Stanwell

And..
I also think that Prince 'Rent-a-Royal' might be well advised to distance himself from TCT for the moment.

I understand that, once again, a parliamentary committee has raised questions about his occupancy of the 21-room 'apartment' at Kensington Palace -
- toward which he presently contributes 70 quid a week.
Now, as it appears he's done some 'consultancy work' for them, perhaps Artemis Investments might see their way clear to help him out with an advance to see him through this troubling time - now that Boris Berezovsky's no longer around to kick the can.

Assuming he could navigate, perhaps Tracey could take him up to have a look around the area for alternative digs - commensurate with
his standing in the community, that is.
.

ak7274

It has been a very contentious issue and initially TCT looked to have deserved the award, but further information has come to light and the HCAP hasn't yet responded, but the senior executive of the LAA has.................... how about some credit?
He is the CEO of the LAA and the members will decide at the AGM. He has one vote, as do I.
Your tenacity in exposing the farce does you credit and I for one applaud you, but not everyone deserves vilifying.

Haraka

I guess it all has something to do with the dilemma of perhaps personally wanting to act as a Principled Pilot ,whilst having to balance publically performing the expected duty of his position to act as Pontious Pilate.
I don't envy him.

Mike Flynn

The first rule of PR is face the facts and be honest.

The sponsors names on the Spirit of Artemis aircraft emerge from this debacle with egg on their faces or to put it more bluntly commercial sponsorship deceception.

They tried to lie and cheat and were found out.

Boeing Aircraft Corporation, Artemis Investments, and the the associated commercial sponsors then roped in genuine organisations such as the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

That allowed the media to interpret an endorsement on what was without doubt a series of sham solo flights.

Where the story goes now we have to wait and see.

However it is fast becoming the sort of stuff tabloids love and PR people hate.

Meanwhile,Jay Sata is free for November to undertake a series of questions and answer sessions with TCT across the UK as long as Artemis pay expenses.

9 lives

I had the impression that she would comment to anyone who would listen!?

Haraka

......or go to the opening of an envelope (if accompanied by somebody who could navigate)

But see: " a) Evasion" in my post #1404 above.

Chris the Robot

I've been following this for a while and I've been left a little confused.

Recently I flew a cross-country in a motorglider under test conditions, it was only the second time a had used a half-mil in an aircraft and had absolutely no problem flying by dead reckoning. I passed the test though I'll be doing a refresher ahead of next summer to keep my field selection up to scratch.

How can a 1400 hour pilot have problems navigating with a quarter-mil or a half-mil, let alone a GPS? I know it's Africa and an open-cockpit machine is a little less comfortable than a motorglider yet with that sort of experience I'd have thought that dead reckoning would come fairly naturally. A GPS with a "direct to" function would surely make it a doddle.

I could understand if we were talking about an RAF fast jet low level environment because there are people who wouldn't have the natural aptitude for it, however this should be bread and butter stuff.

SATCOS WHIPPING BOY

I think I have solved this confusion.
TCT uses the word solo quite a lot in various articles and presentations, we have mistaken that to be the adjective indicating doing something alone.

What she is really commenting on is the acronym SOLO; Sat Observing, Lackey Operating.

I think we owe an apology for our obvious misunderstanding



That article is going to poke the hornets nest, and rightly so, well done to all involved.

Mike Flynn

She seem adept at navigating her way around the media but I see storm clouds on the horizon

When well respected senior GA expert and ex CAA man Barry Tempest says this to a national newspaper journalist, you have to question where this topic is leading.

The story goes on to say...

My advice to the Honourable Company Of Air Pilots is read this quote from Barry Tempest.

Is it really worth having the HCAP dragged in to the mud over a Walter Mitty/reality tv show debacle?

Can you face the tabloids in late October who mock your Masters Medal to Tim Peake with Tracey Curtis Taylor?

The Daily Express newsdesk have been a bit naughty in using unflattering pictures of our 'aviatrix' who likes to pose these days.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/712...-biplane-award

Mike Flynn

Meanwhile while the Daily Express run their expose the old Kent Messenger or Kent live as it now calls itself has had a front page lead.

Our 'Inspirational Aviatrix' has enlisted her friend Prince Michael to assist her.

Read more at A statue of multiple world record holder Amy Johnson has been unveiled in Herne Bay | Kent Live[/quote]



I hope my regular readers are not getting bored. There is plenty more to come.
I am searching across the globe for any students who may have flown with our intrepid aviatrix during her New Zealand 'flying instructor' days.

