These are just a few of the descriptions of Tom Clements that were shared online as news spread about his death Oct. 19 at age 81.
Tom flew and instructed in King Airs for more than 50 years, starting as a ground and flight instructor at Beech Aircraft Corporation in 1972, continuing through his own on-site training company Flight Review and then mentoring the instructors at King Air Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, starting in 2013.
He had graduated in 1967 from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon) with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in English. He once wrote, “Little did I realize then that this unusual combination would provide the basic framework for my King Air work. The engineering knowledge allowed me to understand aircraft systems quite well and the English training allowed me to write and communicate my understanding to others.”
He wrote articles for publication as early as the 1990s and became a regular columnist in King Air magazine in 2011. His articles were the basis for “The King Air Book” that he self-published in 2009 and 2019’s “The King Air Book, Volume II.”
Tom finished his flying career in 2023 with 24,000 hours, including 16,000 in King Airs.
In 2024, he wrote in his final “Ask the Expert” column that he was ready to end his King Air training endeavors, citing medical challenges and the evolution of the product line.
“I feel quite proud to think that my depth of knowledge about King Airs is second to none, yet I realize that this depth ends with about the B200GT model and the earlier 350s,” he wrote.
You can find that December 2024 column titled “Time to Say Goodbye” along with others in the “Ask the Expert” archives at kingairmagazine.com.
“Tom’s passion for flying was only matched by his love for sharing his knowledge, helping others and living life to the fullest,” Tom’s stepson Mike Marley wrote on Facebook. “He leaves behind an incredible legacy, and seeing the love and respect pouring in from those who knew him means more to our family than words can express.”
Let’s gather more remembrances to share; send your memories of Tom to melinda@kingairmagazine.com.