Charles Allen Kulp (September 20, 1925 – October 18, 2021), nicknamed the Flying Farmer, was an American

aerobatic Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glid ...

pilot. He performed a comedy aerobatic routine every Sunday at the Flying Circus Aerodrome in Bealeton, Virginia for 34 years.

Biography

Kulp was born in

Stafford, Virginia Stafford is a census-designated place (listed as Stafford Courthouse) in and the county seat of Stafford County in the northern part of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. The population of Stafford County as of the 2010 United States Census w ...

in September 1925 and was raised in Spotsylvania County. He was a Navy mechanic in the Pacific during World War II, and received his wings in July 1943 after taking lessons in Roanoke, Virginia. A former mechanic for

Capital Airlines Capital Airlines may refer to: * Beijing Capital Airlines, an airline based in China formerly named Deer Air * Capital Airlines (United States), a now-defunct 20th-century American airline * Capital Airlines (Nigeria), a now-defunct airline based i ...

, Kulp managed small airports in Maryland and Virginia before joining the Flying Circus Airshow, of which he was 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 unmodified Piper J-3 Cub. In 1993, Kulp took his act to

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

, 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 was 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, Kulp flew his aerobatic comedy routine for the final time at the Flying Circus before retiring. In his retirement years, Charlie lived in Manassas, Virginia with his companion of 30 years, and died on October 17, 2021, at the age of 96.Charles Allen Kulp Sr. obituary
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kulp, Charlie 1925 births 2021 deaths Aerobatic pilots Aviators from Virginia United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy sailors People from Stafford, Virginia