winds, forecast from 30kt to gusts up to 60kt. When the winds bend the windsock pole, the organizers are right to call a no-fly day. By evening the winds had subsided to 20kt.
Tuesday's forecast is for continuing breezy but moderated at 6-12kt.
The first Free Unknown sequences were all submitted yesterday and pilots have now chosen the
sequence they will fly. For your viewing pleasure and info, click on the Sequence "J" below.
-- the sequence all US Team pilots plan to fly.
The organizers posted the picture on the right of the Coke cans, "Only plane of the day ! Each can
hides the number for the unknown program order."
August 23 - competition day 4
After a night of storms and rain, the pilot briefing did not take place until 11 am,
with no scheduled flights in the morning. According to USA Assistant Judge, Peggy Riedinger
there was some flying and the last competition flight for the day ended at about 8:00pm.
They are hoping to get as many flights done as possible before predicted high winds on Day 5
Low clouds and wind in the morning. Photo by Peggy Riedinger
Sunshine after the rain. Photo by Benjamin Freelove
The late Sunday afternoon flying draws a large crowd. Photo by the organizers.
August 22 - competition: Day 3
Free Unknown selection -- Always a time of high excitement. Jeff Boerboon and Goody Thomas (US Team Captain) taking their turn at the whiteboard to submit the USA's figure.
Teams submitted figures for the first Free Unknown. Below is the American figure, the highest K of all submitted. The figure list is also shown below. Teams must now submit sequences to the International Jury for checking and eventual publication. Pilots will then choose which of the Free Unknowns they will fly.
The Known Compulsory flights were completed and 17 pilots flew the Free Programme. Flying stopped tonight with Melissa Pemberton of the USA last to fly.
Results can be seen here: https://www.civa-results.com/2015/WAC_2015/default.htm
August 21 - Competition: Day 2
At the end of flying on Friday, the Known program is 2/3 complete, with 38 flights completed out of 58 competitors. Saturday will see the remaining 20 pilots fly, followed by the start of the Free program.
Keep up to date on Team USA's latest results at:
https://www.civa-results.com/2015/WAC_2015/default.htm
Here is Mike "Spanky" Gallaway flying his Known sequence.
August 20 - Competition: Day 1 and OPening Ceremonies
Parade of Nations in the city center - the Town Hall Square
See the full compeition schedule here: http://wac2015.fr/program/
The 28th world aerobatics competition officially got
underway today in Chateauroux, France.
In the morning general briefing, after receiving the usual
orientation and flight brief, competitors randomly drew
bottles of "beer," actually a non-alcoholic malt beverage,
from a table which indicated their first order of flight on
the bottom of the bottle.
There are a total of 58 competitors this year. Rob
Holland and Mark Nowosielski will be the first
Team USA competitors to fly having drawn 17
and 18 respectively.
Once underway, six flights were completed before
flying suspended for the day, so all competitors
could attend the Opening Ceremonies Thursday
evening in central Chateauroux.
Follow the results daily here:
https://www.civa-results.com/2015/WAC_2015/flight11.htm
Offical USA Unlimited Team Photos - Evan Peers
US Aerobatic Team's new team coin
August 19 - Last day of practice
Practice day at WAC
"We are all flying at a very high level . Best I have ever seen. Hard work , but very much worth it."
Michael Gallaway
August 16: US Unlimited team in Chateauroux for registration
The US Unlimited Team was first in line to begin registering for the World Aerobatic Championships in Chateauroux, France. The pilots are shown here in the contest office. Also shown at his laptop is Contest Director Guy Auger. Guy is a wonderful and cooperative gentlemen and has treated us well -- also shown below is the large group of French volunteers working the event.
August 16 - Pushing out for practice
The US Team pilots have all completed their final practice flight in the box at Chateauroux. The French are employing tablets on the judging line this year so we hope that scores will be posted even faster than in years past. Updates on the US Unlimited Aerobatic Team Facebook page will be photos and videos posted by Team members.
Offical USA Unlimited Team Photos - Evan Peers
AUgust 12: Practice site in Albert, France
Reigning World Aerobatic Champion Francois Le Vot stops by and visits some of the US Team pilots in Albert, France, their practice site last week. Team Captain Goody Thomas reports that all team aircraft are now in Chateauroux. Practice in the WAC box begins on August 16th.
Left to right: Mike Ciliberti, Goody Thomas, Melissa Pemberton, Francois Le Vot, and Rob Holland.
Left to Right; Coco, Mike G., Melissa, Mark, Brett, Goody, Ben, Rob, Jeff and Mike C.
August 3: arrival in albert, france
The team poses for a group photo in Albert, France after what was surely a long day -- Monday, August 3rd. Good to see all the airplanes there, safe and sound, after long journeys in cargo holds of ships and aircraft. Go Team!
July 31: Shipping airplanes
US Unlimited Team pilots Goody Thomas, Jeff Boerboon, and Ben Freelove are now in Albert, France after arriving in Europe on June 29th. Three of the team airplanes have arrived by container -- Goody's Extra 330SC, Jeff's Extra 330SC, and Brett's MXS. They are now being assembled in Albert, where the team will practice over the next couple of weeks before proceeding to the WAC contest site in Chateauroux. The 28th FAI World Aerobatic Championships begins on August 20th but the team will arrive a few days beforehand to get practice in the actual contest box. Goody reports everyone in Albert is working hard to get the airplanes together and the 330SC's were 90% assembled by tonight and they expect to fly tomorrow.
june 29: Team Prepares to Head to France
The time is drawing near when eight pilots from across the USA will travel to Chateauroux, France and compete for gold medals and trophies at the 28th FAI World Aerobatic Championships. This competition, known as the WAC, has been dominated in recent years by the Russian and French teams. This year however, the USA brings one of the youngest and most talented teams ever assembled with an internationally recognized coach and an experienced team manager to bring the gold back home to the USA - a feat not accomplished since 1988.
The team has been busy at various locations around the USA attending IAC regional contests and holding training camps. In June, team members were hosted by IAC Chapter 124 in Kokomo, Indiana for a training camp with Claude (Coco) Bessiere. Coco won the world championship in the Unlimited category in 1990 in Yverdon (Switzerland). He was an ENAC (École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile) instructor until 2012, and he has coached France’s Advanced and Unlimited team for more than two decades. He is widely regarded in the international aerobatic world as the finest coach on the planet.
Jan. 4: New Logo and Updated Web Site
The US Unlimited Aerobatic Team as well as the International Aerobatic Club have new logo designs. The website has also been updated and new information about your favorite team members is now available.
