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Julie Clark Retires from Airshow Circuit

Julie Clark performed her final air show in her T-34 Mentor at her home field in Ranch Murieta, California.
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Key Takeaways:

  • Pioneering female pilot Julie Clark concluded her 41-year solo air show career on October 19, 2019, with a final performance in her Beechcraft T-34A Mentor for friends and family.
  • Clark was a trailblazer in commercial aviation, becoming the first and only female pilot for Golden West Airlines and one of the first women to fly for a major commercial airline, serving as a Northwest Airlines captain for 20 years.
  • She performed her aerobatic routine in her personally restored Beechcraft T-34A Mentor, an aircraft she acquired in 1977 and noted for its challenging handling characteristics during maneuvers.
  • With over 33,000 flight hours and an induction into the Women in Aviation International Aviation Hall of Fame, Clark has ended her air show career but plans to continue flying.
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After 41 years of flying her solo air show, wowing crowds with her gracious aerobatic dance, female pilot pioneer Julie Clark flew her last airshow last month. Instead of going out in front of a massive audience at one of the major air shows she has performed at many times, she decided to make her final show in front of her friends and family at her home field. Clark flew her Beechcraft T-34A Mentor at the Julie Clark Homecoming Air Show in Rancho Murieta, California—the conclusion of Julie’s 2019 Farewell Tour—on October 19, her unmistakable platinum blond hair blowing in the wind as she taxied out.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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