Tracey Curtis-Taylor (Merged threads)
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Winslow Arizona, May 11, 2016
Our American cousins do have quaint practices, such as writing dates out of order, when abbreviated. Easy to become confused, therefore, trying to make sense out of a US accident/incident report.
Makes me appreciate even more the British AAIB, with the complete story in decent English; nothing left out, nothing exaggerated.
Tracey completed the report form on May 18, 2016, and signed it as the pilot in charge of this flight (P1). Evidently the Boeing Stearman owner is given as 3G Classic Aviation based in Delaware, a state with a reputation of convenience for questionable enterprise. Somewhere in this thread I remember reading that Ewald owned the aircraft, and five or six others of the same type....
The relevant information to my mind about TCT are the details given of her experience; total time 1,750. Total time on type 450, and in command, 440.
She also claims an instructor rating, which in the US may be quite basic -
Ewald gives total time of 20,300 hours, ATC, IR, Multi engine, FI. And on this type, 850 hours. Pilot in charge, 460 hours, and as instructor, 180 hours. Doesn't seem to add up, somehow.
Makes me appreciate even more the British AAIB, with the complete story in decent English; nothing left out, nothing exaggerated.
Tracey completed the report form on May 18, 2016, and signed it as the pilot in charge of this flight (P1). Evidently the Boeing Stearman owner is given as 3G Classic Aviation based in Delaware, a state with a reputation of convenience for questionable enterprise. Somewhere in this thread I remember reading that Ewald owned the aircraft, and five or six others of the same type....
The relevant information to my mind about TCT are the details given of her experience; total time 1,750. Total time on type 450, and in command, 440.
She also claims an instructor rating, which in the US may be quite basic -
Ewald gives total time of 20,300 hours, ATC, IR, Multi engine, FI. And on this type, 850 hours. Pilot in charge, 460 hours, and as instructor, 180 hours. Doesn't seem to add up, somehow.
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On the morning of the second day out of Cape Town (ie just before the third flight of the journey), when instead of leaving solo, Ewald jumped in the front. Nobody knew about it (neither I, the film crew or anyone else) until perhaps 20 minutes before... When it became obvious after a couple of days that this was the new 'normal', the sponsors were informed.
On the Farnborough to Oz flight she went from Farnborough to Merville (stopped for a while) and then flew on to Charleville.
Two relatively short hops (roughly 135nm and then 95nm). The first leg we know she did solo as there is video of her leaving Farnborough. Did she wait at Merville to pick up Ewald before flying on to Charleville?
Maybe someone knows just where he joined the flight. Seems odd that she did not do this in 1 hop as it is well within the range of the Stearman.
Uni Update. Spoke to them today, I have been assured of a written response tomorrow.
Two relatively short hops (roughly 135nm and then 95nm). The first leg we know she did solo as there is video of her leaving Farnborough. Did she wait at Merville to pick up Ewald before flying on to Charleville?
Maybe someone knows just where he joined the flight. Seems odd that she did not do this in 1 hop as it is well within the range of the Stearman.
Uni Update. Spoke to them today, I have been assured of a written response tomorrow.
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Two relatively short hops (roughly 135nm and then 95nm). The first leg we know she did solo as there is video of her leaving Farnborough. Did she wait at Merville to pick up Ewald before flying on to Charleville?
3G Classic Aviation based in Delaware, a state with a reputation of convenience for questionable enterprise.
Not just questionable enterprise, but any corporation looking to minimize taxes. My first employer, in Canada, was Chevron, but the company was a Delaware subsidiary of the parent company.
NOTHING about 1209 North Orange Street hints at the secrets inside. It’s a humdrum office building, a low-slung affair with a faded awning and a view of a parking garage. Hardly worth a second glance. If a first one.
But behind its doors is one of the most remarkable corporate collections in the world: 1209 North Orange, you see, is the legal address of no fewer than 285,000 separate businesses.
Its occupants, on paper, include giants like American Airlines, Apple, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway, Cargill, Coca-Cola, Ford, General Electric, Google, JPMorgan Chase, and Wal-Mart. These companies do business across the nation and around the world. Here at 1209 North Orange, they simply have a dropbox.
But behind its doors is one of the most remarkable corporate collections in the world: 1209 North Orange, you see, is the legal address of no fewer than 285,000 separate businesses.
Its occupants, on paper, include giants like American Airlines, Apple, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway, Cargill, Coca-Cola, Ford, General Electric, Google, JPMorgan Chase, and Wal-Mart. These companies do business across the nation and around the world. Here at 1209 North Orange, they simply have a dropbox.
Shouild you look at the video of the Farmborough departure at 2:15 you will see a middle aged gentleman jump off the wing of a PA-28 parked in the hangar who TCT confers with with what looks like a map draped on the stabilator. At 11:11 the gentleman can be seen pulling the aircraft onto the ramp. Is the younger guy Ewald? I can imagine the conversation between the gentleman and TCT while gesticulating to the map ran along the lines of "we'll rendezvous here and lead you across the channel and land at Merville where Ewald can hop out and jump in the Stearman". Tell me I'm dreaming.
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Should anyone be interested the new beta Companies House webcheck service allows you view private limited companies information with a simple free search.
It took me precisely 4 minutes to find and look at at basic abbreviated accounts of Bird in a Biplane Limited going back to 2012 ish, with a list of previous directors.
All this limited company information is open source and fully in the public domain.
It took me precisely 4 minutes to find and look at at basic abbreviated accounts of Bird in a Biplane Limited going back to 2012 ish, with a list of previous directors.
All this limited company information is open source and fully in the public domain.
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Based in Delaware
Thread Starter
Fowlmere was the registered address for Bird in a Biplane Ltd from August 2013 to May 2014.
see Dellam Corporate Information Limited, England
see Dellam Corporate Information Limited, England
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Shouild you look at the video of the Farmborough departure at 2:15 you will see a middle aged gentleman jump off the wing of a PA-28 parked in the hangar who TCT confers with with what looks like a map draped on the stabilator. At 11:11 the gentleman can be seen pulling the aircraft onto the ramp. Is the younger guy Ewald? I can imagine the conversation between the gentleman and TCT while gesticulating to the map ran along the lines of "we'll rendezvous here and lead you across the channel and land at Merville where Ewald can hop out and jump in the Stearman". Tell me I'm dreaming.
It seems to me that the campaign led by this thread has reached an impasse. It is unlikely that TCT will answer the questions posed and even if she did, I think it would lead to a long series of claims and counterclaims that would probably get us nowhere.
Much better to concentrate on the organisations that gave her awards as Satcos Whipping Boy is doing admirably with Portsmouth Uni.
As an LAA member, I was pleased to get the opportunity to rescind her award but this only occurred because Barry Tempest and others from WITHIN the LAA took the initiative. Surely there must be people from within the other organisations who are now unhappy with the awards? It is these people that should be found and encouraged to raise the matter within their own organisations.
I am obviously out of touch with back-up plans and the modern over-reliance upon fallible technology.
Cheers
SWB
edited to respond to Jay:
Surely you are not suggesting messing up a nice chart with a china-graph pencil Satco
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Pity the knee pad notes are out of focus, perhaps something like:
1: Smile for camera
2: Fire up Stearman
3 Smile for camera
4. Takeoff, fly 3 miles on runway heading then circle till Cherokee catches up
5. Follow Cherokee to Merville, land. (god I'll need a drink)
6. Have Austria's answer to Lord Lucan jump in up front.
7. Sit back, relax, Sydney here we come, STRIKE THAT, Sydney here I come !
1: Smile for camera
2: Fire up Stearman
3 Smile for camera
4. Takeoff, fly 3 miles on runway heading then circle till Cherokee catches up
5. Follow Cherokee to Merville, land. (god I'll need a drink)
6. Have Austria's answer to Lord Lucan jump in up front.
7. Sit back, relax, Sydney here we come, STRIKE THAT, Sydney here I come !
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Although there is an edit at 6:27, to be fair in this video Tracey (or anyone else for that matter) does not mention 'solo' or 'alone ' in this video.
It seems to me that the campaign led by this thread has reached an impasse. It is unlikely that TCT will answer the questions posed and even if she did, I think it would lead to a long series of claims and counterclaims that would probably get us nowhere.
Much better to concentrate on the organisations that gave her awards as Satcos Whipping Boy is doing admirably with Portsmouth Uni.
As an LAA member, I was pleased to get the opportunity to rescind her award but this only occurred because Barry Tempest and others from WITHIN the LAA took the initiative. Surely there must be people from within the other organisations who are now unhappy with the awards? It is these people that should be found and encouraged to raise the matter within their own organisations.
It seems to me that the campaign led by this thread has reached an impasse. It is unlikely that TCT will answer the questions posed and even if she did, I think it would lead to a long series of claims and counterclaims that would probably get us nowhere.
Much better to concentrate on the organisations that gave her awards as Satcos Whipping Boy is doing admirably with Portsmouth Uni.
As an LAA member, I was pleased to get the opportunity to rescind her award but this only occurred because Barry Tempest and others from WITHIN the LAA took the initiative. Surely there must be people from within the other organisations who are now unhappy with the awards? It is these people that should be found and encouraged to raise the matter within their own organisations.
