Michael Goulian

Michael Goulian
Goulian in 2010
Born	(1968-09-04) September 4, 1968 (age 56) Winthrop, Massachusetts
Nationality	United States
Spouse	Karin Goulian
Website	mikegoulian.com

Michael George "Mike" Goulian (born September 4, 1968 in Winthrop, Massachusetts) is an American aerobatic national champion aviator who raced in the Red Bull Air Race World Series under the number 99.

Biography

Goulian racing in London in 2008

Goulian flying his Edge 540 at the 2017 Red Bull Air Race of Chiba

Goulian was born into an aviation business family, which founded Executive Flyers Aviation, one of the largest flying schools in the Northeastern United States in 1964. ^[1] Michael's father Myron Goulian (also known as "Mike") was an FAA examiner. Michael grew up by washing airplanes and sweeping the hangar floor. He learned to fly before he could drive a car and soloed in a Cessna 150 on his 16th birthday in 1984.

Inspired by the 1980 movie Cloud Dancer , ^[2] Goulian began his aerobatic training in 1985 during his pilot study. He then established an aerobatic school within Executive Flyers Aviation. While earning his living as a corporate airline pilot, Goulian worked his way toward the top ranks of air show display flying and competition aerobatics and became US National Champion in the Advanced Category at the age of 22, making him the youngest pilot ever to have won that competition. ^[3] In 1992, he was the top-ranked US male aerobatic pilot and Silver Medalist in the Unlimited Category, an achievement he repeated in 1993. In 1995, he became the US National Champion in the Unlimited Category. He was a member of the US Aerobatic Team in 1994, 1996 and 1998.

In 2006, Goulian was awarded the prestigious Art Scholl Memorial Award for airshow showmanship by the International Council of Airshows (ICAS).

Goulian is co-author of a series of books called Basic and Advanced Aerobatics, published by McGraw Hill, which became the industry standard for aerobatic flight training manuals.

He is the co-founder of two Bedford, Massachusetts, United States–based aviation companies: Linear Air, which offers air taxi services using very light jets and piston-powered aircraft, and Mike Goulian Aviation, which is a Cirrus aircraft training, management and rental company.

In 2021, AOPA named Goulian chairman of its Hat in The Ring Society, a philanthropic foundation that promotes aviation access, safety and education. ^[4]

He flies a Cirrus SR22T for his business and personal travels, ^[5] and is an avid skier, ice hockey player and golfer. He has been married to Karin Goulian since 2000, with whom he has one daughter: Emily (born 2006).

Racing record

Red Bull Air Race World Championship

2004-2010

Michael Goulian at the Red Bull Air Race World Series
Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Points	Wins	Rank
2004	DNP	DNP	4th										3	0	6th
2006	6th	9th	5th	CAN	DNS	4th	5th	5th	6th				11	0	5th
2007	7th	DNS	11th	7th	CAN	6th	DNS	9th	9th	9th	CAN	2nd	6	0	8th
2008	11th	5th	8th	CAN	7th	11th	8th	6th	CAN	10th			16	0	8th
2009	14th	14th	6th	1st	9th	11th							22	1	10th
2010	4th	11th	8th	6th	7th	13th	CAN	CAN					24	0	9th
Series not held between 2011 and 2013

2014-2019

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Points	Wins	Rank
2014	DNS	12th	12th	9th	12th	11th	10th	6th	3	0	12th
2015	12th	6th	4th	11th	9th	7th	9th	6th	13	0	10th
2016	5th	10th	13th	10th	4th	6th	10th	CAN	19.75	0	10th
2017	6th	8th	5th	12th	3rd	10th	14th	7th	28	0	9th
2018	1st	3rd	2nd	4th	2nd	12th	1st	8th	73	2	3rd
2019	3rd								21		3rd

Legend:

• CAN: Cancelled
• DNP: Did not participate
• DNS: Did not show
• DQ: Disqualified
• NC: Not classified

See also

• Competition aerobatics

References

1. "Executive Flyers Aviation celebrates 50 years". General Aviation News. 5 March 2014.
2. Phillip B. Wilson (October 13, 2017). "FAMILY TIES TO AVIATION HELPED AMERICAN GOULIAN TAKE OFF AS A WORLD-CLASS AEROBATIC PILOT". Red Bull Air Race. Retrieved June 3, 2022. What did get his attention was seeing the 1980 movie "Cloud Dancer" about a world champion aerobatic pilot played by actor David Carradine.
   "As a 17-year-old kid, that looked like an athletic thing in the sky, kind of a little dangerous, it looked cool," he said. "I started to take aerobatic lessons, and I just tell people I was too dumb to quit."
3. "Bremont Watch Company Teams Up with Mike Goulian". Mike Goulian Airshows. 25 July 2013.
4. Michael Goulian Named Chair of AOPA Foundation's Hat in The Ring Society AOPA. 11 March 2021.
5. "Cirrus Aircraft Announces 2014 Red Bull Air Race World Championship Sponsorship". PR Newswire. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2024.

External links

• Goulian Aerosports
• Mike Goulian Aviation
• 2018 article in The Boston Globe