SATCOS WHIPPING BOY

It is easy to miss, there is so much rubbish out there about her exploits that finding the evidence that is attributable to her directly is hard. The more people that keep digging, the greater the chance of finding a real gem that could perhaps nail this once and for all.

I must admit that I was surprised to find that article and half expecting it to have been mentioned before. All that is needed now is to locate that kind of message in a hidden video somewhere

27/09

How could so many publications have got it wrong?

Not only got it wrong BUT all made exactly the same mistake, that is, "assuming" she was solo, not alone, not by herself, BUT solo, they all used the same term to describe the flight.

Remember many of these reporters are not aviators, so the nuances of the use of solo would be lost on many and they likely would have used their own words, but no, they used the word solo. How/why did this happen?

Also where did the SMH get all the data for their nice graphic, all that nice detail about the pilot and the aircraft, the route, the dates and of course the nice headline, SOLO FLIGHT. I'd be willing to bet they didn't have to do much research, more than likely a nice juicy media release arrived in the mail/inbox. Perhaps they still have a copy?

Parson

27/09,

How many times have you ever seen anything to do with aviation accurately portrayed in the press? There aint many and that is due to;

1. A seeming lack of even a basic knowledge of aviation in general
2. Little regard to verifying facts
3. Need for a story and sensationalism

Points 2 & 3 of course apply to other areas in general but the press bear a significant proportion of responsibility in this saga.

Union Jack

The more people that keep digging, the greater the chance of finding a real gem that could perhaps nail this once and for all. - SWB

Speaking of "real gems", I wonder if anyone have any hard (see what I did there) evidence of TCT's experience as a "diamond valuer" as highlighted in the SMH's graphic in Jay Sata's Post # 1695, as well as "in diplomatic service" (sic).

Jack

B Fraser

A girlfriend from way back was a diamond valuer at a world famous firm. The job was nothing special other than freebies for events such as Ascot where the firm sponsored races.

deefer dog

I agree that she could claim that she has been "misquoted" in the numerous press articles, but as someone else pointed out the same specific misquote appears time and time again.

What this terrible lady and her PR team cannot do though is to explain the photo of her taken during her inspirational speech at the Boeing museum in 2016. Here her team claimed for all to see that she was alone in the plane. That was an outright lie ....not a misquote, and not a change of plans prior to the flights.

Guilty as charged.

GWYN

Sort of thread drift I know, but great to see that Old Rogue Maurice Kirk, (meant in an affectionate / admiring, non-libellous way), back in the news. I wonder of the organisers of the Crete2Cape know what they are getting into!

Also good to see Henry LaBouchere listed to take part.

If anyone needed any examples of aviators to emulate, those two must be up there. Maurice genuinely did London – Sydney solo in a VERY basic aeroplane and with no GPS or other modern trickery. I don’t believe there was even a VOR or NDB on board. He just may have put a few noses out of joint along the way!

WeeJeem

BOEING News Release

Boeing Corporate Offices
100 N. Riverside
Chicago, IL 60606
Boeing: The Boeing Company

PIONEERING FEMALE AVIATOR LANDS IN ABU DHABI IN HISTORIC BOEING BI-PLANE

- Boeing sponsors solo open cockpit flight from U.K. to Australia
- 4,000 miles completed of the 13,000-mile journey across 23 countries

Abu Dhabi – Nov. 4, 2015 - Adventurous British female aviator Tracey Curtis-Taylor landed safely today at Al-Bateen airport in Abu Dhabi in her classic 1942 Boeing Stearman Spirit of Artemis. The experienced pilot set off on her intrepid expedition from the U.K. to Australia October 1, aiming to fly 13,000 miles across 23 countries.
[... etc, etc, etc]

Copy attached for convenience (and posterity ); original document here.

SATCOS WHIPPING BOY

Union Jack. This page is quite interesting as it has quotes from TCT about her early careers. View of the gods - Livemint

The numbers just don't stack up.
According to the quote her second day at the FO was in 1981, and "a couple of years into the job" she "cut the rope on two great careers and went to South Africa at 19".
So at 19, she had done a couple of years at the FO and had a great career as a diamond valuer at DeBeers before that. Was she child labour at DeBeers?

She then goes on to say that she worked as a waitress/model to save up some money but headed back to London from Jo'burg in 1982. Then by the time her family went to NZ in 1983, she already had her CPL.

Stanwell

Yep, ATC.
I'll bet when the major sponsors twigged to what an inspirational nut-case they had in their hands, they've gone "Beauty!"
When it all starts to unravel, it's all the 'plausible deniability' act ... 'Oh no .. we've been deceived as well!'
Meanwhile, "Any publicity is good publicity", eh chaps?
Yeah, right!

You slimy barstewards were in on it from the very start.
And, with full knowledge, carried on with it.
To anybody with a bit of perception, that was established long ago on this very thread.

So, we have everything from royalty (small 'r') to defence forces, shonky politicians, greed merchants, half ar$ed corporate PR, gentlemen's clubs and a plethora of other bottom-feeders all going ... "Oh dear, we didn't know!"
Yeah, right!

Due diligence??
Look that up for me, will you dear?

In the meantime, Tracey ... you'd better make hay while the sun shines.
Ever seen fleas deserting a 'recently deceased' dog?
Pass me that bag, will you?


