While it may come as no surprise that Kirby is quite the thrill seeker, what many people don’t realize is that Team Chambliss is a team of adrenaline junkies! One hobby that team members have in common is skydiving!
Kirby was exposed to the sport at a very young age from his father. He was a jump master but always steered Kirby from participating due to the dangers of the sport. While he adhered to his father’s advice for forty years, he realized the equipment had undergone many changes to increase safety, and Kirby had to give it a try!
He began learning to jump while his wife piloted the otters at Skydive Arizona. Kirby remembers, “I used to always joke with people— ‘what better reason to jump out of an airplane than because your wife is flying!?’ But all jokes aside, it gave me the opportunity to catch up with her on the climb out when she was stuck working eleven hour days.”
After completing about 100 jumps, his time at the drop zone was minimal and he started to get away from the sport. That is, until mechanic, Jason Resop, began jumping! Ferry pilot, Jay Stewart, joins in the fun, along with Team Communications Coordinator, Kayla Layton, who is newest to the sport.
Kirby now has over 700 jumps, many accompanied by Jason and Jay. Some of their most memorable jumps include jumping from hot air balloons and helicopters. Helicopters are especially invigorating because jumpers get to hang from the gear before letting go.
Unlike exiting from an airplane, hot air balloons are very quiet and surreal. One fully experiences the sensation of falling as speed increases, going from no noise to full noise. Kirby’s favorite part of exiting from a hot air balloon is to lay on his back and watch the balloon float away!
The team’s desire for adrenaline is never fulfilled. Team members are always looking for new and different ways to feed the hunger. And they’re in luck, because no two jumps are ever the same! Keep an eye out for Team Chambliss as they may appear at a drop zone near you!
