Thanks SATCO, very useful. It seems that the plan was for her then to fly to Vegas, and then Colorado.
I really need confirmation of the dates of these flights if I am to confirm my suspicion.
On another note, although I'm sure this has been posted previously, I came upon this little gem. The interviewer (from Pilot mag) asked her...
If you hadn’t been flying solo, who would have been your ideal co-pilot?
and she gleefully sidestepped the issue with this VERY long winded, but ever so convincing dodge of the question....
Although this was primarily a solo flight, certainly at the outset, I often took members of the crew and sponsors with me in the Stearman for reasons of expediency or indeed just so that they could share the experience. I did one flight with Bill Sykes, a retired air force pilot and local historian, who was based in Bulawayo and we tried to find the site where Lady Heath crash landed in 1928.
I also did two wonderful flights with Ian Craig over the Lewa Conservancy where we flew just above tree level, skimming along rivers and through low lying valleys spotting rhino and elephant and the skeletal remains of murdered animals. This is one of the most beautiful parts of Africa, yet it is also a harrowing killing field where a huge 24hr a day conservation effort is being made to try and protect the wildlife from poachers. It was a real eye-opener to see this first hand and to see the fantastic work that the Tusk Trust is doing in these communities.
If I had to choose a co-pilot for my next flight, I think it would be huge fun to take Prince Harry but that might present a few security issues. I have a great friend at Boeing, Rick McCrary, who is a retired SR-71 Blackbird pilot, so a bit of a hero to me. He appreciates how special the Stearman is, so I think he would be top of my list for people to take.fo. I did one flight with Bill Sykes, a retired air force pilot and local historian, who was based in Bulawayo and we tried to find the site where Lady Heath crash landed in 1928.
I also did two wonderful flights with Ian Craig over the Lewa Conservancy where we flew just above tree level, skimming along rivers and through low lying valleys spotting rhino and elephant and the skeletal remains of murdered animals. This is one of the most beautiful parts of Africa, yet it is also a harrowing killing field where a huge 24hr a day conservation effort is being made to try and protect the wildlife from poachers. It was a real eye-opener to see this first hand and to see the fantastic work that the Tusk Trust is doing in these communities.
It was CERTAINLY a solo expedition at the outset - this she makes clear. But nevertheless it remained (she said "was") a solo expedition. She claimed her that she OFTEN took members (plural) of the crew and sponsors for "reasons of expediency or indeed just so that they could share the experience." I wonder who, in addition to Ian Craig and Bill Sykes, got a ride in the front seat - other than Ewald the engineer and very experienced ATPL pilot/instructor?