Kirby Chambliss

Kirby Chambliss is an American aerobatic and air race pilot, born on 18 October 1959 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Inspired as a boy by watching his father skydive professionally, he flew solo in December 1975 at sixteen and earned his private licence the following March, then worked as a flight instructor, a night freight pilot and a business jet pilot before taking aerobatic training in 1985 and buying his own aerobatic plane. He won top honors in his first contest and worked his way up to the elite unlimited level, joined the United States Aerobatic Team in 1997 and became its captain. He won five U.S. national championships and 13 medals at world championships, including the 2000 men's freestyle world title. From 2003 he flew for the Red Bull team in the Red Bull Air Race World Series, taking the 2004 championship and the 2006 championship in a Zivko Edge 540, and he has logged more than 27,000 flying hours.