She caught "the bug" in her early childhood when she would ride in the lap of her uncle at the controls of a light twin flying over the pastoral landscape near Buffalo, New York. She would continue to experience the symptoms when, during her teen years, she and a beau would spend countless hours watching airplanes come and go at what is now western Pennsylvania's Pittsburgh International Airport. And she would finally succumb to the "fever" by earning her private, commercial, MEI, CFII, and A&P after a career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department ended because of an injury. But earning her ratings was only the beginning of Nancy Clinton's intense involvement with flying and her community.
In 1992 Clinton was a member of the Long Beach Chapter of The Ninety-Nines when the organization was involved in planning activities for the dedication of the new general aviation center at Torrance Airport and the renaming of the facility to Zamperini Field in honor of local World War II hero and former prisoner of war Louis Zamperini.
When the City of Torrance proposed an annual aviation event, the nonprofit Torrance Air Fair Association was formed with Clinton as its executive director. Since the premier of the fair in 1993, it has grown to an annual event drawing excited crowds of about 15,000 fans to this small and historic hometown airport. There is always an extensive static display of pristine antique aircraft, numerous warbirds, and a large assortment of general aviation aircraft. Fans have been able to view such aircraft as a P-38 Lightning, an F-117 stealth fighter, and can even get to ride in a tri-motor Bushmaster.
The U.S. Marine Naval Air Station at Miramar usually provides an F-18 for static display, but the aircraft generally gets everyone's attention during its high-speed arrival and full afterburner takeoff. Each day, there is a complete schedule of flying events including flybys of the Northrop N9M Flying Wing, helicopter aerobatics, high-speed warbird formation flights, parachute jumping, and many other riveting events. A down-home feeling pervades the ramp, with the availability of aviation-theme souvenirs and a food court managed by local nonprofit service organizations.
Now, in addition to running the annual Torrance Air Fair, Clinton works closely with city officials and the Collings Foundation to bring the Collings B-24 and B-17 to Zamperini Field each Armed Forces Day. All of her aviation activities have one major focus: to excite young people — and especially young women — about the thrills, joys, benefits, and opportunities of flying.
For about nine months of the year, Clinton spends many hours airborne in her fully refurbished Grumman American Tiger. Whether giving flight instruction or simply escaping solo from the pressures of daily life, she says that "when I'm flying I can forget about everything else and experience pure joy."
During these nine quiet months, Clinton works with the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Squadron, the Girl Scouts, the EAA Young Eagles, and any number of youth groups with the aim of bringing young people to the airport to experience the thrill of general aviation. The remaining three months are spent "under tremendous pressure" inherent in planning the annual Air Fair. "I have been known to kick many hangar doors," says Clinton, who credits her aviation-savvy board of directors and army of volunteers for the success of the Air Fair. (The Torrance Air Fair is normally held each July, but it will not take place this year because of major construction projects under way at Zamperini Field. The event is scheduled to return in July 2002.)
But it is as a result of this pressure that Clinton can amplify her efforts to reach out to younger members of the community.
In order to capture the interest of as many children as possible, Clinton has organized contests throughout the school district in which children can compete. Of course, the first-prize winner receives an airplane ride. She plans on constantly improving the quality of the youth attractions by "providing heavy focus on the children's area."
At the end of the day, Nancy Clinton hopes that her Air Fair efforts will make women of all ages aware of the thrill of flight, just as those flights with her uncle did for her years ago.
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