Cirrus Aircraft Announces 2014 Red Bull Air Race World Championship Sponsorship

DULUTH, Minn., Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cirrus Aircraft announced it has become a Team Supporter of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship for the 2014 season. Cirrus will support Team Goulian, the Red Bull Air Race Championship team led by acclaimed air racer and aerobatic pilot, Michael Goulian. This sponsorship builds on the existing partnership between Cirrus Aircraft and Goulian.

"We are very excited to renew our involvement with the Red Bull Air Race," said Todd Simmons, Executive Vice President Sales, Marketing and Customer Support at Cirrus Aircraft. "This Championship is one of the most exciting sporting events in the world. The passion, energy and excitement at these races is something that every Cirrus owner dreams about. We're very proud to be a part of it, to bring the series to Cirrus owners and customers in a unique way and to expand our support of Michael Goulian and his team."

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship will be back in the skies in February 2014 with a full eight-race World Championship staged in seven countries on three continents. The return of the world's fastest motor sport series was announced last October. The first race will take place in Abu Dhabi February 28 and March 1.

"Having Cirrus Aircraft as a partner is tremendous for us," said Michael Goulian. "Cirrus is a very strong supporter of our Cirrus flight training center, Executive Flyers Aviation, in Boston, MA. I fly a Cirrus for my personal and business travel as well and have grown to admire its safety systems and performance. The innovation speaks to the company's commitment to aviation. Having Cirrus be a part of our air race team is a perfect fit for us, for Cirrus Aircraft and for the Red Bull Air Race."

Cirrus will support Team Goulian for all eight races in the 2014 series and is planning to have a high profile presence at race events in Ascot, England; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Las Vegas, Nev.; and the last race of the year in the Peoples Republic of China.

ABOUT MICHAEL GOULIAN
Michael Goulian was born into an aviation business family and one of the biggest flying schools in the northeastern United States. Having learned to fly before he could drive a car, he became the youngest pilot ever to win the National Advanced Aerobatic Championship in 1990 at the age of 22. Michael is now a veteran air show performer with more than 20 years of experience performing in front of audiences all over the world. Goulian reached the highest level of success in aerobatic competition in 1995, when he won the U.S. National Unlimited Aerobatic Championship. He later achieved further global popularity competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship starting in 2005. As an air show superstar, Goulian has received all three of the industry's most prestigious awards: the ICAS Sword of Excellence, the Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship Award, and the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship. Goulian flies a Cirrus SR22 Turbo as his personal aircraft. The Goulian family's flight training center in the Boston area is one of a select group chosen to take part in Cirrus Aircraft's Jump Start flight training initiative featuring the Cirrus SR20 as the flight training platform for students of all levels.

ABOUT CIRRUS AIRCRAFT
Cirrus Aircraft is a recognized leader in general aviation. Its all-composite line of personal aircraft - the SR20, SR22 and the turbocharged SR22T - incorporate innovative and advanced performance, electronic and safety technologies, including Cirrus Perspective™ by Garmin^® avionics and the unique Cirrus Airframe Parachute System™ (CAPS). To date, total time on the worldwide Cirrus Aircraft SR-series fleet surpassed five million flight hours with 86 lives saved as a direct result of CAPS being a standard safety feature on all Cirrus aircraft. The Cirrus Vision SF50 jet, with over 550 production positions reserved, will provide a new personal and regional business transportation solution: the personal jet. All Cirrus aircraft are made in the U.S. with a direct sales force in North America and authorized sales centers covering export markets in 60 countries around the world. Cirrus Aircraft is wholly owned by China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co., Ltd (CAIGA). For additional information on Cirrus and its products please visit cirrusaircraft.com.

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SOURCE Cirrus Aircraft