AIN Contributor

Sheryl Barden

Last Friday, I attended what many call the “Oscars of Aviation”—the National Aviation Hall of Fame ceremony. Among the enshrinees were my friends Julie Clark and Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton.
While their paths in aviation could not be more different, both broke barriers in the mid-1970s. Julie became one of the first female captains for a major airline. Fig made history as the first African-American pilot to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.
Having served on the NAHF board of nominations for 20 years, seeing Julie and Fig honored was especially meaningful. Their stories carry the power to inspire generations.
Before the ceremony, I asked them about leadership, advice for the next generation, and their words to underrepresented groups. What follows blends their acceptance speeches with our conversations.
<h2>Julie Clark’s Trailblazing Flight</h2>
Julie’s passion for aviation began at just eight years old, when her airline pilot father invited her to fly a full-day trip with him in a DC-3. “That day lit a fire in my soul and my heart,” she recalled. “From that moment on, I knew aviation was going to be my true passion.”
Her journey to the professional flight deck wasn’t easy, especially in the 1970s. “It took the airline more than nine months to decide whether they were ready for their first pilot with indoor plumbing, if you will,” she laughed. “But they took a chance on me, and that single leap of faith launched a career that has given me more than I could ever have dreamed.”
During her captain upgrade training, Julie’s view of leadership crystallized: “In the mid-1980s, it was no longer the captain’s airplane. It transitioned to a crew concept.” The flight deck culture had shifted, she explained. “Back when my dad was flying, the captain was God of the airplane. The first officer just sat there and kept quiet.”
But Julie embraced crew resource management. “If you see something that doesn’t look right, doesn’t smell right, doesn’t taste right, you let me know,” she said. “Everybody may know a little bit more about something else, but we all work toward the same goal—flying safely.”
Her passion extended beyond commercial aviation. “My other aviation passion has always been aerobatics,” Julie said. After airshows, people often complimented her flying. She’d joke back: “I know how to fly like this because I truly cannot do anything else.”
For more than three decades, Julie flew her restored T-34 Mentor, Free Spirit, dazzling millions at airshows around the world. She became one of the most beloved performers in the industry, known for her patriotic routines choreographed to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” Her airshow career earned her multiple awards and cemented her place as a pioneer for women in aerobatics.
For her, aviation was always more than flying. “It’s the people and the moments that remind me that courage, connection, and especially humor are as important as skill.”
<h2>Fig’s Journey Never Slowed Down</h2>
“No one ever imagined this little boy from a farm in South Carolina could one day join the ranks of these legends,” Fig told the audience, naming heroes such as Neil Armstrong, Chuck Yeager, and Mae Jemison.
Growing up as one of 10 children in the pre-civil rights era, his parents held fast to three unshakable beliefs: work hard, treat all people with respect and kindness, and keep your children in school. “Those lessons became my wings,” he explained.
Teachers, professors, and Air Force leaders encouraged him along the way, opening doors he didn’t even know existed. Still, there were doubters. He recalled a college classmate who once told him, “You don’t really think they will let you fly an airplane, do you?” Years later, after joining the Thunderbirds, Fig admitted he wished he could have shown that classmate his name painted on the side of his jet.
His career spanned 269 combat missions in Vietnam, the Thunderbirds, and command of the Air Education and Training Command as a four-star general. Later, he moved into civilian leadership roles, including at Pratt &amp; Whitney, and deepened his perspectives into the commercial and business aviation industries. One lesson stayed constant: “For me, it was really all about people. Every organization, every workforce—it doesn’t work unless you have great people to make it really operate.”
Fig emphasized respect at every level. “Everybody wants to feel valued and respected, no matter what level they are in the organization,” he said. “If even the most junior employee feels like they are as much of a team member as the person sitting in the C-suite, then you’ve got an organization that’s synchronized and harmonized. And it’s going to produce in an unbelievable way.”
<h2>Advice for Leaders and the Next Generation</h2>
Both Julie and Fig spoke about how leadership ripples out beyond the workplace. Fig said, “The real feeling comes when you’ve had the opportunity to impact someone’s life, particularly in a positive way, and then you can see them develop as they grow and help take care of other people. That legacy stays with you so much longer. Human experiences go on forever and ever and ever.”
Julie agreed, in her own style: “Keep your wits about you, keep your knowledge, do the very best you physically can do. We’re here to help each other.”
Both offered advice to those coming up, especially women and underrepresented groups. Fig didn’t sugarcoat it: “There will be folks who will throw roadblocks in your way, but you just can’t let that deter you. You’ve got to always have the hopes and the dreams that I’m going to go out and do my very best. When someone throws a roadblock in your way, there will be many, many other people that will figure out how to unclog that road for you. You just have to keep pressing ahead and working at it.”
Fig also reminded future leaders of two fundamentals: “First, you want to treat people—no matter what the circumstances are—with the greatest respect you possibly can. Second, you always want to be part of something much bigger than yourself. It’s not about you, it’s not about me—it’s about all of us. With real relationships and teamwork, we can make almost anything happen.”
Julie reflected on her own early years as a pilot, when she was dismissed as “the girl from San Joaquin.” Her advice was equally candid: “Always make yourself a little bit better in knowledge. Work a little bit harder, because you’re going to be looked at. Be one step above, because there’s always going to be someone judging you. Keep dreaming and make it a reality. Don’t let anybody throw you off course. Don’t listen to negative folks. Walk away, stay on course, and don’t play the victim game.”
She added one more reminder: “Pass on your knowledge. It’s not just one person. It’s a group effort. Everybody has something to input. Add it to the collection bowl of knowledge and share, because that’s where success evolves.” She pledged to continue leading the next generation—especially young women who dare to fly and chase their dreams.
As Fig accepted the Hall of Fame honor, he made clear it wasn’t just about him. “I accept this honor not for myself, but for Mom and Dad, and for every young person who’s ever been told their dreams are too big. For every kid on the back roads of Ridgeland, South Carolina, who dared to look up and believe they could touch the sky. Let’s keep believing, keep climbing—as one people, as one nation, with one destination: the pursuit of happiness and peace for all.”
<h2>Carrying Their Legacy Forward</h2>
Watching them stand together on that stage in Wichita, I thought about the thousands of lives they’ve touched. Julie broke barriers and inspired generations through her airline career and airshow performances. Fig shaped future leaders in the Air Force, the aviation industry, and beyond.
Their leadership isn’t about the spotlight. It’s about resilience, service, and the ripple effect of caring for others. Julie reminded us: “Keep dreaming, keep flying, and never let anything stand in your way.” Fig charged us: “Let’s keep believing, keep climbing—as one people, as one nation.”
That, I believe, is what makes them not just Hall of Famers, but role models for every aviation leader today.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by AIN Media Group.

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