JULIE CLARK'S AERIAL BALLET
Piston Fired, American Made
Julie Clark’s Chevron Mentor T-34 air show performances deliver excitement! With the 2008 air show season just beginning, let’s be frank; selecting the two or three shows that we can attend must be done with care. Hundreds of performers deliver a cadre of routines at the 400 or more 2008 scheduled air shows. Each of the performances promises to entertain you and all of them will deliver – some more than others.
Every show promoter works to secure the best mix of pilots, aircraft and performances. Seeing a diverse collection of aircraft on the ground and enjoying the variety of displays is an important part of any show. Something probably more important to most of us is seeing spectacular, safe, aerial exhibitions that “WOW” the audience, coupled with the opportunity to talk to the seasoned pilots who perform during the show. As you research this year’s air shows, look for Julie Clark flying the Chevron Mentor. Rarely will you encounter a pilot on the circuit who has logged 29,000 hours in the air and flown as an aerobatic air show pilot for 30 years. She is rated in more than 66 aircraft. When you talk to Julie on the flightline, you immediately realize her love of flying. She started building airplane models, reading everything about aircraft at the age of eight, and took her first flying lessons in 1967.
She flies a personally-restored T-34, a late 1940s warbird trainer purchased in 1976. It is a heavy-handed airplane, about 3,050 pounds and the pilot straddles a stick rather than a wheel as in most Beechcraft. The T-34 has a fairly low power-to-weight ratio compared to most of today’s aerobatic aircraft. Julie said, “It takes a tremendous amount of upper body strength to fly the T-34 in my routine.” Often, after an event, WWII pilots and pilots who fly warbirds stop by to talk, “...betting that I had both hands and all my weight pulling back on the stick during a particular maneuver.”
Julie gained her love of flying the T-34 as a civilian instructor for the U.S. Navy at the Lemoore Naval Air Station in 1974-75. In 2000, there were about 120 T-34s of the 1,300+ built still considered airworthy. Today, flying her mint condition, customized Chevron T-34 Mentor is even more exciting than back in the 1970s. Julie has upgraded the original 225-hp Continental O-470-4 flat-six piston engine. With the help of Eagle Engines of Redding, California, the T-34 Mentor flies with a custom 285 hp Golden Eagle Series engine coupled to a Hartzell three-bladed prop. The added boost in horse power makes some of the maneuvers a little easier. Flying the T-34 still “...requires concentration and anticipation during aerial maneuvers as the aircraft does not have an inverted oil or fuel system and inverted flight must be carefully calculated.”
There is no doubt that Julie is in tune with the aircraft she calls “Free Spirit.” She invested hundreds of hours of hand-polishing to bring the aircraft aluminum luster back, coupled with extensive restoration hours to attain its mint condition. Remember, the T-34 is a 1940s design built in the 1950s. It takes daily maintenance to sustain its mint condition. Her aircraft’s paint scheme is a creative version of “Air Force One” which adds a distinctive patriotic touch to the American built piston- fired trainer. It represents the end of the piston-fired trainers but is just the beginning of Julie Clark’s Chevron sponsored air show. Be sure to get a seat up front and hold on as you watch a breathtaking routine known as “Serenade in Red, White and Blue.” The low level routines are choreographed to the sounds of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” or “God Bless You Canada.” Each show’s sensational aerobatics feature trailing loops, rolls and hammerheads, and are enhanced by effective use of multi-color wing-tip smoke trails. The show is an exceptional display of flying, and music, and as she concludes her performance there is a dazzling display of fireworks and pyrotechnics. I asked Julie about her thoughts while she is performing – “I’m in the zone, doing what I love to do, fly, listening to great music and entertaining air enthusiasts.”
Julie always personally ferries her aircraft to shows. Supporting the show takes a 35-foot triple-axle, 5th-wheel trailer pulled by a big Dodge Ram turbo diesel truck to carry the necessary materials and crew quarters during the show. Look for the custom-painted trailer rig on the flightline. It provides a great meeting point at a show and it’s where you’ll often find Julie during the show. She enjoys signing autographs, talking to air enthusiasts, especially youngsters thinking about the adventure of flying. What an opportunity for young pilots or aviation enthusiasts to talk with someone who so approachable, friendly and experienced in the industry. Her personal enthusiasm reminds me of someone who just earned her license – not a 38 year aviation veteran.
Julie is sponsored by Chevron Global Aviation, a subsidiary of Chevron Products Company. It seems an ideal match - both seek to deliver long term value, integrity and partnership to their public. Julie’s flying experience, integrity and outgoing personality have earned her countless awards, including the “Woman of the Year” for 1st Senate District in California and 2006 and 2007 Airport Journal’s “Top 40 Living Legends in Aviation.” It’s a pretty select group of pilots that includes Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover and 37 other pilots. She was inducted into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame of Women in Aviation - International, has been awarded the Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship award for commitment to air shows as an entertainment venue, was recognized by GA News as the “Performer of the Year” twice, and has been recognized by her fellow air show pilots with the 1991 Bill Barber Award for Showmanship. Her accomplishments, awards and television appearances extend beyond this short list. You might wonder if you can easily talk to one of the first female airline captains and top aerobatic performers on the flightline? You don’t need to wonder. Meeting Julie, often with her flying buddy, a rescue puppy named Bernie, offers a captivating opportunity to talk with a fellow aviation enthusiast and pilot who has overcome many difficult obstacles to enjoy a lifetime of aviation fun. Chevron no doubt recognizes that aviators and future aviators will enjoy the air show and flightline experience they help make possible. “Nothing Stood in her Way – Captain Julie Clark” is Julie’s book that captures some the difficulties about becoming a pilot and the family tragedies which struck her at such a young age. An autographed copy of Julie’s book can be purchased directly from her air show office or an unsigned copy from the publisher, Women in Aviation International – it’s a motivational story for anyone who wants to fly.
Air shows are the second most popular spectator sport in North America; only NASCAR has more spectators. As you select this year’s show list, I hope you have the good fortune of attending an air show that headlines the awesome and patriotic performance of Julie Clark’s Chevron Mentor T-34, “Serenade in Red White and Blue.”
By: John Cilio - You can contact John at: questions@vintageflyer.com