Julie Clark was born to fly. While most young girls were playing with dolls, Clark was building model airplanes and reading all she could about flying. Her father was also a pilot for Pacific Airlines, which is what initially ignited her passion for flying. “‘My dad got me interested in flying,’” recalled Clark. “‘I got really excited when he would take me along on airline flights… Dad would put me into the baggage compartment and then, from inside the airplane, he [would open] the baggage bin and [sneak] me into the cockpit. I had to beg and plead, but I thought that was the greatest thing.’”

This, however, was not an experience that would endure for much longer, for in 1964, Clark’s father, Ernie, was involved in a tragedy that would change her life forever.

One day, Captain Ernie Clark was filling in for a pilot who had called in sick. He was en route from Nevada to Oakland when a passenger entered the cockpit with a gun, killing Captain Clark and his first officer, and subsequently everyone onboard. In the 60’s, pilots were not required to keep the door to their cockpits locked, and therefore the gunman entered the cockpit with absolutely no resistance. Later, a law would be passed requiring pilots to lock the cockpit doors.

While, to most people, this would be an extremely discouraging event, for Clark it made her all the more determined to live out her father’s legacy and become a pilot. This greater determination would lead her to her first piloting job for Golden West Airlines. Later, she would become one of the first women to fly for a major airline by flying for Hughes Airwest, and in 1984 she became a captain for Northwest Airlines. After an extensive career with these airlines, she retired from Northwest in 2004.

In 1980, Clark had founded an air show company, then named Julie Clark’s American Aerobatics—now simply, American Aerobatics—which led to her dedication to, now, nearly 31 years of solo aerobatic air show flying. During this time she has garnered innumerable awards including the Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship Award and an induction into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame of Women in Aviation, International. Also, she has since logged over 31,000 accident-free hours in the air and is truly a sight to behold; and on this 25th and 26th of June, Clark’s mesmerizing aerobatics will be on full display at the Ada Air Expo.

Her routine has been described as graceful, remarkable, elegant, and even rugged. With experience, dedication, and determination, Clark is sure to be a crowdpleaser, as she takes her restored T-34—dubbed “Free Spirit”—to the limits of its operating capability.

The T-34 is a plane that demands exceptional skill to perform aerobatics and Clark’s years of experience has honed her coordination and responsiveness to mind-blowing heights. This coordination and responsiveness leads to a routine that is “remarkable in its beauty and splendor.” Her unique and patriotic routine entitled, “Serenade in Red, White and Blue.” is sure to wow fans of all ages. The routine is breathtakingly choreographed to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” and to enhance her presentation, multi-colored wing-tip smoke trail her every maneuver as she concludes her performance with crowdpleasing pyrotechnics.

Julie Clark’s show is definitely one that no one would want to miss; therefore, every resident of Ada and Pontotoc County should make sure to attend the Ada Air Expo on the 25th and 26th of June. They won’t be disappointed.

*All information and quotes for this article were acquired through Julie Clark’s promotional website, americanaerobatics.com.

by: Josh Forrester

Each year, in conjunction with the Ada Air Expo is the Ada Lions Club Pigs Can Fly KCBS State Championship BBQ Cook-off. Pigs Can Fly is an annual fundraiser for the Ada Lions Club. Last year, the club made more than $10,000, which was used to provide local residents with eye exams and glasses, and fund other Lions projects.

More than 30 teams from five states competed last year for $5,000 in prize money courtesy of Hoppe Construction and Kim’s Tanning, and a spot at the KCBS national contest.

Hoppe Construction and Kim’s Tanning once again are the main sponsors of the barbecue for this year’s event. Total prize money for the 2010 BBQ Cook-off has been increased to $6,000.

by Jennifer Quidas

Women have always played an important role in aviation, and not always from the background.

For instance, Elizabeth Thible of France is cited as the first female to leave earth. She floated more than a mile above ground in a hot air balloon in 1784. By 1834, 22 women in Europe were piloting their own balloons on solo flights.

