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 "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...

pilot. He performed a comedy aerobatic routine every Sunday at the Flying Circus Aerodrome in

Bealeton, Virginia Bealeton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States, at the intersection of U.S. Route 17 and State Route 28. The population was 5,882 at the 2020 census. Public schools in Bealeton include Grace Miller El ...

for 34 years.

Biography

Kulp was born in

Stafford, Virginia Stafford, also known as Stafford Courthouse, is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Stafford County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,370 as of the 2020 census. It lies north of Fredericksburg, approximately sout ...

in September 1925 and was raised in

Spotsylvania County Spotsylvania County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a suburb approximately 60 miles (90km) south of D.C. It is a part of the Northern Virginia region and the D.C. area. As of 2024, Spotsylvania County is the 14th most populat ...

. He was a

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

mechanic in the Pacific during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and received his wings in July 1943 after taking lessons in

Roanoke, Virginia Roanoke ( ) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It lies in Southwest Virginia, along the Roanoke River, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Blue Ridge range of the greater Appalachian Mountains. Roanok ...

. A former mechanic for Capital Airlines, 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 The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is Pi ...

. In 1993, Kulp took his act to

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the western shore of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 66,816 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List o ...

, 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