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Julie
Clark
 2007 launched Julie Clark’s new sponsorship
and commitment with Chevron Global Aviation, a subsidiary of
Chevron Products Company. Thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful American
company, Julie has embraced Chevron Global Aviation just like an old friend and
flies the newly painted and beautifully restored CHEVRON MENTOR T-34.
With her sparkling personality and the graceful
aerobatics that have endeared her to her legions of faithful fans, Julie Clark’s
air show routine takes the CHEVRON MENTOR, her restored T-34, “Free Spirit,”
to the limits of its operating capability. Julie’s CHEVRON MENTOR T-34
demands exceptional skill to perform aerobatics and Julie’s experience has
honed her co-ordination and responsiveness in delicate balance. Julie’s
aerobatic routine is remarkable in its beauty and splendor and even more
remarkable in that she exhibits elegance in an airplane with flying manners
best be described as rugged. Her unique and patriotic presentation, “Serenade
in Red, White and Blue,” is breathtakingly choreographed to Lee Greenwood’s
“God Bless the USA” or “God Bless You Canada.” To enhance her routine,
multi-colored wing-tip smoke trails her every maneuver and she concludes her
performance with crowd-pleasing pyrotechnics, dazzling fireworks.
A pilot for more than 38 years and a retired
Northwest Airlines Captain, Julie Clark has logged more than 29,000
accident-free hours in the air and is rated in more than 66 types of aircraft.
With over 28 years as an aerobatic air show pilot, Julie has earned the
admiration of fans everywhere and garnered many awards and honors. In March of
2002, Julie received perhaps her highest honor with induction into the Women in
Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame of Women in Aviation, International. The Hall of
Fame recognizes the significant contributions women have made to the aviation
industry as record setters, pioneers or innovators. “Being inducted into this
outstanding Hall of Fame is a great thrill for me,” said Clark. “Being
honored at this level for doing something that I truly love makes this
induction even more special.”
In 2006 and again in 2007, Julie was honored by Airport
Journals as one of the Top 40 “Living Legends in Aviation”, with the
likes of Bob Hoover, Gene Cernan, Chuck Yeager, Morgan Freeman and Harrison
Ford. Julie was the only woman named in the Top 10 of Favorites for 2006. In
2007, Julie was named “Woman of the Year” by Senate District 1, by the
California Senate. Julie was honored for her contributions to her local
community and the community of aviation.
Her other equally thrilling awards include receiving the
prestigious Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship award during the 30th
Annual International Council of Airshows Convention. In 1981, Julie was the
youngest recipient of the “Woman Pilot of the Year Award,” bestowed by the
Southwest Section of The Ninety-Nines, the female pilot’s association whose
first president was Amelia Earhart. General Aviation News has also named
Julie “Performer of the Year” as well as “Favorite Female Performer”
for throughout her lengthy career. Julie, whose dedication to aviation has led
many to label her as a legend in her own time, has been recognized by the FAA,
in Washington, D.C., with the meritorious Certificate of Appreciation
for the following areas: Outstanding Contribution to Professional Women in
Aviation, Contribution to the Preservation of Military Aircraft and
Contribution to Women Pioneers in Aviation. The Certificate of Appreciation
had only been presented six times when it was presented to Julie.
Julie is very proud that her fellow air show
pilots selected her as recipient of the 1991 “Bill Barber Award for
Showmanship.” Dave Weiman of World Airshow News presented the award
and said, “Through a combination of pilot skill, imagination, personality,
attitude and a style all her own, Julie Clark displays the qualities of a true
showman and projects a positive image of the professional air show performer.”
Julie has also been inducted into the International Women’s Air & Space
Museum and in 1993, for her exceptional contribution to aviation; Julie was
inducted into the “Forest of Friendship” at Amelia Earhart’s residence in
Atchison, Kansas.
