One Of The First 21 Female Airline Pilots In North America

The evening of Wednesday, December 7, 2011, marked the closing of the International Council of Air Shows convention where thousands of delegates gathered for education sessions, to book air show performers and where performers put on their “game face” to make connections and book air show events.

Capping off that Wednesday evening was the presentation of the 2011 ICAS Foundation’s Air Show Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The ICAS Foundation was established in 1995 to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the air show industry. Recognizing the industry’s top performers is one of the clearest goals and purposes of the ICAS Foundation. That evening, Julie E. Clark, along with Jim and Ernie Moser; Steve Oliver and Suzanne Asbury-Oliver, were inducted into the 2011 Hall of Fame. Julie and her fellow inductees join the ranks of air show legends Art Scholl, Bill Barber, Bob Hoover, Betty Skelton and Jimmy Franklin, just to name a few.

Ms. Clark’s career in aviation began with a desire to become an airline pilot, just as her father, Captain Ernest Clark, had been. A pilot for Pacific Airlines in the 1960’s, Captain Ernest Clark and all on board fateful flight 773, were killed by a deranged passenger on May 7, 1964. Prior to the days of the required locking cockpit door, a suicidal passenger stormed the cockpit, struggled with Captain Clark, his co-pilot and a flight attendant before succumbing to their injuries and the eventual crash of the airplane. Subsequent FAA regulations requiring the use of locking cockpit doors were written for Captain Ernest Clark and flight 773.

Undeterred by her father’s death, Julie reached her goal and became one of the first 21 female airline pilots in North America. Remarkably, throughout her 28 years as an airline pilot, (achieving the title of Captain in 1983) Julie simultaneously maintained a career as an air show pilot too!  Actively performing on the air show circuit today, Julie is looking forward to an active 2012 air show season. Julie is the recipient of more than 40 individual awards spanning the last three decades. (Pictured L-R Julie’s sisters; Judy Grilli and Sharon DeVos. Center: Julie Clark and to the right, Caroline Trinkwalder, presenting.) (Photo courtesy of Clark Cook)

FMI: http://icasfoundation.org/