Quick Facts
Biography
Nigel Lamb is an English aerobatics pilot. Lamb is the 2014 Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
Nigel Lamb was born on 17 August 1956 in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and was inspired to fly by his father, who was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot in World War II. Lamb first applied to join the Rhodesian Air Force at 11, and persisted until he was finally accepted at 18, in 1975, having finished his schooling at Umtali Boy's High School.
After gaining his wings he flew ground-attack missions in de Havilland Vampire jets in the Rhodesian Bush War before becoming a helicopter pilot, flying the Alouette II and Alouette III. In 1980, following the election of Robert Mugabe, Lamb, by then an instructor, left the Air Force and moved to England to join the Marlboro Aerobatic team. He has now been a professional display pilot for 30 years, flown over 1,750 public displays in over 30 countries worldwide including leading the first civilian team to fly in China in 1996. Nigel is the only pilot to have won the British National Unlimited Aerobatic Championship 8 times consecutively, and has spent the last five years putting his skills to the test in the highly challenging Red Bull Air Race World Championship, winning the 2014 world championship title.
He also featured in some major movie productions as an aerial display pilot flying a variety of historical aircraft including a Spitfire, P-51 Mustang and a P-40 Kittyhawk.
Nigel Lamb is married to successful aerobatic pilot Hilary, and together they have three sons, Max, Daniel and Ben.
He enjoys skiing, scuba diving and squash.
Achievements
- British Unlimited Aerobatic Champion – 8 times. consecutively
- Masters of Aerobatics South Africa – Silver medal
- Member of British team in three World Aerobatic Championships and two European championships.
- British Freestyle Champion – 4 times.
 Nigel Lambat the Red Bull Air Race World Championship | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Points | Wins | Rank |
| 2005 |  DNP |  DNP |  DNP |  DNP | 9th |  8th |  7th | 0 | 0 | 8th | |||||
| 2006 | 9th |  6th |  8th |  CAN |  6th | DQ | 6th | 8th |  8th | 3 | 0 | 9th | |||
| 2007 | 11th |  7th | 8th | 8th | CAN |  10th | 7th | 6th |  7th | 3rd |  CAN | 8th | 5 | 0 | 9th |
| 2008 | 8th | 6th | 12th |  CAN | 8th | 5th | 6th | 5th | CAN | 2nd | 30 | 0 | 7th | ||
| 2009 | 4th | 6th |  8th | 9th | 11th | 2nd | 32 | 0 | 6th | ||||||
| 2010 | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | 4th | CAN | CAN | 55 | 0 | 3rd | ||||
| 2014 | 5th |  8th |  1st |  2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 62 | 1 | 1st | ||||
Legend:
- CAN: Cancelled
- DNP: Did not participate
- DNS: Did not show
- DQ: Disqualified
- NC: Not classified
Filmography
- Flyboys (2006) (chief pilot)
- Hart's War (2002) (pilot: P-51 Mustang)
- Tmavomodrý svet (2001) (pilot: Spitfire), a.k.a. Dark Blue World (International: English title), a.k.a. Leidenschaft in dunklen Tagen (Germany: TV title)
