Originally Posted by
terry holloway
...
Nothing new is out there and it now seems from some of the posts that Boeing is the villain! Certainly the media reporting was not well handled but TCT has explained that in her statements.
Terry just to clear up a few points that are evident since this saga came to light.
1. There is plenty of "new" information out there, it just needs to be cross-checked before it is published. I also think there will be plenty more to uncover as we dig deeper - just as the Herne Bay video surfaced long after the controversy started and after the LAA had their AGM.
2. I don't see Boeing as the villain in this but they are to a large extent complicit, as are Artemis; they could have done a lot more to frap down the loose cannon. One could surmise that it suited them not to do this because of the publicity that a solo venture attracted where a dual jolly would not. Boeing press releases say it was a solo flight.
3. The media was very well handled. They were fed the yarns and ran with it. It can be shown as FACT that she used the solo aspect in interviews, press stories and general presentations she gave (Alone in an open cockpit presentation, "on my own" statement to the Telegraph, Women's Institute guest-night, Herne Bay video...shall I go on?) . I have watched far too many of her videos and there are numerous occasions where the interviewer asks about solo and TCT answers without correcting the error (Kate Tojero interview springs to mind but there are others). The media was used to the benefit of TCT, the sponsors and Bird in a Biplane Ltd.
4. The statements on the BiaB website are the biggest pieces of misdirection in this mess. They don't answer the questions at all, they don't address the issues, and they certainly insult the intelligence of some very knowledgeable people. Typically they attempt to shift the blame onto others. Have a read of them again and show us where it clears the air, bearing in mind that some of the "answers" provided have been subsequently shot down in flames. Example: From the 24 Oct statement -
I have stated publicly previously (11 June 2016) that I am deeply disappointed at the comments coming from a particular source making false assertions that my flight expeditions should have been executed as solo flights – and that I have claimed them as such.
No one has said the flight
should have been solo, unless of course that was the whole reason for Boeing and Artemis coughing up the cash. What most on here are saying is that she should never have claimed as such long after they were not. Certainly no award should have been accepted for something that turns out to be a fairly common aviation feat. As for the last sentence there, all I will say is ...Herne Bay.
..and yes, this is all mired in controversy.
I for one am glad that you came back to this thread. Your input and take on this is most welcome as would TCT's.