360 :: a spherical panoramic journey in 2668 pieces

Part of open-air military exhibition in the Valley of Death, commemorating the Dukla Pass operation in 1944.

Part of open-air military exhibition in the Valley of Death, commemorating the Dukla Pass operation in 1944.

Jurgis Kairys was born in Krasnojarsk, Siberia, on May 6, 1952, where his parents were stationed, however the family were able to return to their home country of Lithuania when Jurgis was still a small boy. His interest in flying started at an early age when watching planes landing and taking off at an airstrip near his home in Lithuania. He became an airframe engineer and was able to start flying aerobatics at the Kaunas Flying Club in Lithuania. His talents and determination were obvious and he soon became a member of the elite National team.
The style of acrobatics we see today was developed over twenty years ago by Lithuanians Stepas Artiskevicius and Jurgis Kairys competing with each other while on the Soviet team, and coaching each other. Today every unlimited pilot flies in the style promoted by the Lithuanians in the seventies.
His engineering and piloting skills were recognized when he was asked to work with the Sukhoi Design Bureau to develop the Sukhoi 26, 29 and 31 series of completely new aerobatics aircraft using new ideas future to dominate the Unlimited World Aerobatics Championships. This was achieved with the aircraft winning many championships from the European Championships to the World Grand Prix of Aerobatics piloted by Jurgis and the Russian team members. [...]
Jurgis' forte has always been Unlimited Freestyle aerobatics which has allowed him to develop his quest for new flight possibilities from himself and his aircraft. [...] He has invented several aerobatic maneuvers including the "Kairys Wheel", "Small Loop" and was the first to successfully perform the "Cobra" maneuver in a propeller-driven aircraft, and has the talent to hover his aircraft like a helicopter. (Kairys' bio taken from the official FAI WEAF site).