Welcome to the Aerobatic Championship - a competition for the finest aerobatic pilots in the world today. The Championship has been held under the auspices of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) since 1960 when it was first held in Bratislava, Slovakia. We return to Slovakia once again!

        My thanks to the Organizing of the XIX World Aerobatic Championship here in Trenčín. Organizing, managing and administering a competition of nearly 100 pilots from over 20 countries is never easy. There are hundreds of details to attend to and everything must come together at the last moment. The aerobatic community and CIVA appreciates your work.

        Aerobatics today is one of the most interesting and appealing of air sports. In the early years of aviation, aerobatics were meant to entertain crowds and to call attention to flying. Later, it became an important part in the training of all military pilots as it was not only used in combat but also helped a pilot perfect his flying skills. Today, it is a competitive sport in its own right and dozens of competition take place in many countries across the world. Aerobatics is a blend of human and machine - and competition the pilot's mastery of his airplane and the elements of wind and weather. Aerobatic competition - and in particular the World Championship - is clearly the arena for the world's finest pilots. May you all fly safe and well!

        To the many volunteers, officials and organizers, we thank you for your work and dedication. Without the tireless dedication and devotion of these many people to their duties, our sport would not exist. I dedicate this contest to them and also to the memory of many aerobatic pilots who have brought competition to the high levels it enjoys today.

         Allow me, at the occasion of the 19th World Aerobatic Championship to invite you in the name of the organizers at the Trenčín airport. This event is the peek of the aviation sport season not only in the year 1998 but also of the quite long period after which we managed to gain the right to organize the most valuable competition in aerobatic. The prove fir it is the fact that from August 11th to 24th, 1998 we will be hosting the absolutely best pilots competing in aerobatic and representing 21 countries from all continents. Not only holders of the world champion title from the last year are going to take part but also vice champions and competitors who in last year gained leading positions. I believe that the maximal effort the organizers put into the preparation of a quality competition in terms of sport as well as social activities will lead to a successful event which will satisfy the participants and the viewers.

         At the same time I would like to thank for help and support the co-organizers of the event and the partners, mainly the Slovak Defence Forces, Ministry of Education of the Slovak republik, Trenčín Aircraft Repair Plant, s.c., joint-stock companies Coca-Cola, DMD Holding, Matador Púchov, MOL Rt., PKB, Slovak insurance and others.

         I wish you a nice experience. Wish luck together with us to the Slovak representation. I wish all competitors a lot of sport successes.

         Director of the competition Ľubomír Hlaváč