Charlie Kulp

Background

Born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Kulp was a Navy mechanic in the Pacific during World War II. He received his wings in July 1943 after taking lessons in Roanoke, Virginia. A former mechanic for Capital Airlines, Kulp managed small airports in Maryland and Virginia before joining the Flying Circus Airshow, of which he is a founding member. When not on the airshow circuit, Kulp performed on Sunday afternoons at the Flying Circus during its season from May to October until 2007, when he retired. Throughout his career as the "Flying Farmer," Kulp flew a standard 65 horsepower (48 kW) unmodified Piper J-3 Cub.

In 1993, Kulp took his act to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the "EAA Gateway to Aviation Classic," the largest airshow in the United States. In 2000, Charlie performed at "Sun ‘n’ Fun." As well as performing across the United States, Kulp has performed at civilian and military airshows in Great Britain and Canada. Throughout his career in aviation, Kulp appeared in several newspaper articles and has been featured on the Discovery Wings Channel. In addition to his airshow work, Kulp is a member of the Board of Directors for the Virginia Aviation Historic Society and an FAA-certified flight instructor. In 2000, Kulp received the Charles Taylor award from the FAA as a 50-year A&P mechanic.

On November 8, 1997, Kulp was inducted into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame. At 82 years of age, Kulp still flew his routine most Sundays at the Flying Circus. On October 28, 2007, Charlie Kulp flew his aerobatic comedy routine for the final time at the Flying Circus before retiring.