Bealeton, Virginia: When John King goes for a stroll on a sunny Sunday afternoon, it is no ordinary walk. As a 14 year veteran wing walker at the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, (www.flyingcircusairshow.com) John takes his walks several hundred feet into the Virginia skies, reaches speeds of over 130 MPH and throws in a loop, waves to the locals and even does a sit up for good measure. He does all of this while hanging onto and moving all over a 1943 open cockpit bi-plane called a Boeing Stearman.

King, 39, is a third generation performer at the Flying Circus and has been working and flying at the airshow with his grandfather, father, and cousins on the ground and in the air since 1976. “I have done about every job at the Circus from clean-up to wing walker. This is how my family has spent Sunday afternoons for almost four decades. It is a huge part of our lives,” said King who drives to the airshow from his home in Williamsburg. “We try to display a piece of aviation history here at the Circus, and wing walkers were a big part of keeping aviation alive in the 1920 and 30’s. I am just carrying on the tradition.”

14 years ago the Airshow was looking for another person to take on the challenge of becoming a wing walker in the show. The young King decided it was his time, so he signed up to learn the craft. Over the years, the Flying Circus has even put ads into local and regional papers seeking wing walkers, “no experience necessary” and they have always had takers from all “walks” of life!

Why wing walk? King explains, “I consider myself an airman, I fly hot air balloons, I am a pilot, and I have seven skydives. In the age of barnstorming, wing walkers were used by traveling pilots to draw crowds to farmers’ fields where people would purchase rides in the planes. Basically, that is what I do at the airshow on Sundays. I encourage people to join us in the air!”

Sharing the wing walking duties with a number of people over the years made reaching the 100th walk a long journey. Deciding how to mark the occasion was also a difficult process for King. “I did not want the event to be about me. I wanted it to be about the Circus and perhaps something more,” said King. Then at an airshow earlier in the year a former airshow pilot and cancer survivor spoke about the Lance Armstrong Foundation and their annual global cancer awareness and fundraising event called LiveSTRONG Day. This year LiveSTRONG Day will be held on 10/02/09. That hit home for King. “Some people call me brave for walking the wing. When I started thinking about brave acts, I realized that people fighting cancer were truly courageous. I decided to use my 100th walk to honor cancer fighters by raising awareness about the upcoming LiveSTRONG Day and hopefully some money to help in the battle against this terrible disease. Hearing how information provide by the Lance Armstrong Foundation helped my friend win his battle with cancer convinced me that supporting their work was a great thing to do. Their message is powerful, defeat cancer and LiveSTRONG”

So this coming Sunday, just like 99 Sundays before, John King will unfasten his seat belt, climb out of his seat, and walk all over the wings of an airplane to thrill and entertain the audience at the Flying Circus Airshow. However this Sunday King will walk with an even greater purpose. He wants everyone to join him, not on the wing, but in the fight to bring an end to cancer.

About the Flying Circus Airshow:
The Flying Circus Airshow put on its first performance in 1971 and has operated continuously since then, putting on Shows every Sunday, May through October. The show relives the days of the barnstormers from the 1920s and 30s. The flying includes, acrobatics, formation flying, comedy acts, parachuting, and of course wing walking. The show is family oriented and appropriate for the young and young at heart. Airplane rides available. For more information please visit us on the web: www.flyingcircusairshow.com

About the Lance Armstrong Foundation and LiveSTRONG Day:
For more information about the Lance Armstrong Foundation, LiveSTRONG Day 09 and their fight to end cancer on the planet, please visit them on the web: www.livestrong.org