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GARFIELD
COUNTY, COGENWEB PROJECT
Betty Clark - Pilot
Betty Clark was born in Rifle Sept 2, 1919.
Her father was the dentist Lawrence Clark, and important to
our history, he owned an Eaglerock airplane. She took her
first plane ride with him, and it cemented her interest in
flying.
Betty graduated high school in Rifle, then
attended Colorado College. Some other records say Denver
University and U. of Colorado, but I found her at CC. She
worked for a short time an an x-ray technician, then
obtained her pilots license, soloing at Stapleton Airport
November 26, 1942.
She enlisted in the Womens Army
Service Program May 23, 1943 and became a pilot in support
roles, serving from 1943 to 1944, flying the PT-17 Stearman,
B-25, B-26, Bell P-63 Kingcobra, and P-51 Mustang. After the
war, she served in the Air Force Reserves from 1949 to 1958,
discharging as a Captain.
Back in Colorado, she joined
and flew with the Civil Air Patrol from 1942 to 1950 and was
a 2Lt. She worked at Vest Aircraft in Denver from 1946 to
1950.
In 1953, she moved to Glenwood to be a charter and
instructor pilot, and first started crop dusting. She
purchased Rader Flight Service and later Mile High Aviation
at Rifle and operated an FBO.
On Aug 15. 1979, she and
partner Pat Sullivan sold out to the county and moved to
Grand Junction. She passed away Aug 29, 1999.
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