Julie Clark - "WOMAN OF THE YEAR"

[Eric Friedebach]

From today's ICAS Fast Facts email:

Julie Clark - "WOMAN OF THE YEAR"

Aerobatic performer and ICAS member, Julie Clark, was named "Woman of the Year" for California's 1st Senate District by Senator Dave Cox on Monday, March 5, 2007.

Julie and 39 other notable women were honored as "Women of the Year" representing each of the 40 California Senate Districts. "Being recognized as "Woman of the Year" by Senator Cox is very special. As a life-long resident and native of Northern California, I am honored to be acknowledged for my contributions to my community and to the field of aviation," said Julie Clark. "Julie's leadership and patriotism exemplifies the American Spirit," said Senator Cox.

2007 begins Julie's 28th year as a solo aerobatic performer. Ms. Clark and her T-34 "Smokin Mentor" will be appearing in numerous air shows throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico this year. For more information on American Aerobatics, go to www.americanaerobatics.com.

[mustangdriver]

Had the chance to meet her aat the Wings Over Pittsburgh, and she was very nice. That T-34 is so clean you could eat off of it.

[tom d. friedman]

i have her autograph on my wall of fame

[O.P.]

She is pretty awesome. I've met her and her Dad many times. She comes to Trojan gatherings here. She has always encouraged me when we talk, and I think her dad is one of the COG or at least was affliliated with them.

It couldn't happen to a nicer person. She has always inspired me.

[Zachary]

She is pretty awesome. I've met her and her Dad many times. She comes to Trojan gatherings here. She has always encouraged me when we talk, and I think her dad is one of the COG or at least was affliliated with them.

It couldn't happen to a nicer person. She has always inspired me.

I'm fairly certain her father was killed by hijackers in the 1960s, but I guess I could be wrong about that.

Zack

[mustangdriver]

i have her autograph on my wall of fame

Same here. She is pretty cool.

[O.P.]

She is pretty awesome. I've met her and her Dad many times. She comes to Trojan gatherings here. She has always encouraged me when we talk, and I think her dad is one of the COG or at least was affliliated with them.

It couldn't happen to a nicer person. She has always inspired me.

I'm fairly certain her father was killed by hijackers in the 1960s, but I guess I could be wrong about that.

Zack

Huh? Didn't know that

Might be an uncle or a grandfather, I guess. Everytime I have been around her, he was there. I thought he was her dad, but, I just read her bio, I didn't know that about her.

He wears the COG hat with the F86 on it.

[Jack Cook]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Air_Lines_Flight_773
Very sad. Remeinds me of the loss of Wildcat owner/pilot Jim Nunn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSA_Flight_1771

[Roger Cain]

She is pretty awesome. I've met her and her Dad many times. She comes to Trojan gatherings here. She has always encouraged me when we talk, and I think her dad is one of the COG or at least was affliliated with them.

It couldn't happen to a nicer person. She has always inspired me.

If I recall correctly, he man with Julie that you've met is named Roger, and I think he's her Manager or Crew Chief.

Julie Clarks father perished along with my buddies father (Paul Bell, a passenger) on May 7, 1964, flying from Reno Nv, headed to San Francisco Airport. Julie's father was a pilot on a Pacific Airlines Fairchild-Fokker F27A (N2770R) that crashed in San Ramon, California. It was believed that the despondent man who killed the pilots and then took his own life, that his family would collect the insurance. Besides killing all 44 on board, my buddies mom became an alcoholic, and it permanently messed up his brother. More below:

From: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... 74,00.html

DEATH WISH

In terse, flat language, a Civil Aero nautics Board investigative report last week laid down its chilling conclusion: "The total evidence clearly indicates that the captain and first officer of Flight 773 were shot by a passenger. As a result, the uncontrolled aircraft began the descent which ended in impact with the hill."

Forty-one passengers and a crew of three, on Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 bound from Reno to San Francisco, had died in a pyre of flaming gasoline on the morning of last May 7, when the plane plunged into a hill near San Ramon, Calif. Amid the wreckage, investigators found a .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum revolver containing six empty cartridges. Soon they learned that the weapon had been purchased in San Francisco the night before by Francisco Paula Gonzales, 27, a San Francisco warehouse man long besieged by marital and financial problems.

Naming the Dates. As they dug deeper into the warped world of Frank Gonzales, investigators discovered that he had been bent on suicide and had broadcast the fact far and wide. "Mr. Gonzales had advised both friends and relatives that he would die on either Wednesday, the 6th of May, or Thursday, the 7th of May," said the CAB report. "He referred to his impending death on a daily basis throughout the week preceding the accident."

They learned that when he left San Francisco for Reno the evening of May 6, he was carrying the revolver and that he had purchased $105,000 worth of insurance at the airport. They learned that during his night of gambling after he reached Reno, he had told a casino employee that he didn't care how much he lost because "it won't make any difference after tomorrow."

When Flight 773 took off from Reno at 5:54 the next morning, Gonzales was aboard. During the flight, Pilot Ernest A. Clark, 52, and Copilot Ray E. Andress, 31, radioed reports of routine conditions. They landed on schedule at Stockton, Calif., took off again at 6:38 a.m. after two passengers had deplaned and ten had come aboard to finish the trip to San Francisco. For ten minutes out of Stockton, all went normally. Then, reports the CAB, "at 06:48:15, a high-pitched message was heard and recorded on the Oakland Approach Control tape." It was garbled. The controller snapped: "Say again." There was no answer. Even after laboratory analysis of the radio tape, the best the investigators could do was come up with a message: "Skipbers shot. We're ben shot. Tryin' ta help."


Without Question. Flight 773 had plunged to earth. At 6:51 a.m., a United Air Lines pilot made his radio report: "There's a black cloud of smoke coming up through the undercast. Looks like oil or gasoline fire." At the scene, investigators found the cockpit had been demolished. But on a bit of tubing from the pilot's seat, they discovered a small, lead-scarred dent caused by a bullet. Said the report: "Measurements place the bullet indentation directly in line of fire between the captain's back and anyone standing in the aisleway between and slightly to the rear of the captain's and first officer's seats."