The wiki page for Tracey Curtis Taylor is now being constantly edited to remove references in the media to newspaper coverage of her deception. Aviation History and HillyBilly Holiday are trying to remove the truth

Haraka

Fortunately clicking on to the "Talk" and "View History" tags on a Wiki page readily exposes these types of, often peurile, shenanigans behind what is in the "Article". These make very amusing (and revealing) reading on the site in question.

hillbillyholiday

Hi all, I am the wiki-editor "HillyBilly". Just here to clear up some confusion.

Firstly, I have absolutely no connection with TCT or her sponsors or anything like that.
The controversy section was removed because it was sourced to the Daily Mail and Express. Negative statements about living people relying solely on tabloid claims are not permitted for (what should be) obvious reasons. If you check my edit history, you'll see that much of my "work" on wiki involves pruning tabloid-related material.

One user from here has re-added the material several times in twenty-four hours, which, if reported, would normally see them blocked. I didn't report it because I don't play like that.

Believe me, I have no dog in this race; should a reliable source pick up this story, I would have no problem adding it to her biography. Cheers.

Wageslave

Another puzzle.
If she is so hopeless as a pilot that she needs an ATPL passenger doesn't it seem odd that her team would allow her to fly royalty on joy-rides, as the now much edited Wikipedia site states? Seems unwise to let a pilot you can't trust not to foul up take up people like that.

SATCOS WHIPPING BOY

Thank you for the information HillyBilly.
Intrigued as to what you would consider to be a reliable source.

Information from TCT camp is accepted but information from Daily Mail, Daily Express and others who were there at the time is censored out.

Seems rather odd if you ask me.

mikehallam

Reading this saga, as I have, an alternative more kindly scenario, which might go as follows:-

For World Wide publicity purposes it is decided by big business to do a sort of 'game show' film, mimicking a famous flight & with all the usual semi concealment of the supporting team's activities.

All they need now is someone as nominal 'pilot' for the central role; some flying capability might help, but more necessary overall they will need an excellent raconteur for all the post show follow ups.

Perhaps this thread's concentration on the main actor really misses the correct target, which is 'big business' intent on creating a tolerable facsimile of a historic flight which to some extent has back-fired on them. However their publicity machine is now protecting the promoters at the eventual expense of the character of a witless pawn.

mike hallam.

hillbillyholiday

Reliable sources for the "controversy" in this case would be something like a statement from an official body, or a report by a dedicated piloting publication or reputable mainstream media outlet. Papers with a reputation for libel, inaccuracy, misrepresentation, hatchet-jobs, etc, are generally frowned upon, particularly so when it comes to biographies. And for a particularly contentious claim, ideally you'd want at least a couple of independent, unimpeachable sources.

I'm not sure what you mean by "information from TCT camp". I see references to reports by the BBC, Guardian, Independent, Pilot, and other reputable-ish-looking sources.
Were any of these to query TCT's claims, one would have a case for inclusion.

9 lives

TCT is a fair target of this thread because she's supposed to be one of us - a pilot with honour. She has missed the mark badly. It would have been honourable, even after throwing out the word "solo" everywhere, to come clean and state what really happened, and who supported the venture how.

It's great for aviation to have antique aircraft safely flown on extra long distance adventure flights, it fuels interest in our industry - until the lies and misrepresentation become the point of the interest, rather than the honourable piloting.

It's probably too late now for TCT to save her pride by honouring up, but you never know... In the mean time, she has made herself a target by weasling about this with Wiki changes, and continued public presentations which are not entirely truthful.

pulse1

Mike, You have eloquently expressed the way my thoughts have been going in the last couple of weeks. In some ways TCT has become a victim, partly of her own narcissism.

PS. I am still looking for a chance to take up the invitation to visit your strip.

clareprop

OK HBH, I'll take that at face value. Maybe you will take these:

1.Barry Tempest - ex Head of UK Aviation Civil Aviation Authority calls vote to rescind award due to deceit.

2.Using wayback.com, numerous statements from TCT on her webpage stating she is flying solo - now deleted but still visible on wayback.

3. PILOT - A reputable industry/activity magazine runs an editorial on exactly what they think of TCT and her claims

They are not tabloid claims nor unproved.

When will they appear in the Wiki entry?

hillbillyholiday

Perhaps it would be better to wait for the result of the vote, I'm guessing it would be widely reported should the award be rescinded.
It seems to be mentioned now (3:30pm). It's something of a judgment call. Some might consider it "undue".
Not sure what one could do with this information, incorporating it into the article without secondary sources to back it up is considered "original research".

On reflection, I would question whether TCT deserves a wiki-bio at all. The claim to fame seems to rest primarily upon her receipt of a Bill Woodhams Trophy -- is this a particularly notable award? Do other recipients have articles?