How a Red Bull Air Race champion prepares to fly at the Amigo Airsho
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A Red Bull Air Race world champion will fly in this weekend’s Amigo Airsho. Kirby Chambliss, a Texas native, is known as one of the best aerobatic pilots in the world.
The 67-year-old pilot started his career in 1997, earned every aviation license there is and has flown more than 70 types of aircraft. He has logged more than 26,000 hours in the air — which is nearly three years!
He earned his private pilot license at 21 years old. By the time he turned 28, he was the youngest captain at Southwest Airline.
Chambliss is a five-time winner of the U.S. National Aerobatic Championship, a former men’s freestyle world champion and one of only two pilots to win the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
Kirby Chambliss’ Red Bull plane at the War Eagles Air Museum in New Mexico.
ABC-7 Chief Meteorologist “Doppler” Dave Speelman spoke with Chambliss at the War Eagles Air Museum, where he practiced for the weekend airshow.
ABC-7 Chief Meteorologist “Doppler” Dave Speelman and Kirby Chambliss, an aerobatic pilot who will perform at the 2026 Amigo Airsho.
Chambliss spoke about preparing to fly in El Paso. He has to consider the city’s altitude and weather conditions. He said the air density poses the greatest challenge.
“I know this airplane like the back of my hand, but I still have to go out and that’s why I’m here two days early,” he told ABC-7.
Chambliss has been flying for Red Bull for more than 20 years. His goal for each performance is to wow the crowd.
“I tend to go with a very aggressive aerobatics. I want to leave there, and people say, ‘God, I’ve never seen an airplane do that before,'” he said.
Some tricks Chambliss prepares to do include flying backwards at 90 miles per hour.
“I’m going to have the tail going over the nose, the airplane flipping end over end multiple times. So the airplane, believe it or not, doesn’t really want to do that, but I’ve got a way that I can say, ‘Oh come on and it’ll go ahead and do it,” the pilot said.
The Amigo Airsho will take place Saturday and Sunday at Biggs Army Airfield. Find an event guide here.
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