Cazalet33

Here's what she's selling:






She's slick.

newsjunkie

And that is how it works: "solo" becomes "sole", lies become "slips of the tongue" (wondering if I can use that to describe the many porkies I've told myself down the years). And the Austrian airline (co) pilot becomes a random crew member, no different from any of the other lucky "guests" she may have offered a ride to. It would be interesting to know the breakdown of those flight companions. How many A-B trips were undertaken without Mr Gritsch? That we will probably never know.

SATCOS WHIPPING BOY

A very good question and one that I too would like to see the answer to..

It will be in their log books. but looking at the flying hours claimed after the Winslow "incident" Ewald had amassed quite a substantial number in the Stearman over the previous 90 days which suggests he was in there on quite a few more occasions than TCT hints at.

Also on the theme of not wishing to deceive. Just how long was it before TCT corrected the SOLO statement on this award, and not forgetting the offensive use of a military brevet to add to her "credibility" in the eyes of the uninformed..

Sam Rutherford

Africa. 44 flights. Ewald on board for 40.

newsjunkie

Thank you for that Sam. Do we know which production company is responsible for the latest TCT film? They would presumably know all about who flew where on the Australia trip.

Sam Rutherford

David Freeman, but I doubt you'll get an answer.

My confident guess is that Ewald was in the front for very nearly 100% of the enroute flights. But this is a guess!

Hadley Rille

Showing log books and the aircraft insurance documents would help resolve any misunderstanding.

Marchettiman

I am a member of the LAA which I regard as a superb organisation that does so much for light aircraft owners and pilots regardless of their race, sex or other characteristics. Although I am not generally in favour of U-turns I would have been open to persuasion by reasoned argument at the LAA AGM on TCT's rescinded award until I read the article in today's Times. In that article she is quoted as describing the LAA as "the old men's club of British light aviation" and then clearly goes on to describe it as a misogynistic organisation. Perhaps these comments were further "slips of the tongue" or misinterpretations by the journalist who interviewed her, but if not I do hope the proposer of the motion reported to be put before the LAA AGM will now withdraw it.

Katamarino

What a very disappointing article. As many have pointed out, a male trying to get coverage and sponsorship for such trips would have had a much harder time of it. In the talk she gave a couple of months back, which I attended, Tracey specifically spoke about how the aviation industry were falling over themselves to do everything they can to get women into the industry. Being a female in aviation is an advantage these days, not a handicap, at least in the developed world.

It seems the story changes to suit the agenda of the day. Of course, the media rarely report accurately on what anyone says and could have ignored any more balanced statements that were made. I don't trust them a bit.

sharpend

I had the misfortune to dine with TCT once, round a table of eminent pilots. All she talked about was herself. I took an instant dislike to her. That was before all this rubbish.

SATCOS WHIPPING BOY

Sorry but I have to laugh out loud at this.
Earlier today the Times Headline stated:

Tracey Curtis-Taylor: Who brought down the bird in a biplane?

The pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor was accused of cheating on her solo vintage aircraft flights. She says she’s a victim of prejudice from male pilots

Just like her Wiki page, this has been edited to :

Tracey Curtis-Taylor: Who brought down the bird in a biplane?

The pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor was accused of cheating on her vintage aircraft flights. She says she’s a victim of prejudice from male pilots



Note how SOLO has disappeared.

Right Hand Thread

I attended a convention where she was the after dinner speaker. One attendee actually climbed out the window part way through. The audience became more uncomfortable with the telling of each tale of busting airspace, illegal low flying, ridiculing the local ATC............

The applause was best described as muted. It seems that those in the know can see through these stories, unlike the Times readership.

CharlieBrem

Yup. The "solo" was an error in sub-editing, which has been corrected.

Jonzarno

Perhaps she does deserve a “LAA” award........?

........ Lying Aviatrix Award!

Could it be that I reach this conclusion because she still won’t answer the Three Questions? Guilty as charged!

Cows getting bigger

Chris Martyr

@ CharlieBrem; Nice to have your input on here mate. One thing that I do find slightly embarrassing and a tad annoying though , is the way Tracey wants to palm us all off as sad, old internet trolls who resent a female intruding on 'our' male territory .
Nothing could be further from the truth ! Many of the contributors to this debate are professional people , either from the aviation industry or military people who have served the country . The airline in which I work ,openly encourages lady pilots and there are indeed many thousands of lady airline pilots these days , making an equally professional input as their male counterparts . All Tracey Curtis-Taylor does is insult these people by hiding behind this faux-1930s façade implying that they should follow her brilliant example by casting aside these perceived , virtual restrictions and all go and be pilots . Like her .
How ironic can it be that she blames the male gender for every tiny little misdemeanour that she encounters ? Especially with consideration to the fact that her expertise in manipulating daft old duffers in high places is practically legend !
She purports to emulate the female aviation pioneers of the 30's . OK,,,she's female and likes aviation . But there the likeness stops .

If she could drop this ridiculous gender issue , and if she REALLY wants recognition from the LAA's hard core of grass-roots aviators , then she should take her sponsors millions and try to re-create the global aviation feats of the amazing, fellow LAA'er ,Colin Hales . But she wouldn't . Because she couldn't ! And Colin's a bloke !!!!

And she's harping on about females in aviation being disadvantaged . Funny old world innit .

SATCOS WHIPPING BOY

Thank you CharlieBrem. Just goes to show how quickly a misleading headline can be corrected.
As Chris Martyr says...good to have you on here.

Above The Clouds

@Chris M - I do wish they had a like button on here the same as the other forum

strake

I have followed this story for quite a while and am stunned that The Times, which I have always considered to be a purveyor of truth, can print such a supportive article when quotes straight from Tracey Curtis-Taylor are completely at odds with what she tries to portray. This is nothing to do with the 'old boy network' (whatever that is) or male jealousy or any other sexist excuse. It is simply to do with the claim of a pilot that she did something she didn't!
I can only assume that the author was not aware of the evidence when he wrote the article. Were I that journalist, I would be on the phone tomorrow asking for some answers about two so-called 'slips of the tongue', a presentation slide and a presented certificate, all featuring the lady in question and all purporting to a solo flight - not to mention numerous press releases mentioning solo flight over an extended period of time, none of which were rebutted.
In a court of law, her premise would be laughed out.
With reference to her claims of sexism, the next thing we'll hear is that her self-titled name Bird-in-a-Biplane was chosen not in the colloquial sense but as an interpretation of a swooping, soaring Jonathan Livingstone Seagull persona.
This, from her own website in 2014 but deleted when questions started to be asked. Paragraph 4 refers:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150204...om/operations/

clareprop

Mr Bremner, as others have said, it is indeed good of you to join in the discussion. I think many here would accept that you may not have been aware of the full background of the grievance pilots have with this story. Your views on the following would go a long way to clarifying this: