Jurgis Kairys

Who is Jurgis Kairys?

Jurgis Kairys is a Lithuanian aerobatic pilot and aeronautical engineer. He has won many awards for his flying and has invented several maneuvers, including the "Kairys Wheel." He helped develop the Sukhoi Su-26, -29, and -31 aerobatic aircraft, and also has manufactured his own aerobatic aircraft, called the "Juka."

His most famous stunt is flying inverted under a pedestrian bridge over the Nemunas River wash in Kaunas on September 2, 2000,. He also flew under all bridges over the Neris River in Vilnius on September 18, 1999,.

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.