Red Bull Air Race

Michael Goulian surprised the favourites and a lot of people with his first career victory in Budapest - but not himself. The affable American always knew he had the right stuff to get on top. Goulian is likely to be among the top contenders in 2010 with his greatly improved speed and newfound focus. The man from Massachusetts had struggled in the second tier for most of his four-year career before finally getting everything out of his Edge 540 and breaking through to the top with a brilliant performance in Hungary.

When he is on top of his game, Goulian is a master in the track with a delightful aggressive yet elegant flying style. He excels when he focuses on his own race and does not worry about the lines other pilots are flying. His team worked hard to improve aerodynamics and engine power. Always friendly, Goulian has a competitive streak that won’t be satisfied until he has more podiums and wins.

He is the co-author of an aerobatic flight training manuals entitled “Basic and Advanced Aerobatics”. An avid skier and ice hockey player, the man with the infectious optimism is one of the fittest pilots in the race. The AC/DC fan is remarkably resilient, able to bounce back from 14th place and zero points in San Diego to 1st and 12 points two races later.

Goulian grew up around airplanes and started flying as a teenager in high school. He took his first solo flight on his 16th birthday. His family owns one of the largest flying schools in Northeast. At 22 he became the U.S. National Champion in the Advanced category. He joined the U.S. National Aerobatic Team in 1994 and was the U.S. National Champion in the Unlimited category in 1995.

THE TEAM

It’s an all-new team setup for American pilot Goulian in 2010. Recent graduate Jennifer Staretorp joins as team coordinator while long serving tech Dennis Sawyer switches teams to Goulian this year. Five seasons on the race circuit have given Sawyer plenty of time to really hone his skills – in addition to a long career in general aviation engineering. Highly regarded as both a pilot and tech, Sawyer was part of the 2007 championship winning team and more recently, helped rookie Matt Hall to finish in third place in his first season. His technical knowledge, race experience and industry connections will be a huge asset to Goulian in 2010.