But Europe wasn’t the only place where women were making their mark. In the 1880s, Mary Myers of New York was one of the first female balloonists in America to make a solo flight.

Katherine Wright, sister to Orville and Wilbur Wright, was instrumental to her brothers’ successes in the early 1900s. She was called “the third Wright brother” by contemporaries of the time.

In 1908, Tiny Broadwick became the first person to make a parachute jump from a hot air balloon. She was 15 years old. She later demonstrated parachute jumping from aircraft to the US Army.

On March 8 , 1910, French Baroness Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman to earn a pilot’s license. That milestone is being honored across the globe this year with numerous events.

In 1911, Harriet Quimby became the first licensed female pilot in the United States. Bessie Coleman became the first licensed African-American pilot in 1921. In 1928, Pearl Carter Scott, a Chickasaw, became the youngest licensed female pilot at 13 years old.

Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932. In 1938, Hanna Reitsch becomes the first licensed female helicopter pilot.

And let’s not forget the contributions made by the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD). These organizations later merged together to become the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots or WASPs. These courageous women flew aircraft from factories to aerodromes to free up military pilots needed for combat missions. They were flight instructors, replacing men who had gone to war. They were eventually given veteran status for their wartime efforts.

Also making tremendous contributions to aviation during wartime were the Rosie the Riveters. These were the mothers, wives and daughters of the fighting men. Rosies were the working women of World War II, who helped the war effort from the home front. They worked in munitions plants, shipyards and airplane manufacturing plants, just to name a few.

Fast forward to 1963. Russian Valenhtina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. In 1979, six women were selected by NASA as astronaut candidates. In 1983, Sally K. Ride became the first US woman astronaut.

These are but a few examples of the accomplishments of woman in aviation. As the industry advances, you can be sure women will continue to be in the forefront.

By Jennifer Quidas

Ray Stout, who flew with the 405th Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group, said the roughest combat missions he flew in World War II were to Wewak, New Guinea.

Prior to his death June 14, 2003, Stout wrote that of the 59 combat missions he flew, the missions to Wewak really stood out in his memory. “They could be called rough and tough missions, and in my opinion, they were. As I look back from the vantage point of time it is easy to understand why I will never forget Wewak,” he wrote.

The crews that flew with the 405th Bomb Squadron were known as “Green Dragons.” A large green dragon was the nose art on all the squadron’s B-25s. “The Green Dragon was visible from the ground when we made low level strafing runs,” Stout wrote. “Tokyo Rose spoke of us often however, her words were not kind. Although the Green Dragon
was attractive nose art, it may have incurred extra harsh treatment for downed crews taken prisoner by the Japanese.

There were many incidents during combat in which I was just plain lucky. In fact, some of my friends began to call me Lucky. I suppose I was willing to let fate control my destiny. Fate was really kind to me in my early combat days.”

Those early missions included strafing and bombing the Japanese Dagua airstrip at low level, 20 to 100 feet, on Aug. 21, 1943. The next month, the squadron flew a second mission to destroy ships carrying supplies to Wewak.

Stout grew up in Allen and graduated from Allen High School. He received
his Bachelor of Arts in government and history and also a Master’s Degree from
East Central University. He did graduate work at the University of Nevada and then returned to Oklahoma where he received his doctorate in administration and education from the University of Oklahoma.

He was employed at General Motors and taught in public schools in Nevada, California and Oklahoma. He was a professor in the ECU Education Department and served as dean of the graduate studies and continuing Education at ECU.

He served on Ada City Council for 20 years and as mayor of Ada for five terms.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry and later started flying and served as an education staff officer. He served in three wars, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

He joined the National Guard in 1939 and went into the infantry for two years. From there, he went into the Army Air Corps in 1942.

He married Betty Jo Hopkins Feb. 2, 1950, who survives.

by Tony Pippen