June 21, 2018 http://www.GeneralAviationNews.com — facebook.com/ganews 19Red Bull Air Race pilot and airshow
performer Kirby Chambliss switched py-
lons for hot air balloons to mark National
Hot Air Balloon Day, June 5.
Some 99 years after Indianapolis Mo-
tor Speedway held its first event, a hot air
balloon race, the Red Bull Air Race pilot
commemorated the anniversary in style.
The display was put on from his Phoe-
nix, Arizona, home — he has a runway
in his back garden — with a series of hot
air balloons set up on the ground akin to
pylons for him to weave through.
He then took to the skies as the balloons
were released and showed some of the
aerobatic skills that have made him one of
the world’s leading pilots by swerving in,
out, and above the balloons.
“The reason we did it is because the up-
and-coming race in the United States will
be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and the very first event at the Indianapo-
lis Motor Speedway was a hot air balloon
race,” Chambliss said. “Weaving back
and forth between the balloons is a bit dif-
ferent than doing that around our pylons
because the balloons are quite a bit wider,
and you can’t hit the balloons!”
Chambliss is eighth in the Red Bull Air
Race Championship with a podium finish
in the opening round in Abu Dhabi. He
will compete at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway Oct. 6-7 for its round of the
Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
The 58-year-old is a two-time world
champion in the series, having been
crowned in 2004 and 2006. He also boasts
10 race victories.
Growing up, he was a motocross rider,
but always dreamt of being a pilot. At 24,
he became the youngest ever commercial
pilot for Southwest Airlines. Four years
later, he was a captain.
He fuelled aircraft growing up to earn
enough money to fly himself.
He is married to a fellow pilot, Kellie,
and lives on a ranch aptly named Flying
Crown Ranch.Racer trades pylons for hot air balloons
Kirby Chambliss performs with hot air balloons in Eloy, Arizona, on March 28, 2018.
Photo by Red Bull Air RacesPhoto by Red Bull Air Races