Red Bull.com

Kirby Chambliss is one of the best aerobatic pilots in the world. A five-time winner of the U.S. National Aerobatic Championship and a former Men’s Freestyle World Champion, he’s also fast – world-class fast. Kirby is one of only two American pilots ever to win the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, a competition in which pilots push the envelope by executing aerobatic maneuvers with absolute precision while racing against the clock.

This year, with the race series on hiatus, Kirby is taking his skills to air shows across North America and beyond. Having earned virtually every aviation license possible, flown more than 70 types of aircraft, and logged over 26,000 hours (three years!) in the air, he’s a showman at the top of his game.

Born in Texas, Kirby earned his private pilot’s license at age 21. By 28 he’d became Southwest Airlines’ youngest captain. Kirby was named to the U.S. Aerobatic Team in 1997, accumulating numerous medals and trophies in addition to his Men’s Freestyle World Championship (2000) and five National Aerobatic titles (more than any living pilot). In 2005, Kirby finished an impressive third in the inaugural Red Bull Air Race World Championship Series, and his performance in the 2006 series was the tour de force that earned him the crown.

Kirby and his Red Bull Edge 540 plane must sustain a radical span of 18 Gs, so he follows a rigorous exercise regimen, with skydiving and motocross constituting cross-training. And because there’s a runway at his Arizona home, he can train at his doorstep, to the delight of his wife and young daughter.

While Kirby admits that he misses racing, he enjoys the creativity that air shows afford. He comments, “My performance is never exactly the same – a lot of it I ad lib. Aerobatics is like being one with airplane, and the wings are extensions of your arms, painting pictures.” The pilot also thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to make personal connections with fans.

Ultimately, whether he’s racing, performing in a show, or just practicing, Kirby’s goal is to keep refining his already incredible skills. “You can always try to make things better,” he explains. “That’s why I still have passion for it after all these years. I’m still looking for that perfect flight.”