Ah, there we are. Thanks, FL.

Thank you all, (Ladies? and) Gentlemen. We seem to have it pretty well sewn up now.

Some tantalising loose ends:

Stanwell (#237) and Flying Lawyer (242),
So they managed to screw 300hp out of 680 cu.in., while the old Continenal could only raise 210-240 out of 670 [both Wiki]. Shows what you can do when you try. Must have really pepped the old girl up. Mind you, a 400hp (my "Aircraft Flown" [back of a RAF log] entry is 450, Wiki agrees) would really have made the bird fly ! They would have got aloft in Arizona hot, high, humid and what-the-hell-else with one of those.

and:

and (#240),
They were an integral part of take-off procedure for us (Full description on "Pilot's Brevet", p.117, #2331).


India Four Two (#238),
About the finest descriptio of a Stearman you could wish for.
In a late Florida summer, you'd be glad of it !

megan (#241)
.
When I were a little lad, Charles Lindbergh managed about 3,000 miles overwater in one hop in a Ryan "Spirit of St.Louis". (Powerplant: 1 × Wright Whirlwind J-5C Single blade Standard Steel Propeller, 223 hp 166 kW - Wiki). Of course, Alcock & Brown had crossed the pond eight years before, but they had two donks.

Reverting to the Matter in Hand, I will only say that solo is solo is solo. and everyone in aviation knows what it means.

Danny.

If I were Ewald Gritsch, I'd be very happy to declare that TCT was "solo" in the Stearman when the R44 was shredded!

Having provided seaplane training a few days ago, and then recommending an endorsement for my student, I reminded myself that the Canadian words are "as the sole occupant of the aircraft". Thus, I got out on the beach to send my student solo for his required five solo five takeoff and landings.

I have been sitting on a letter that was leaked to me some months ago but I have yet to publish.

Some interesting developments coming up.

Watch this space:ok:

If I can achieve anything by my posts it will be to promote the likes of this genuine person and his compatriots.

http://kr2worldtour.********.co.uk/

Good luck and best wishes Colin Hales and Dave Sykes.
http://www.soloflightglobal.com/

She pranged in a nice flat open paddock.:confused:

Suppose if yer gonna have a prang then the Stearman is the machine to do it in.




.

Jay Sata

So why don't you post a copy here?

Put up or shut up.

Perhaps the letter may provoke a legal reaction until Jay can get confirmation of the contents. I am on neither side here, but it's about time some people either grow up or grow a pair. I am sure there has been contact with the media and aviation people over this and maybe a nudge for a look into it may be in order.
I am uncomfortable with character assassination as, as often as not it is undeserved, but equally am unhappy with people receiving accolades for which they haven't fully earned.
This has now been done to death on the forums.
Just my point of view.

Alan

The ABC in Australia have seen fit to amend a story they didAdventurer Tracey Curtis-Taylor's England-to-Australia flight a homage to aviation pioneer Amy Johnson - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

All the photos seem to have Ewald Gritsch sitting in front, so I guess he must be multi skilling, and taken on the job of camera man.

Solo: Any performance or endeavour accomplished by a single individual, such as an aeroplane flight in which the pilot is unaccompanied.

If Ewald Gritsch was aboard during both of her last two prangs, then perhaps she might chose another co-pilot for her next "solo" jolly. The bint clearly needs some adult supervision went she flies "solo", just as Prince Charles did.

As the owner of NameCo at Lloyds and having a fair bit of family dosh pledged as Funds At Lloyds, some of which is risked with syndicates which write aviation risk, I hope her underwriters take a careful look at her safety record as well as that of her next supervisor before writing an insurance policy which risks any of my family's money.

Where this woman excels, just like another mediocre wumman pilot Amelia Earhart, is in having a brilliant publicity machine and a good aeroplane (pre-crash, anyway).

How does the insurance work on a trip like this Cazalet33.

Would it be one quote for the UK Sydney trip and another from a US underwriting pool for the trans America journey?

Do they restrict occupancy of the aircraft to named people?

In the case of the recent Arizona accident how would the loss adjusters deal with it?

The cheapest repair would be in the USA but Curtis Taylor said they plan to ship it back to Hungary.

I imagine they will agree a cash payout and 3G keep the wreck.

As a 'name' at Lloyds (which is a market, not an insurer btw) the only risk assessment I do is choosing which syndicates to back with my risk capital. I'm not involved in the risk assessment part of risking my capital on individual insured risks. Those assessments are made by the man in the booth who actually writes the insurance. As a name I have two barriers of agency (Member's Agent and Managing Agent) between me and the writing of the risk.

In general, an insurer will look at the probability that an insured pilot will do something bloody silly. A pilot who has done something bloody silly may or may not do something bloody silly again, but such a pilot who does something bloody silly again is clearly at a greatly elevated risk of doing it again and again. Amelia Earhart is a classic example of that. She was a low to average pilot and a crap navigator, with a history of multiple pilot-induced accidents.

Almost any risk is insurable, if you have a backer with enough dosh pay the premium or underwrite the risk. Crash Tracey seems to have enough well-heeled admirers to financially enable her to go on to her next crash. Good luck to her and to them!

Thanks for that.

