Kelli Canup

Kelli Canup is a Wilmington resident, professional pilot, certified flight instructor and full-time mom. She received a BA degree in Physiology and Psychology from St. Mary’s College in California.

Kelli was a flight attendant for United Airlines early in her career but realized she was more fascinated with what was happening in the cockpit versus the passenger section of the plane and made the switch to become a professional pilot. Kelli accomplished her training at Comair Aviation Academy, a Part 141 Flight School, and received all of her ratings in just 10 months. After 2 1/2 years as a flight instructor, Kelli was hired by Comair Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Airlines, where she flew as a commercial pilot for 5 years.

Kelli eventually found her way to Wilmington, NC where she has been a flight instructor since 2015. She has accumulated over 6,800 hours of total flight time which includes over 2,500 with commercial airlines and 3,550 of dual instruction. Kelli also serves the Wilmington general aviation community by serving as the local Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team (FAAST) representative. Her dedication to aviation safety is one of her passions and she is committed to helping to improve the nation’s aviation accident rate by conveying safety principles through training, outreach, and education.

Kelli has two magnificent children and is married to fellow aviation professional, Eric Canup, Chief Pilot and Director of Flight Operations for Live Oak Bank.