99s Then and Now

Aerobatic Pilots

Katherine Stinson ~ "The Flying Schoolgirl" For her first airshow in 1913, young Katherine Stinson shaved three years off her age and was billed as "The Flying Schoolgirl," but youthful looks and long brown curls masked a powerful ambition, business acumen, and knack for publicity. She learned well; the Stinson matriarch, Emma, was an independent-minded businesswoman who divorced her husband after Katherine, Edward, Marjorie, and Jack were born. When her eldest daughter's interest shifted from a musical to aviation career, Emma paid for her flying lessons. Katherine Stinson became the fourth U.S. woman to receive her pilot license in 1912, and soon she and her mother formed an aviation company, buying a used Wright B airplane. Stinson disassembled the plane, and carefully examined and cleaned or replaced every single wire and bolt. She was distinctive in checking her own airplane before every flight throughout her flying career. Just flying the unstable Wright B seemed a death-defying act, but it was not capable of any real aerial stunts. When other performers "looped the loop," Stinson's competitive spirit kicked in and she ordered a new airplane built to her specifications. In 1915, Stinson was the first woman to loop the loop, and soon she did the men one better by adding a "dippy twist" snap roll at the top. Magnesium flares streamed from her wingtips during night performances. For a thousand dollar fee, Stinson performed before huge crowds in cities all across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, and China. Kid sister Marjorie became the ninth licensed woman pilot in the U.S. in 1914 and the two sometimes performed together, with their brothers helping out on the ground. Later Marjorie, Eddie, and Emma formed the Stinson School of Flying in San Antonio, Texas. Katherine Stinson tried to enlist as an Army pilot during World War I, but was rejected. She drove an ambulance in France instead, contracting tuberculosis which ended her aviation career early. It was Marjorie Stinson who kept flying and became a charter member of The Ninety-Nines. Marjorie died in 1975 and Katherine in 1977.		Julie Clark and "Free Spirit" The 99s' First All-Women Air Show in 1947 featured Betty Skelton, who with her Pitts Special "Little Stinker" went on to become Feminine International Aerobatic Champion in 1948, 1949, and 1950. A list of outstanding aerobatic pilots would also include Caro Bayley, Debbie Rihn-Harvey, and Cecilia Aragon. Patty Wagstaff is the first woman U.S. National Aerobatic Champion; today she performs in her Extra 300S capable of a roll rate of 400 degrees per second and positive and negative 15 Gs. By contrast, Julie Clark must handle "Free Spirit," her Beechcraft T-34A Mentor, with great skill since it does not have a fuel or oil system designed for inverted flight. Clark got an early start in aviation, building model airplanes and flying along with her father, Pacific Airlines Captain Ernie Clark. Tragically, he and everyone on board his flight were killed in 1964 when a passenger walked into the unlocked cockpit with a gun. Undeterred, Julie Clark spent college book money on flight lessons. Today she's a Captain on the Airbus A319/320. She plans to retire in October after 27 years with Northwest Airlines, but she and "Free Spirit" will continue to perform their choreographed air dance called "Serenade in Red, White, and Blue." Like Stinson, Clark completed a full restoration of her airplane before flying it. She also learned, as Stinson did, that a successful aerobatic airshow pilot must know how to run a business - and she's proud of her 16-year relationship with the same sponsor. It certainly helps to have a natural rapport with the public; the petite blonde talks to fans after her performances, saying, "If I inspire at least one little girl at every airshow, I feel good about that." One her most memorable shows was during last year's 99s International Convention and Amelia Earhart Birthday celebration in Atchison, Kansas. "I was really honored to be part of such a neat event," Clark says. "Flying down the river that night in front of Amelia Earhart's home, the AE Birthplace and Museum, I got all choked up." And because of the time, the place, the beauty of Julie Clark's aerial ballet - so did we.
Recommended Reading Before Amelia: Women Pilots in the Early Days of Aviation by Eileen F. Lebow (2002), Katherine Stinson: The Flying Schoolgirl by Debra L. Winegarten (2000), Little Stinker by Betty Skelton (1977), Fire and Air: A Life on the Edge by Patty Wagstaff with Ann L. Cooper (1997), and On My Own: Julie Clark's Story as told to Ann Lewis Cooper (forthcoming).
99s Then and Now celebrates our history and current endeavors, and our woman pilot pioneers and peers. Aerobatic Pilots: Research and writing by Jenny T. Beatty. Photos courtesy of the Stinson-Otero Collection, Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico, and of American Aerobatics, Inc. and Mopar Parts.