Would you not agree that taking along a qualified pilot in the front cockpit plus a number of men in a second aircraft rather detracts from demonstrating that women can fly solo for long distances?
Yes.
Not that it needed demonstrating. Several women have already done so - solo in every sense. (And pre GPS.) Some of them have been mentioned in this thread.
In the various threads on this topic, I have explained the rationale behind the Air Pilots' award, and corrected some of Jay Sata's absurd claims about the organisation.
I haven't expressed any opinion either way about the award, and won't.