A program themed on the 75th anniversary of the Beech T-34 Mentor trainer drew a crowd at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 — or was it to see Julie Clark, the T-34’s most famous air show pilot?
Watching the crowd in the stands at Warbirds in Review, it was evident Julie Clark was a compelling reason many attended the event.
Julie learned to fly in 1969, and became an airline pilot, first with the California commuter carrier Golden West Airlines, and ultimately as a Northwest Airlines captain.
But it is Julie’s decades-long association with her Beech T-34A Mentor that drew the Oshkosh crowd.
Julie told the audience that she became involved with Navy T-34Bs at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California in the 1970s. Her husband at that time was a Naval aviator and Julie had an opportunity to work as a civilian instructor there.
“I really fell in love with that airplane,” Julie told the AirVenture audience.
She was already flying aerobatic competitions in a Pitts Special biplane when she saw an advertisement offering a T-34 for sale as government surplus in a sealed bid auction in 1976. Her offer of $18,000 took the airplane, an Air Force T-34A located at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. She went to Alaska that June, and saw someone spray-painting over the Air Force markings of her new acquisition. The surplus Mentor was far from pristine.
Landing at Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada, Julie worked on the surplus T-34’s compasses, switching them because the compass for the front seat was 45° off from the correct setting in the rear seat.
Grabbing shut-eye in the women’s restroom at the Whitehorse airport, Julie then followed the Alcan Highway as she launched for California in her new acquisition.
An exploding battery sent acid over her foot and fumes in the cockpit as she motored above vast unpopulated regions, setting down when she saw a gravel airstrip. With the failed battery, Julie said she could start her T-34A with a 24-volt power cart, which she needed to find at airfields along the route home.
She told the AirVenture audience she made the flight in her surplus T-34 with the gear down.
That ratty surplus T-34A with the leaky battery and erratic compass went on to become one of the most strikingly gleaming aerobatic machines admired by air show fans for more than 40 years. It was parked on the Warbirds In Review ramp at AirVenture this year, a testament to Julie’s stewardship and piloting over the decades.
Julie told the crowd she has 11,000 hours flying this T-34, including bringing it to Oshkosh in 1979, before it was a showpiece, and camping under the wing.
“This is my ninth engine,” she said, pointing to the silver Mentor behind her.
Before her solo air show career, Julie flew as part of a three-ship T-34 group known as the Falcons team. She went solo in 1980, putting her graceful act to music.
Initially she flew to Louis Armstrong’s popular song, “What a Wonderful World.” But she said it was really too short for her act. In 1984, Lee Greenwood’s hit song “God Bless the U.S.A.” sounded right to Julie, and that became her anthem.
Sometimes called “Proud to be an American,” citing lyrics from its refrain, the song was performed live by Greenwood at an air show near the stunning St. Louis arch as Julie flew her T-34.
That match-up was magic, and Greenwood’s patriotic song became a signature accompaniment to Julie’s flying skills. At some venues, during the conclusion of her performance when she was back on the ramp she would shut down the T-34 and let it roll to a silent stop as she stood up and waved a large American flag. Safe to say, Julie Clark is proud to be an American.
After more than 40 years as an air show performer, Julie retired in 2019.
But it was evident at the T-34 anniversary session at AirVenture, which showcased Julie Clark’s vast experience with the Mentor, that her charisma and star power continues as fans lined up for autographs and selfies long after the session officially ended.
For more information: JulieClarkAirShows.com
At Mopar Division of Chrysler Corporation, we were honored to sponsor Julie and her T-34 for 19 years. Throughout that time, she was a fabulous spokesperson for us, charming everyone she met, and of course flying her terrific show performances. I was privileged to fly with her on one occasion at KPTK and it is one of my most treasured aviation memories.
I had the pleasure of working with Julie at the Fort Erie /Buffalo Airshow years ago.
The Airshow Announcer had little to do while Julie performed.
She captivated the crowd.
As a Canadian l was amazed by her T-34 performance and patriotism!
“God Bless Julie … and God Bless America!”