Kirby Chambliss (born October 18, 1959 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is an American commercial pilot and a renowned world champion in aerobatics.
He was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.. As a youngster, Chambliss wanted to be a pilot. His father taught him skydiving, and he loved the steep spiral in the sky the pilot put the plane into when bringing the skydivers back to the ground. During his high school years, he fueled aircraft to earn extra money. By December 1979 at the age of 20, Chambliss debuted in solo flying after formal flight training, and earned his private license the following March. In the beginning, he earned his living as a certified flight instructor and then as a night freight pilot.
His later job as a business jet pilot enabled him in 1985 to take aerobatic flight training and to buy his own aerobatic plane. Winning top honors in his very first contest, Chambliss worked the way up to the elite "unlimited" level. In 1997, he became member and then captain of the US Aerobatic Team. He won four U.S. national championships and a number of medals at the world championships. He holds the title 2000 Men's Freestyle World Champion.He have 26000 flying hours.
Chambliss enjoys performing in traditional airshows throughout the year when he is not training or competing. Since 2005, he takes part at the international aerobatic competition Red Bull Air Race World Series as a member of the Red Bull Team along with his team mate Hungarian Péter Besenyei. The champion of 2004, Chambliss finished the 2006 Series as the champion again with four wins of eight rounds on his Zivko Edge 540 aircraft. To stay in shape for enormous g-forces and exact timing, he trains three times a day and four days a week in the sky.
A pilot with more than 24,000 logged hours of flying, Kirby Chambliss, his wife and fellow pilot, Kellie and their baby Karly Nicole live in a house in Flying Crown Ranch, Arizona, USA, attached to his hangar.
| Kirby Chambliss at the Red Bull Air Race World Series |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Points | Wins | Rank |
| 2003 | DNP |
3rd |
4 | 0 | 3rd | ||||||||||
| 2004 | 1st |
1st |
2nd |
17 | 2 | 1st | |||||||||
| 2005 | 9th |
4th |
4th |
DNS |
2nd |
2nd |
2nd |
21 | 0 | 3rd | |||||
| 2006 | 1st |
3rd |
1st |
CAN |
1st |
5th |
3rd |
1st |
3rd |
38 | 4 | 1st | |||
| 2007 | 4th |
6th |
4th |
3rd |
CAN |
5th |
5th |
2nd |
5th |
2nd |
CAN |
6th |
28 | 0 | 4th |
| 2008 | 5th |
3rd |
1st |
CAN |
4th |
1st |
12th |
2nd |
CAN |
8th |
46 | 1 | 4th | ||
| 2009 | 9th |
DQ |
3rd |
3rd |
8th |
5th |
34 | 0 | 4th | ||||||
| 2010 | 6th |
8th |
5th |
3rd |
3rd |
CAN |
CAN |
17 | 0 | 6th | |||||
| Total | 167 | 8 | |||||||||||||
Legend:
- CAN: Cancelled
- DNP: Did not participate
- DNS: Did not show
- DQ: Disqualified
- NC: Not classified
Famous quotes containing the word kirby:
“Well, on the official record you’re my son. But on this post you’re just another trooper. You heard me tell the recruits what I need from them. Twice that I will expect from you.... You’ve chosen my way of life. I hope you have the guts enough to endure it. But put outa your mind any romantic ideas that it’s a way to glory. It’s a life of suffering and of hardship and uncompromising devotion to your oath and your duty.”
—James Kevin McGuinness, and John Ford. Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke (John Wayne)