Page 16 - July18T

PHOTO COURTESY OF PREDRAG VUCKOVIC
WHO:
Kirby Chambliss
Owner,
Team Chambliss Aerobatic Performer & Red Bull Air Race Pilot
HOMEBASE:
Flying Crown Ranch near Eloy, AZ
Fleet:
Piper M600
Edge 540 (airshow plane) Two-place Edge 540T
(for media/publicity) 1946 Piper J3 Cub Fieseler Storch
RATINGS & HOURS:
ATP
28,000 hours
NUMBER SKYDIVE JUMPS: 1,000+
by Dianne White
Aerobatic champion and Red Bull Air Race star Kirby Chambliss is a fan favorite at AirVenture Oshkosh. This year, he returns to showcase his signature combination of graceful artistry and aggressive maneuvers at select performances during the week.
A native Texan, Chambliss grew up with an innate desire to fly. Working odd jobs, he chipped away at his ratings and built time as an instructor and at 21, a corporate pilot. Three years later, Southwest Airlines hired him as a pilot, and he made captain by the time he turned 28.
After taking an upset training course with aerobatic legend Duane Cole, Kirby discovered his calling. He began pursuing aerobatic competitions, first owning a Pitts S2A and later an Edge monoplane. Chambliss went on to earn a spot on the World Aerobatic team, where he was a member from 1997 to 2005. Aerobatic championships fed his competitive spirit and propelled him to podium finishes including the 2000 World Freestyle Championship and five U.S. National aerobatic titles.
Kirby participated in the inaugural 2003 Red Bull Air Race and won his first championship in 2004, a feat he repeated two years later. In 2018, with half the season complete as of press time, Kirby sits at 8th in the standings, but is focused on a podium finish going into the last half.
We caught up with Kirby to talk to him about the upcoming AirVenture Oshkosh, his Red Bull Air Race season as well as the newest member of his aircraft stable, a Piper M600.
1. How did you become interested in flying?
My dad was a private pilot, and when I was young I helped him build a Davis Aircraft. It was a two-place experimental and this was long before there were kits to build from. He just showed up one day with a trailer full of sheet metal and simply said, “this is an airplane and we’re going to put it together.” A year later, he flew it. After that experience, I knew I wanted to fly professionally – ideally for an airline. Today, it’s up to us in the industry to inspire the next generation. A lot of kids don’t know the opportunities that exist in aviation.
14 • TWIN & TURBINE
July 2018
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOERG MITTER