As the 20th FAI European Aerobatic Championships in Moravská Trebova (CZE) is coming up in August 2016, the powered aerobatic Champion, Mikhail Mamistov and his team Russia, is preparing for the competition. Having a busy schedule and focusing on all the arrangements, he took some time to have a little chat with us.

“I don’t feel ready yet, all pilots will probably say the same. I hope I will be ready – the competition is in a few weeks," he states with a smile. 
He explains that the Russian team comes to Moravská Trebova for preparation training every year. "The flight conditions are good from April to September and the airport offers a very good environment to prepare well. The runway and the maintenance are very good.”

Mikhail and his teammates are concentrating a lot on the Unknown Program, which is considered to be the most challenging and most interesting part. “We need extra practice to prepare for it. Obviously it is an advantage for us to train where the Championships will take place, as we already have the visual references.”

The Russian team will consist of nine pilots, including three women. The Russians are known to be a strong team, especially because they are very experienced. Mikhail himself has 33 years' experience as a pilot behind him. “We train together so we can share our knowledge and thus increase the level of performance of the whole team. We help each other,” he mentioned.

He is very much looking forward to the upcoming competition: “It is the main competition and we wait for it the whole year. We expect interesting flights and a fair and interesting competition.”

Mamistov's achievements

Mikhail has been involved in powered aerobatics since 1983. He is an Honoured Master of Sports of Russia and a very successful coach. He works within the CIVA sub-committees and trains aerobatic judges.

His achievements are unique as Mikhail is the only four-times overall European Champion, one of the three two-times overall World Champions in powered aerobatics and the only overall World Champion in powered and glider aerobatics. Besides that, he achieved other countless victories.

• Starting to compete in 1987 in National Championships.
• Overall World Champion: 1995 ,1997, 2000, 2001, 2003 - 2005, 2009, 2011.
• FAI World Air Games: Overall Champion in 1997 (TUR) and 2001 (Spain), 2009 (ITA) he won the silver medal.
• European Champion: 1996, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012.
• National Champion: 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010.
• FAI Grand Prix: 2002 - 2004

Find below a movie clip about Mikhail from last year for the 28th FAI World Aerobatic Championships in Châteauroux: