Tracey Curtis-Taylor (Merged threads)
Thread Starter
It is worth pointing out her claim re Shuttleworth back in 2013.
One of the Shuttleworth Collection display pilots? Have I missed something in the collections history?
Cape Town to Goodwood Tracey Curtis-Taylor Boeing Stearman November 2013
Also...
Here is the original map published by the Bird in a Biplane team in South Africa in 2013. Note the similarity to the one used in Seattle earlier this year for the talk at the Museum of Flight.
Was it misreporting the same graphic was used over two years after it first appeared in South Africa?
Source Johannesburg Light Plane Club http://www.jlpc.co.za/Past_Event_201...to_London.html
Flying in an open cockpit, exposed to the elements, is not for the faint* hearted, the flight representing a formidable physical and logistical challenge - in a plane designed in the 1930s, with a top speed of 95 mph, an operating ceiling of 10,000 feet and a range of only 450 miles.
But this sort of extreme flying is what Curtis-Taylor, one of the Shuttleworth Collection display pilots, has been doing all her life.
But this sort of extreme flying is what Curtis-Taylor, one of the Shuttleworth Collection display pilots, has been doing all her life.
Cape Town to Goodwood Tracey Curtis-Taylor Boeing Stearman November 2013
Also...
The photo that I received is Stearman taxing out for departure on 27 Oct 2013
I see two people on board.
I see two people on board.
Never realising the importance of the photo. I thought it was just another biplane visiting Cape Town International Airport where I work.
Was it misreporting the same graphic was used over two years after it first appeared in South Africa?
Source Johannesburg Light Plane Club http://www.jlpc.co.za/Past_Event_201...to_London.html
Last edited by Mike Flynn; 2nd Nov 2016 at 15:28.
jay sata there are 2 folk I am sure that are in that cockpit on the CPT taxy out photo - is that the supposedly first leg on the ''solo'' journey to UK?
Thread Starter
To the best of my knowledge the picture is dated before the start date on the graphic which was November 1st.
Can anyone analyse the picture date and confirm it was Cape Town?
Can anyone analyse the picture date and confirm it was Cape Town?
This was in the Mail online 9 Jan 2016
'bird in a biplane' euphoric after 13,000-mile solo flight to sydney | Daily Mail Online
Her 13,000-mile route took her across Europe and the Mediterranean to Jordan, over the Arabian desert, across the Gulf of Oman to Pakistan, India and across Asia.
She recreated the essence of Johnson's era of flying with an open cockpit, stick and rudder flying with basic period instruments
and a short range between landing points.
In 2013, she flew 8,000 miles solo from Cape Town, South Africa, to Goodwood, West Sussex, to recreate the 1928 flight of Lady Mary Heath.
Maureen Dougherty, president of Boeing Australia and South Pacific, which sponsored the adventure, said: "Tracey's flight is a wonderful reminder of how far aviation has advanced and the role women have played since those early days of flight. Congratulations to Tracey and her support team on this remarkable achievement."
jaysata photo is DEF taken at CPT
'bird in a biplane' euphoric after 13,000-mile solo flight to sydney | Daily Mail Online
Her 13,000-mile route took her across Europe and the Mediterranean to Jordan, over the Arabian desert, across the Gulf of Oman to Pakistan, India and across Asia.
She recreated the essence of Johnson's era of flying with an open cockpit, stick and rudder flying with basic period instruments
and a short range between landing points.
In 2013, she flew 8,000 miles solo from Cape Town, South Africa, to Goodwood, West Sussex, to recreate the 1928 flight of Lady Mary Heath.
Maureen Dougherty, president of Boeing Australia and South Pacific, which sponsored the adventure, said: "Tracey's flight is a wonderful reminder of how far aviation has advanced and the role women have played since those early days of flight. Congratulations to Tracey and her support team on this remarkable achievement."
jaysata photo is DEF taken at CPT
Last edited by rog747; 2nd Nov 2016 at 15:50.
Thread Starter
The whole subject of TCT and her 'flying career' is interesting considering until three years ago she was unheard of.
I refer once again to the latest debate on wiki .
source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Tracey_Curtis-Taylor
I refer once again to the latest debate on wiki .
If during an episode of Mastermind we heard "Name?...Tracey Curtis-Taylor; Occupation?...Aviator", I think it is safe to say the overwhelming majority of viewers would take that to mean the contestant actually flew for a living, and was not a lady of leisure who merely did aviation for a hobby. I think it is pretty self evident most people consider "occupation" to be either one's job (eg teacher), or the significant thing one does instead of a job (eg housewife, retired, unemployed). The total logged flying hours of Curtis-Taylor over 30 years is in the region of 1500. Less than one hour a week!! That is a hobby not an occupation. Listing her occupation as 'aviator' based on either time spent on task or professional status is unjustified, nor do I see a consensus to do so. Her resume insofar as it can be established from the sources that have interviewed her goes something like "bit of a mixed bag; photographer; diamond valuer; waitress; foreign office worker; gemmologist; behind the scenes airshow administrator". Beck daross (talk) 14:19, 2 November 2016 (UTC)
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It can't be a very good advertisement for Boeing, the Stearman having had an extensive refurbishment by 3G, it was apparently then deemed that an engineer was needed to ride shot-gun for the duration. Double bonus points if the engineer also happened to have a pilots licence with 20,000+ hours. Fantastic. 
So she did have an autopilot after all sitting in the front seat.
So she did have an autopilot after all sitting in the front seat.
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Re the photo posted by Jay earlier.
According to the link below she actually departed on 2nd November on the first leg of the CT to UK non "solo" flight.
Cape Town to Goodwood Tracey Curtis-Taylor Boeing Stearman November 2013
Apparently the weather was not suitable on 1st which was the planned start date....(or maybe Ewald wasn't around?)
According to the link below she actually departed on 2nd November on the first leg of the CT to UK non "solo" flight.
Cape Town to Goodwood Tracey Curtis-Taylor Boeing Stearman November 2013
Apparently the weather was not suitable on 1st which was the planned start date....(or maybe Ewald wasn't around?)
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And, for those who may be interested, the actual accident report filings made by TCT.
A few initial points of interest.
Anyone else notice anything strange?
http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594566.pdf
http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594567.pdf
http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594568.pdf
** Incident/Accident as per NTSB/FAA: An accident is defined as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft that takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. An incident is an occurrence other than an accident that affects or could affect the safety of operations. (See 49 CFR 830.)
A few initial points of interest.
- TCT crossed out "accident" and filed it as an "incident."**
- Ewald's flight time is confirmed as being in excess of 20,000 hours.
- For SATCO - The aircraft wasn't released by the NTSB until 26th May 2016.
Anyone else notice anything strange?
http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594566.pdf
http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594567.pdf
http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594568.pdf
** Incident/Accident as per NTSB/FAA: An accident is defined as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft that takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. An incident is an occurrence other than an accident that affects or could affect the safety of operations. (See 49 CFR 830.)
Question...I am puzzled by a comment I have just seen on the Capetown to Goodwood FB page - 16 December 2013.
"two chicks in a sexy plane"
Who was the other "chick", or was Ewald having a gender crisis.
"two chicks in a sexy plane"
Who was the other "chick", or was Ewald having a gender crisis.
This is an interesting thread which may not have been seen before - if it has, mods feel free to delete. Lot's of photo's from the Cape Town start of her flight. What's funny is the number of photo's showing Ewald in the front and it isn't until page 6 someone writes 'Isn't she flying solo?'. The answer is excellent. I haven't read the rest of the thread but I'm sure it will provide some entertainment...
Tracey Curtis-Taylor's Cape to London Flight - Page 6 - AvCom
It all starts going a bit wrong for her on page 12.
Tracey Curtis-Taylor's Cape to London Flight - Page 6 - AvCom
It all starts going a bit wrong for her on page 12.
Also on the "incident" (.........) report, Principal Occupation - Pilot ..............
(Looking at the pictures on that AvCom site, one thing for sure - that is a beautiful aeroplane)
(Looking at the pictures on that AvCom site, one thing for sure - that is a beautiful aeroplane)
Tabs please !
Why do both pilots log equal flight time in the preceding 24 hours ? Surely Mr Gritsch was a passenger ?
Most peculiar.
Most peculiar.
Reading the details in the accident report is rather interesting, in as much the hours logged by both.
XXXXXXXXXXdXXEwaldXXXXTCT
Last 90 DaysXXXX28XXXXXXX26
Last 30 DaysXXXX26XXXXXXX23
Last 24 HoursXXXX6XXXXXXXX6
So both are logging the hours, all we need to know in what capacity was each logging those hours. TCT is nominated as PIC on the report, so how is Ewald logging time? Ewald as PIC (instructor), TCT dual (student) is about the only means by which both could be logging time, as far as I'm aware, in a single engine that only requires a crew of one. Unless of course TCT was instructing Ewald, since she says she has an instructors rating in the report.
XXXXXXXXXXdXXEwaldXXXXTCT
Last 90 DaysXXXX28XXXXXXX26
Last 30 DaysXXXX26XXXXXXX23
Last 24 HoursXXXX6XXXXXXXX6
So both are logging the hours, all we need to know in what capacity was each logging those hours. TCT is nominated as PIC on the report, so how is Ewald logging time? Ewald as PIC (instructor), TCT dual (student) is about the only means by which both could be logging time, as far as I'm aware, in a single engine that only requires a crew of one. Unless of course TCT was instructing Ewald, since she says she has an instructors rating in the report.
Tabs please !
Well, someone who describes her occupation as a "pilot" and wears a set of RAF wings does not hold an instrument rating. And then there is a missing value for the number of hours the engine has logged. The registered owner is not TCT but we already knew that.
Anything else ?
Anything else ?
Images.
The date and times of images can be checked by using an exif reader. This shows the image data at the time the picture was taken, aiding anyone who wants to verify a time/date location.
There are a couple of things to be aware of:
If date and time are incorrectly set on the camera that will be recorded as the event time, however most people tend to have date and time set reasonably accurately.
On some images, the processing/editing software may make the original exif data invisible.
The date and times of images can be checked by using an exif reader. This shows the image data at the time the picture was taken, aiding anyone who wants to verify a time/date location.
There are a couple of things to be aware of:
If date and time are incorrectly set on the camera that will be recorded as the event time, however most people tend to have date and time set reasonably accurately.
On some images, the processing/editing software may make the original exif data invisible.