Julie is one of the few air show greats to be
featured in a biography; her amazing story is told in NOTHING STOOD IN HER
WAY, Julie Clark, which was the first such biography published by Women in
Aviation, International and tells of the amazing strengths and perseverance of
this remarkable air show star. From one coast to another, from Canada to
Bermuda, Julie’s elegant performance stirs the hearts and minds of young and
old alike. Painting smoke-trailing loops, rolls and hammerheads in patriotic
red, white and blue, her aerial ballet thrills those fortunate enough to be
enjoying the performance from the ground.
The Plane
T-34
 The
T-34 Mentor was the brainchild of Walter Beech. Following
W.W.II Beech began the T-34 design based on his Beechcraft
Model 35 Bonanza. Although no defense budget existed at the
time for a new trainer model, Beech developed the T-34 as a
private venture, hoping to sell it to the military as a more
economical alternative to the North American T-6/NJ then in
use by all services.
During 1948 Beech
completed three concept aircraft which were based on the A-35
Bonanza and designated Model 45 by the company. While Beech
included a V-tail similar to the Bonanza in this group, the
final design emerged with the more conventional tail for the
benefit of a conservative military.
The first flight was
on December 2, 1948 by company test pilot Vern Carstens.
Following a demonstration for the Air Force, they ordered
production of three military test aircraft with the military
designation YT-34.
First flown in 1949,
the Mentor was demonstrated by famed acrobatic pilots Bevo
Howard and Betty Skelton at the Cleveland Airshow.
The T-34 eventually
won a long competition to determine a new trainer but Walter
Beech did not live to see production. He died of a heart
attack in 1950. The T-34 went into service with the USAF
(T-34A) in 1953, and with the U.S. Navy (T-34B) in 1955. It
was also license built in Canada, Japan and Argentina. T-34A
production ran from 1953 to 1956.
Restoration
fans will appreciate that Julie bought her Beechcraft T-34A in
1977, "sight unseen" at a government surplus
auction, in Anchorage, Alaska, for $18,000. She flew the
airplane, dubbed "Free Spirit", 2900 miles to her
home in California. Julie then personally began the
painstaking process of restoring the hand-polished, aluminum
airplane inside and out. "Over the next four years, I
spent many long hours bringing the airplane back to mint
condition" says Clark, "and it requires daily
maintenance to keep it that way".
Beginning
with her own creative version of the "Air Force One"
paint theme, the aircraft is constantly undergoing upgrading
and modification. The CHEVRON MENTOR T-34 proudly sports a
Golden Eagle Series 285 hp custom engine built by Eagle
Engines of Redding, California, which is coupled to a Hartzell
three-bladed prop by Eagle Engines’ sister company, American
Propeller, also of Redding.
Julie
chose the T-34A because she had flown many hours in T-34’s
while a civilian instructor for the U.S. Navy at Lemore Naval
Air Station in 1974-75. She was Navy trained in tactical
maneuvers, formation flying and aerobatics. Although T-34
aircraft saw countless hours as trainers, for both the U.S.
Air Force and Navy pilots, in the 1950’s, the airplane
demands tremendous skill to fly aerobatics.
Julie
explains, " the T-34 requires great concentration and
anticipation during aerial maneuvers, as the aircraft does not
have an inverted oil or fuel system, so inverted flight must
be very carefully calculated.
Julie is a member of
the T-34 Association and a strong supporter of warbird
preservation. For an illustrated history read Lou Drendel’s
book, "T-34 Mentor in Action" (ISBN 0-89747-249-7)
by Squadron/Signal Publications, 1115 Crowley Drive,
Carrollton, TX 75011-5010.
T-34 A/B
SPECIFICATIONS
| Wingspan:
32’9" |
| Length:
25’9" |
| Height:
10’6" |
| Empty
Weight: 2250 Lbs |
| Max
Gross Weight: 2950 Lbs |
| Engine:
Continental 6 Cyl. IO-520 285hp |
| Max
Speed: 214 Knots |
| Cruise
Speed: 160 Knots |
| Service
Ceiling: 20,000 feet |
| Range:
500 Miles |
| Initial
Rate of Climb: 1,000 FPM |
http://www.americanaerobatics.com
See more exciting air show
photos in the AirVenture
photo gallery.
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