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September 03, 2021

Kirby Chambliss Named To International Aerobatic Hall Of Fame

Chambliss Has Been A Member Of IAC Since 1986

The International Aerobatic Club has named the recipient of its 2021 IAC Hall of Fame Recipient, awarding Kirby Chambliss the honor. The Hall of Fame was formed in 1986, the same year Chambliss joined the IAC. “I don’t ever remember saying I wanted to be a pilot, I just always wanted to be a pilot,” Chambliss says. HIs backstory is quite interesting, as he began flying at just 13 years old. At 21 he became a corporate pilot and was sent to a 10-hour aerobatic course with Duane Cole to train in a Decathlon. At that point his love of aerobatics became an obsession.

Just After The Helicopter Flew Over A Tree Line, He Heard A “Loud Sound” And “Watched The [Rotor] Just Stop

On August 7, 2021, at 1810 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Rotorway Exec 162F, N162KJ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Argyle, New York. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A witness located about ½-mile north of the accident site observed the helicopter flying southbound at an estimated altitude of 50-75 ft above the ground. He stated that he believed the helicopter was “having issues, as (it) could not stay up in the air, it was almost like it was bouncing.”