So how does Miss Curtis-Taylor get out of this one? Well here are some ideas for her
PR team:
Reading the article carefully: it doesn't specifically attribute the claim that the trip will be done solo to her personally. They can claim that the paper misunderstood, and point out that it is the paper that said the flight would be "solo" and not her. It surely would have been churlish to ask them to publish a correction to what is, after all, just a minor point of detail?
Also, they can point out that it was really generous of her to allow Mr Gritsch to share some of the experience of making this solo flight in her plane. It must have been a real thrill for him to have the opportunity to see what real flying is like, especially being piloted by such a famous expert aviatrix in her own beloved genuine vintage aircraft: "My plane, the Spirit of Artemis, really is the love of my life. All I have to do is look at it and I fall for it all over again." Who could avoid shedding a tear reading that?
It is also great to see that, whilst she says she was turned down by the RAF, she obviously bears no grudge as, once again, with the selfless generosity of spirit that has characterised her behaviour throughout, she is wearing RAF wings in the picture at the top of the article.
The AWPA, LAA, HCAP et al. would have to decide if they believe all that or not, but given the history: I would imaging that HCAP at least would do so without hesitation. So it's worth giving it a go!
Me? I need another sick bag!
