If you have certain skills, the proper connections and are in the right place at the right time, you can expect to have some fun adventures in aviation, according to 21-year-old Aubrey G. Clark, of Morganton, North Carolina.
In March, Clark had the opportunity to fly a freshly-restored 1939 J-3 Cub, NC23438, from Foothills Regional Airport (KMRN) in Morganton, North Carolina, to Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL), in Lakeland, Florida, for Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo held March 28 to April 2.
According to Clark, the aircraft is owned by Cecil “D” Bradford of Huntersville, North Carolina. She met him through a friend of a friend, and he hired her to fly the Cub to the Expo so that it could compete in the vintage aircraft competition.
The aircraft was an attention getter because the traditional paint scheme is inverted—instead of the usual Cub yellow with black accents, this airplane is black with yellow accents.
“This model came from the factory like this, black with a yellow lightning bolt,” said Clark. “It originally had a 3-cylinder radial engine, the ‘Papoose,’ as it was called, that shot oil down the sides of the aircraft as it ran. Today the airplane has an A-65 engine.”
Clark started flying in 2020 just after graduating from high school. She holds a commercial certificate for both single- and multiengine airplanes, and has an instrument rating as well as a tailwheel endorsement.
She began her career in aviation as a customer service representative at Hickory Regional Airport (KHKY) and made it a point to learn as much as she could on the job, which included being trained as a line technician.
“Cross training for both is a little rare at Hickory, but I begged and badgered so that I could learn as much about airport operations as I could,” Clark said. “All of the things I learned about the industry there armed me with a set of invaluable skills and background knowledge I used at each and every stop on my way to and from Sun ‘n Fun.”
After she earned her pilot certificate she started building her hours as a tow pilot at Thermal Valley Hang Gliding at Foothills Regional Airport (KMRN) where, in her words, she has the “Opportunity to share the magic of flying with folks who would not ordinarily have the chance to experience it, and I enjoy every moment.”
An Airplane of Her Own
Clark began working at the age of 15 and with the goal of buying her own airplane. As entry-level aviation jobs don’t pay much, she realized she needed a partner to help cover the costs of aircraft ownership. She entered a partnership with a friend who holds an A&P certificate. The pair were freshly minted tailwheel pilots when they decided to buy an Aeronca Champ because it was what they could afford. According to Clark, when her parents found out she was shopping for a loan to pay for her half of the airplane they stepped in to help.
“With the high interest rates the banks were offering at the beginning of this economic recession, I would likely be paying for that loan for all of eternity had they not offered to loan me funds,” she said. “I created a monthly loan budget, proposed a payment plan, and I am slowly repaying them. I owe my ownership of the airplane to them, first and foremost. I am so grateful that I have parents who deeply care about my well-being and career success, and I know there are plenty of people out there who don’t have that kind of support.”
Clark was warned that the approximately 575 nm journey from North Carolina to Sun ‘n Fun would be a challenge.
“People thought I was crazy for doing it,” she laughed. “For starters, the Cub is one of those airplanes that doesn’t get you someplace quickly because of the winds,” she said. “On the first day, I flew for six or seven hours with a very handsome 30 knot tailwind. I was doing 100 across the ground and that was a wonderful treat as I usually was going 55 or 60. On the second day I had close to 12 hours of flying because of crazy headwinds.”
She departed on March 26 and arrived on March 27 just before sunset. The route on the flight home was approximately 503 nm, for a grand total of 1,078 miles. Learning took place during the adventure.
The Cub, said Clark, can behave like a mean horse if the pilot over controls it.
“You need to understand the problem is you, not the airplane,” she said. “It’s an easy airplane to fly if you listen to it and don’t fight the weather.”
Clark learned this from Steve Yancey, the mechanic who restored the airplane.
“He’s an artist,” she said, “He told me, ‘Aubrey, A: don’t tell the weather where you are going to go, let the weather guide you, and B: let it take you there. He was talking about the thermals. Let them take you up. When I fly I dangle my hand out the window and I can feel and see the heat when it picks up the airplane. You have to listen to the airplane and don’t let it throw you into a storm.”
According to Clark, Yancey started working on the Cub restoration in June 2018 and was putting the finishing touches on the airplane just a day before she launched for Sun ‘n Fun.
“It’s completely period correct down to each and every detail,” she said. “The aircraft does not have an electrical system, therefore no ADS-B, lights, on board radios, or even a starter. Even the location of the magneto switches and fuel cutoff is in its original position on the lower left front side of the cockpit, which Steve always told me was probably a poor design.”
Learning To Be Flexible
Clark worked her way south flying around or waiting out weather systems. The Cub, she noted, is one of those airplanes that puts you in touch with the environment.
“Not only was it extremely gratifying to assess the weather on the ground and to plan different routes to adapt to unexpected conditions, but observing the weather as it passed was sublime. As storms dissipated it left a trail of small, gentle clouds settled low in the calm air. The blossoming trees and greenery below seemed fresher and greener than before it had stormed,” she said. “I am now a firm believer that one of the best ways to observe nature is from 500 feet above ground in a slow cub without the doors.”
Clark plans for a career in missionary aviation. “I want to fly into jungles and deliver supplies to people and have adventures and help at the same time. It seems like an awesome thing to me, like the Lone Ranger and Robin Hood and Amelia Earhart combined, I mean shoot, how could you go wrong?”
As for the Cub, it came home from Sun ‘n Fun with an award: Antique Bronze Age, Most Unique.
