RAF FEATURED SUPPORTERS: JULIE BOATMAN AND STEPHEN YEATES
Anyone whose pulse quickens at the sound of a pair of Pratt & Whitney radials can identify with the passion that lifts Julie Boatman into the sky for her profession and her pleasure.
Like the perfect pairing of wine and entrée, her husband Stephen Yeates complements her skills and drive with his own passion to nurture aspiring flight students. And they both feel the draw of a quiet mountain creek or meadow, and allow time for recreational aviation among the demands of their business. They both helped at RAF work parties at Moose Creek, ID, taking up the opportunity to arrive in Daher’s loaner Kodiak, Julie flying under the expert tutelage of JC Carroll in front of a full load of materials and crew supplies for the huge fence project. “We do other philanthropic flying, but those tend to be solo efforts. The RAF brings together pilots and enthusiasts,” Julie says. “The shared physical effort creates a camaraderie where you really learn about people.” Her thoughtful reflection on the spirit of the Moose Creek project appeared in the Dec 23/Jan 24 issue of FLYING Magazine.
Closer to their Hagerstown, MD home – an hour by 182 – is what Julie calls a hidden gem, Clarion County, PA, where she and Stephen also pitched in with other RAF volunteers to reclaim the woodsy camping area. Read Julie’s take on it here.
This couple met while on professional assignments in Singapore, and bonded shortly thereafter. But it could have been anywhere in the world — Lisbon, Bangkok, Hawaii, Paris, or the UK – while engaged in their respective aviation professions. Stephen was tapping into his ~25,000 flight hours flying for the airlines, training zero-time foreign students with ATP aspirations. Julie was working for Jeppesen on the other side of that training contract. Stephen says he was impressed with “this diminutive person with a big character,” and they discovered many shared passions, aviation topping the list. They recognized in each other the desire to give something as intangible as their time — vesting their love of flying, literally around the world.
“Even though aviation’s Lingua Franca is English, there are challenges teaching students for whom English is a second language,” Julie says. An early experience as a non-native speaker during a French horseback riding lesson, “. . . taught me empathy for students who are not native English speakers,” she said. It was a valuable life lesson she taps to this day.
Stephen says that his fulfillment comes when he hears from a former student who has achieved his or her aviation dream. Acknowledging that the United States is the world’s optimum place to pursue and practice aviation, Stephen pointed out the cultural challenges foreign students face, especially the young women. Julie added that the typical non-American student may never have driven a car and may lack that mechanical exposure. “You may be starting out from scratch,” she said.
They could pilot a wide range of aircraft, but Stephen and Julie have chosen to partner in an Air Cam. The open-cockpit twin has the same wingspan as a 182, but cruises at a third the speed. “It’s perfect for aerial photography,” Stephen says, the ideal platform for his pursuit of artistic expression.
They recently marked their tenth year as an indie aviation marketing and consulting enterprise, with JulietBravoFox Media. They are equal and complementary partners who serve their clientele with the energy of start-up entrepreneurs. “It’s the perfect gig in retirement,” Stephen says. Their slightly slower schedule allows them more volunteering opportunities, including RAF projects.
Back at home, they prefer shelter animals, and have taken into their hearts and hearth cats and dogs. Julie says much of her writing is inspired while she’s walking their current rescue, a senior Vizsla.
Julie’s work reveals her deep love and mastery of aviation, and her joy in “sharing and illuminating the stories” of the aircraft, and what impels people to fly them. You can find her stories and Stephen’s photography at JulietBravoFox Media.
She and Stephen have embraced “The RAF Way” and she says, “Getting something accomplished together then sitting around the fire, enjoying the great outdoors is quality time.” She elegantly and simply says it all: “The RAF is the sum of its hearts.”
By Carmine Mowbray
Submitted October 8, 2025
Posted in Featured Supporters, News
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