.

Haraka

I do recommend, to those who may be interested, observing the level of now near hysterical denial on the good lady's Wikipedia site , specifically the "View History" page. For example:

"Sam Rutherford is neither a competent nor a reliable source of information and clearly pursuing a private vendetta, together with his friend publishing as "Jay Sata". Stop taking part in a private dispute trumpeted to the media by these two"

farsouth

Having a quick look back through the Wiki edit history, I see that on 23rd Sept, the section highlighted in bold below was added.

First time I have seen a claim that her GPS was "for use in controlled airspaces only" !!!!!!!!

Union Jack

The numbers just don't stack up. - SWB

Thank you SWB - they certainly do not add up, and I am still taken aback at the breathtaking understatement contained in the Wiki entry headed "Accidents and incidents" and starting:

"Curtis-Taylor has been involved in two aircraft accidents."

Brings a whole new meaning to "involved" but, on the plus side, at least there are no claims to having being solo at the time....

Regarding the second accident, a "Bird in a Biplane" is clearly better than two in "a bush"....

Unlike the poor Robbie, AFAIK, the "Spirit of Artifice" is clearly not just "back in the air" but spin is alive and well too!

Jackie

B Fraser

I was at Yeovilton 2014 and there was no display by a Boeing Stearman in the accepted sense. TCT was standing for a while beside Ewald's aircraft in the static park. Many other aircraft were also "on show" including chipmunks and Yaks but none of them appeared in the "display".


As I took a Porsche along to Fairford this year and showed it in the area behind the Pakistan C-130, does that make me a display driver or some other fancy title ? No.

Stanwell

Well, to answer that question, JS...
I really do find it hard to believe, actually.

Is the HCAP's membership really going to go along with what is presently proposed for the awards night?
Seems the Trophies and Awards Committee have dictated that .. "We have spoken to God, read the tea-leaves, checked the alignment of the planets
and this is what is happening, you folks down there in the cheap seats ... OK?".

As for the citation for the advancement of aviation technology awareness amongst the youngers, TCT has publicly stated, in interview, that she hates technology.
Hello, is anybody awake in there?

What with the scorn and derision that will inevitably be heaped upon them as a result of this orchestrated farce, perhaps they could
consider changing their name to something like... oh I don't know, maybe .. The Honourable Company of Backslapping Mumbling Jellyfish.

I also anticipate that the 'Rent-a-Kents' will be there for a free feed and to lead the faithful in a rousing rendition of "Land of Hope and Glory".
Oh, what fun.
Elgar will turn in his grave.

N.B. I don't expect I'll be invited to dinner there anytime soon.


.

Union Jack

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, although we were caught with our pants down we will not admit to it in public, however in the meantime we have asked TC-T not to darken our door step again. - ATC

Thus demonstrating an fine example of the naval expression a "yard arm clearer", derived from a ship being able to haul down its individual flaghoist from the yardarm on the successful completion of an exercise or manoeuvre, vide:

"To clear one’s yard, or yard arm, is to clear oneself of blame, either before or after an incident has occurred. Thus an order which puts responsibility on someone else is known as a yard arm cleaner."

Jack

Jonzarno

You know you've got them on the run when they start playing the man and not the ball......

SATCOS WHIPPING BOY

Here is a decent quote I found today:

Flying an airplane like the Boeing Stearman is not just travelling back in time, it is one of the most joyful feelings of aviation. You are flying basic stick & rudder, in an open cockpit, a very agile aerobatic biplane, driven by a powerful radial engine with its distinctive rumbling sound. No matter you are dashing across the landscape in low level, doing aerobatics or just strolling through the air – this is pure flying.

Does it sound familiar at all?
Have you heard this a lot over the past few months?

A quote from TCT perhaps?


NO.
It is from an interview with Ewald Gritsch talking about the Stearman restoration. The Stearman « The Aviatrix

So, did TCT's description of flying one of these enthuse Ewald, or is she constantly repeating something he had said?

ChampChump

I rather enjoyed this from the Livemint piece:

There is one more key difference between the two aviators; something Taylor-Curtis has been deliberately cultivating all this time. “Celebrity followed Amy when she returned to England. The only modern-day equivalent I can think of is Princess Diana,” she says. “Me, I am just going to disappear at the end of this.”

View of the gods - Livemint

piperboy84

Interesting, putting aside the "reliable " part of the smear, just exactly what would render Sam to be an incompetent source of information regarding TCT's journey?

We know he was involved in significant portions of the administrative and logistical tasks from the start of the journey to the finish which in itself speaks volumes as to TCT's acceptance of his work product. And his opinions were based on personal observations and first hand experience not heresay.

We know based on Sam's prior Pprune posts unrelated to TCT that he has taken on challenging long distance flights of a similar nature to TCT's, both on his own behalf and as a contractor for clients, and has flown several different aircraft types in difficult conditions so can certainly be deemed at least a reasonably competent airman.

So I assume this insult is a classic case of throwing mud on a guy then shouting "look he's covered in mud" . It's obvious that TCT is a lying assed fantasist, with delusions of grandeur and an arrogance that knows very few bounds, I suppose we'll now have to add vicious bitch to that list of attributes.