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Kyle Franklin (28), is one
of the youngest airshow professionals in the airshow industry. He is
the only son of legendary airshow pilot Jimmy Franklin. Kyle has been
performing in airshows for over 10 years has been around aviation his
entire life. He experienced his first airplane ride when he was just
4 weeks old! Kyle grew up living with his family in an apartment built
inside an airplane hangar. In addition to becoming his favorite playground,
the hanger became a means for Kyle to spend quality time with his father
by helping him work on the Wacos, Super Cubs, and his Aerostar and because
of this, Kyle is now a licensed A&P mechanic.
Kyle's Father taught him how
to fly when he was 8 and later taught him aerobatics in the Super Cub.
Kyle is now an accomplished pilot of over 19 years, is not new to what
some people would call dare-devilish feats. As a toddler, he learned
to ride a tricycle on just 2 wheels! A few of years later, Kyle graduated
to BMX free-styling and air-walking and then mastered motorcycles. At
the age of 8, Kyle fell in love with DeLorean cars. As a sophomore in
high school, he had bought a DeLorean of his own and modified it with
a bigger engine, flame thrower, oil slick, and smoke system (only to
work it into the airshow line-up of course). Like his father, began flying at very young age. As a preschooler, he seized every opportunity to wing-walk on Dad's WACO "Mystery Ship" as it taxied about on the ground at airshows. At age 14 Kyle went for his first flying wing-walk on the Waco "Mystery Ship" and by the time he was 17, he was wing-walking professionally at airshows around the country as the world's youngest Wingwalker. He and Jimmy also made up the ONLY father/son wing-walking team in history! In 1999, his father debuted the new Jet Waco. Naturally, Kyle didn't hesitate at the opportunity to climb through the flying wires of this beast! At this point, Kyle became the world's first Jet Wingwalker. In addition, Kyle is the ONLY other person who ever piloted Jimmy's Jet WACO! Wing-walking was only one of Kyle's many aerial talents. He performed the daring motorcycle-to-airplane transfer for over 5 years. Kyle now performs as the pilot in which the transferer jumps from the back of a moving motorcycle onto a rope ladder hanging from the bottom of Kyle's Super Cub. Kyle also flies one of the wildest Comedy acts you'll ever see; so wild he has steel skid plates taped to the wingtips so when he intentionally drags the wings on the ground it doesn't hurt them. In the Summer of 2003, Kyle began
performing in his Father's one of a kind Waco "Mystery Ship."
This is one of the few big bi-plane aerobatic acts you will find on
the airshow circuit today. Besides a full complement of loops, rolls,
Cuban 8's and hammer heads, Kyle is one of a handful of pilots that
will actually torque roll, tail slide3, and even lomcevak tumble his
massive Waco bi-plane. This act has it all: noise, smoke, speed, looks,
nostalgia and low-flying aerobatics. |
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Amanda Younkin-Franklin |
![]() Kyle and Amanda started dating in May 2004 at an airshow at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. On October 18, 2005 Amanda (Younkin) and Kyle Franklin were married at Kyle's Mother's home in beautiful Ruidoso, New Mexico. |
![]() Jackson "Our Child and Mascot" Jackson is a full blooded Golden Retriever, born on Halloween of 2000. Amanda has raised him from the time he was 7 weeks old. Jackson is a pilot as well, he has flown in everything from a Cub to a Lear Jet. He travels across the country with the Franklin's. "We don't think of him as a dog, he's more of our child" says Kyle. The picture on the left was taken on Halloween 2006, his 6th birthday. ![]() |
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Although trained by Kyle to do the motorcycle-to-airplane transfer, Ryan has developed his own unique style in performing his stunts. When Ryan is not performing at airshows, he
is an automotive mechanic, ASE certified in brakes, electrical, parts,
engine performance, and air conditioning. He is IMACA certified as well. |
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