Bobby Younkin, Tom Poberezny & Charlie Kulp are inducted into Air Show Hall of Fame

The International Council of Air Shows Foundation (ICASF) will induct Bobby Younkin, Charlie Kulp and Tom Poberezny into the 2009 Air Show Hall of Fame. The hall of fame ceremony will be hold on December 6-9 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.


Bobby Younkin (October 30, 1955-Sunday, July 10, 2005 AGE 49)
Bobby Younkin learned to fly at age 16. He was performing air shows since he was age 18. He flew various aerobatic planes Decathlon, stock Stearman, AT-6, Learjet and his famous Twin Beech. He is the only performer to add smoke to a Learjet. He was a member of the Masters of Disasters airshow team that uses a shockwave jet truck and pyrotechnics. He is famous for being an airshow legend. Bobby Younkin has a son-in-law named Matt Younkin who is an aerobatic pilot and a daughter named Amanda Franklin-Younkin who is a wingwalker for Kyle Franklin. Amanda Franklin-Younkin is married to an aerobatic pilot named Kyle Franklin. Bobby Younkin died when his aircraft collided with Jimmy Franklin on Sunday, July 10, 2005. He joins fellow performer Jimmy Franklin, who passed away in the same accident , in the hall of fame.

Tom Poberezny (b. October 3, 1946)
Tom Poberezny is the current president and chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and former aerobatic pilot. His father Paul Poberezny, founder of EAA. Tom Poberezny has been the chairman for EAA since 1977. This annual event takes place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and attracts over 750,000 visitors with 10,000 aircraft from 68 countries. Tom Poberezny, Charlie Hillard and Gene Soucy formed The Christian Eagles aerobatic team that flew a Pitts S-1/S. The Christian Eagles aerobatic team ceased in 1995 at the Daytona Skyfest. You can see Tom Poberezny, Charlie Hillard and Gene Soucy's Pitts S-1/S at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.


Charlie Kulp (b. September 20, 1925)
Charlie Kulp is the founder and member of the famous Flying Circus Airshows in Bealton, Virginia. He became famous two years later when he did his aerobatic routine called the "Silas Hicks, the Flying Farmer" routine until he ceased it in 2007 at the age of 82.