When I lived in Australia a few decades ago my aircraft was insured via the Australian Aviation Pool.

I mention this because certificate clearly broke down the various parties and their risk in percentage terms.

I know it still the case that light aircraft insurance is split in this way but I have never had a UK insurance certificate with the names of those taking the exposure listed on the back.

Given the couple of high profile ex warbird accidents in the UK last year I am surprised the income from GA is worth the risk.

The public liability is the gotcha?

In the case of TCT two accidents in around nine months does not look good.

You failed to answer my other question.

With the aircraft no doubt being assessed as a total write off who decides on the outcome? Repair in the USA or write it off and the insurers keep the wreck and sell it back to 3G.

The airframe has more value to Artemis than a punter in the USA?

TCT states in the post crash interview there were plans to ship it rebuild it and have it at Farnborough this year.

To me it looks like a new fuselage,wings and the shockloaded engine rebuilt.

Not a five minute job.

Or will it just be like Triggers brush with new heads and handles:ok:

The writer of the "write off" decides the outcome. That's the nature of such things. It is, of course, negotiable between the insurer and the insured.

In some cases the wreckage in a hull insurance case has a positive value. In other cases the wreckage has a negative residual value due to the cost of recovery. That balance is what determines who gets to 'keep the kids'.

If some idiot taxys a 747's wing into an airport building, the aircraft may be beyond economical repair, but the wreckage of the airframe may contain many hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of salvageable parts. That value is taken into account in the final settlement.

In the case of Crash Tracey's most recent cockup, it's entirely likely that the close-out of the "write off" has resulted in her side getting to keep the debris.

HCAP
 

The Honourable Company of Air Pilots find themselves in a difficult position.

They issued this press statement to a journalist friend of mine who has been working on the story.

However I have seen the original letter from the HCAP.
http://s19.postimg.org/i1aoh5xlu/Mas...Taylor_001.jpg

Surely Ewald deserved to share it?

He admitted today in a 20 minute recorded interview with a UK tabloid journalist that "I was in the aircraft for most of the two expeditions"

If the HCAP disagree with the quote above I am happy to provide proof.

Chris Ford at the HCAP has some questions to answer.

England Australia by Tiger Moth
 

Returning to an earlier post (Sorry, I'm late to this thread) I was once lent an original typed manuscript of an unpublished book of the same or similar title. I don't know if the author is the same chap referred to here.

One memorable passage which seems to be missing from the link given in this thread concerned taking off across the width of a major runway due to the wind, a manoeuvre that made the author somewhat unpopular in one of the en-route countries.

Like I say, I don't know if it's the same chap and if it is, I hope he won't mind my recalling this....

As an update Ewald Gritsch has admitted today ,to a London based journalist working on the story for UK national newspaper ,that he "was on board for most of the two trips" .

Well it is nice to know at last he is the man here.
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/...re-id504089984

The man in all those pictures.

The South Africa to UK 'Aviatrix' journey that the LAA gave the Bill Woodham navigation award to her and the UK to Australia 'solo' trip.

He claims however he did "not do any of the flying."

He has not said he did not do any navigation or radio work.

If I had to be with anyone occupying the front seat of the Spirit of Artemis it would be with the guy who built it and is a flying instructor.

Can we honestly believe he would sit in the front of an aircraft ,built by him and owned by his company 3G Aviation, and just be a passive passenger?
FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry

In a 20 minute recorded conversation Gritsch has admitted to the journalist covering the story that he was on board but says "not doing the flying" on both trips.

(The newspaper concerned are using my comparison of a rally driver in a competitive situation having a navigator and engineer on board.)

As I understand it Steve Slater of the LAA sticks by their award.

I feel sorry for runner up.

Steve is also a freeman of the HCAP who are planning to award Tracey Curtis Taylor
the Masters Medal.

I rest my case.

Does Ewald rent it to anybody or only TCT ?

I'm just thinking, I might contact him, I fancy some solo adventures in a Stearman, on my own, alone, with him sitting in the front.

I guess you are being sarcastic but this has been one of the most amazing stories I have ever encountered.

Myself and Sam Rutherford have spent five months trying to reveal the truth.

The other key figures in UK general aviation have let us down.

The LAA and the Honourable Company of Air Pilots giving awards without checking facts.

Also Boeing,Artemis,the Royal Navy charity,Inmarsat etc.

All have declined to address the sham flights of Ewald Gritsch and Tracey Curtis Taylor.

I find it sad in this modern world we live in the movers and shakers can still attempt to achieve big headlines and 'awards' for little more than a reality tv programme.

The problem I really have is dealing with lies.

So here is the letter...From the Master of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots

You'll have to excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick ... :yuk:

Well here it is

The long awaited letter from the Master of the Honourable Company Of Air Pilots.

I have deleted the address but it is on public record here https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07763562

Ewald Gritsch has admitted today in a 20 minute recorded interview with a UK tabloid journalist that he was with her in "most" of the South Africa and UK to Sydney expeditions. He did say "I was not flying the aircraft" but given he built it,owns it and is a flight instructor he must have played a part in monitoring the engine and navigation.

I have to say this entire saga is a sorry reflection on GA. Toys and gongs for the wealthy.

Before you read the letter below please read this press release.

Now read this...