Female pilot single-handedly flies around the world


Thats the ABC online headline.

Strewth, now she's done it with only one hand.

So says the ABC



CC

Whilst I agree with the majority of poster's feelings on here, especially that it's all done easier nowadays, it is still nonetheless an awesome achievement t that most of us may never get to attempt.

Also, my experience dealing with the media convinces me that the incorrect reporting is most likely because of the reporters or editors involved.

As many have stated, it wasn't really "SOLO".

Quote from BBC - "Some early reports suggested it was a solo flight - Ms Curtis-Taylor was the only pilot to fly the vintage bi-plane, but she had a support team of engineers travelling with her in a separate aircraft, as well as a camera crew, who would sometimes sit in with her."

Tracey Curtis-Taylor finishes UK to Australia biplane flight - BBC News

So regardless of a support aircraft with engineers and another POB, still a great achievement.

Social media has identified that the front seat "passenger" may always be a highly experienced Stearman pilot who also restores them. (That includes this particular aircraft.) His name is perhaps Edvald and he comes from Austria?

Maybe you don't.

But a photo of the cockpit of the Stearman she was piloting showed there was no artificial horizon - only a Turn and Bank Indicator.

That really surprised me especially as on a long trip like that she was bound to be caught occasionally in mist and in less than VMC with no visible horizon forcing her to fly on basic primary panel instruments AND looking at her instruments through goggles. That takes excellent instrument flying ability with no AH.

I reckon CASA should give her an Honorary Australian ATPL for her dedication and instrument flying skill. :ok:

I'd like to first see the panel in the front cockpit, though.

CASA is getting in on the act it seems with promoting this 'solo' flight in its Flight Safety publication.

CASA will now need to redefine what it means by the term 'solo' because there are definitely two bodies in the airplane from what we can see in the video.

Stearman solo success | Flight Safety Australia

CASA promoting the success of the flight.

Can I ask what is the minimums for VFR for aircraft flying on the UK register.

From her own words in an interview she was down to 50feet over Bulgaria then about to hit a fog bank. Doesn't sound very VFR to me!!!!!

So I ask how can CASA condone this type of flying?

I rest my case

I would like a 'like' button. I like posts 49, 48 & 47. Oh, and I'd like a 'don't like' button, I don't like post 46.

My like button would be for Tracey herself. Not only has she completed the flight, she also arranged sponsorship to offset the cost and is going on to earn more from the public speaking circuit.

Congratulations Tracey, a splendid effort. I hope it continues on to earn you a heap of money too. Hopefully a load more than the average winging pilots earns.

CAsA and its precursors have been trying to get the categorisation of operations right for how many years, now they are struggling with what constitutes a 'solo' flight to the point of rewriting the definition.

dhavillandpilot, I think you will find the aircraft is registered in the US.

As for Air Safety Australia, does anybody actually read it?

This whole flight seems to be riddled with PR half truths, historical inaccuracies and the selective deletion of any of the real facts.

CC

A great description of the news media in general there Charlie.

Some interesting pics here Pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor bidding to emulate Amy Johnson hits a parked helicopter | Daily Mail Online

Amy Johnson took 19 days, Tracey's trip took three months. I wonder why it took so long?

"Not only has she completed the flight, she also arranged sponsorship to offset the cost and is going on to earn more from the public speaking circuit."


Hopefully that won't involve any elderly, financially unsophisticated, female supporters buying complicated financial products from Artemis Investments.

Why "Don't Like?" Post 46 makes a valid point about flying half-way around the world without the aid of an AH. Takes flying skill as well as guts. Best of luck to the pilot.

Why do you need an AH to actually fly VFR?


CC:ugh:

Judging from what the lady told the media about her cross-country (literally) flight England to Australia, she was in IMC for some of the way. She might have planned VFR but it would have been a meteorological miracle if she was VMC all the way. The moment you lose a visual horizon whether for two minutes or two hours and you don't have an AH, then for most VFR pilots it's all over Red Rover.
Very few GA pilots can be bothered to assiduously practice flying in a simulator just using the Turn and Balance Indicator. Reason being they would crash too many times and look real silly. For same reason why airline pilots rarely fly without having their flight director on. It is too scary to switch it off.

Do you not think there might have been an app like Pocket Horizon on the iPad in the photo in this article. Pilot lands in Sydney after epic journey from Britain in 1942 aircraft - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

In UK you can cloud fly a glider without an AH. Its not too hard flying in cloud with T&S, compass, vario, ASI and altimeter - I did it several times there. Yes the AH makes it a doddle but short excursions are no problems. If you read old gliding books some height records were made in CB's without an AH. Icing or structural failure or a mid air collision meant we had a parachute as backup though.

Good achievement by her but wish it was in a Gypsy Moth not an American trainer!