PPRuNe Forums

PPRuNe Forums (https://www.pprune.org/)
-   Private Flying (https://www.pprune.org/private-flying-63/)
-   -   Tracey Curtis-Taylor (Merged threads) (https://www.pprune.org/private-flying/579030-tracey-curtis-taylor-merged-threads.html)

Mike Flynn 2nd Nov 2016 14:59

It is worth pointing out her claim re Shuttleworth back in 2013.

Flying in an open cockpit, exposed to the elements, is not for the faint* hearted, the flight representing a formidable physical and logistical challenge - in a plane designed in the 1930s, with a top speed of 95 mph, an operating ceiling of 10,000 feet and a range of only 450 miles.

But this sort of extreme flying is what Curtis-Taylor, one of the Shuttleworth Collection display pilots, has been doing all her life.

One of the Shuttleworth Collection display pilots? Have I missed something in the collections history?
Cape Town to Goodwood Tracey Curtis-Taylor Boeing Stearman November 2013

Also...

The photo that I received is Stearman taxing out for departure on 27 Oct 2013
I see two people on board.
https://s16.postimg.org/t0u83pu91/image.jpg

Never realising the importance of the photo. I thought it was just another biplane visiting Cape Town International Airport where I work.
Here is the original map published by the Bird in a Biplane team in South Africa in 2013. Note the similarity to the one used in Seattle earlier this year for the talk at the Museum of Flight.
http://www.jlpc.co.za/images/Cape_To...r_2013_Map.png

Was it misreporting the same graphic was used over two years after it first appeared in South Africa?

Source Johannesburg Light Plane Club http://www.jlpc.co.za/Past_Event_201...to_London.html

rog747 2nd Nov 2016 15:31

jay sata there are 2 folk I am sure that are in that cockpit on the CPT taxy out photo - is that the supposedly first leg on the ''solo'' journey to UK?

PDR1 2nd Nov 2016 15:32

Unless my eyes are playing up again that steerman would appear to have slightly more filled seats than might traditionally be deemed appropriate for a solo flight...

PDR

Mike Flynn 2nd Nov 2016 15:37

To the best of my knowledge the picture is dated before the start date on the graphic which was November 1st.
Can anyone analyse the picture date and confirm it was Cape Town?

rog747 2nd Nov 2016 15:38

This was in the Mail online 9 Jan 2016
'bird in a biplane' euphoric after 13,000-mile solo flight to sydney | Daily Mail Online

Her 13,000-mile route took her across Europe and the Mediterranean to Jordan, over the Arabian desert, across the Gulf of Oman to Pakistan, India and across Asia.
She recreated the essence of Johnson's era of flying with an open cockpit, stick and rudder flying with basic period instruments
and a short range between landing points.

In 2013, she flew 8,000 miles solo from Cape Town, South Africa, to Goodwood, West Sussex, to recreate the 1928 flight of Lady Mary Heath.
Maureen Dougherty, president of Boeing Australia and South Pacific, which sponsored the adventure, said: "Tracey's flight is a wonderful reminder of how far aviation has advanced and the role women have played since those early days of flight. Congratulations to Tracey and her support team on this remarkable achievement."


jaysata photo is DEF taken at CPT

Mike Flynn 2nd Nov 2016 15:52

The whole subject of TCT and her 'flying career' is interesting considering until three years ago she was unheard of.

I refer once again to the latest debate on wiki .


If during an episode of Mastermind we heard "Name?...Tracey Curtis-Taylor; Occupation?...Aviator", I think it is safe to say the overwhelming majority of viewers would take that to mean the contestant actually flew for a living, and was not a lady of leisure who merely did aviation for a hobby. I think it is pretty self evident most people consider "occupation" to be either one's job (eg teacher), or the significant thing one does instead of a job (eg housewife, retired, unemployed). The total logged flying hours of Curtis-Taylor over 30 years is in the region of 1500. Less than one hour a week!! That is a hobby not an occupation. Listing her occupation as 'aviator' based on either time spent on task or professional status is unjustified, nor do I see a consensus to do so. Her resume insofar as it can be established from the sources that have interviewed her goes something like "bit of a mixed bag; photographer; diamond valuer; waitress; foreign office worker; gemmologist; behind the scenes airshow administrator". Beck daross (talk) 14:19, 2 November 2016 (UTC)
source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Tracey_Curtis-Taylor

Cessnafly 2nd Nov 2016 15:58

It can't be a very good advertisement for Boeing, the Stearman having had an extensive refurbishment by 3G, it was apparently then deemed that an engineer was needed to ride shot-gun for the duration. Double bonus points if the engineer also happened to have a pilots licence with 20,000+ hours. Fantastic. :D

So she did have an autopilot after all sitting in the front seat.

Good Business Sense 2nd Nov 2016 16:07

30 year "career" logging 1500 hours = 50 hours per year .... hardly enough to stay current.

1500 hours is two years work for the average CPL

deefer dog 2nd Nov 2016 16:41

Re the photo posted by Jay earlier.

According to the link below she actually departed on 2nd November on the first leg of the CT to UK non "solo" flight.

Cape Town to Goodwood Tracey Curtis-Taylor Boeing Stearman November 2013

Apparently the weather was not suitable on 1st which was the planned start date....(or maybe Ewald wasn't around?)

deefer dog 2nd Nov 2016 17:03

And, for those who may be interested, the actual accident report filings made by TCT.

A few initial points of interest.

  • TCT crossed out "accident" and filed it as an "incident."**
  • Ewald's flight time is confirmed as being in excess of 20,000 hours.
  • For SATCO - The aircraft wasn't released by the NTSB until 26th May 2016.

Anyone else notice anything strange?

http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594566.pdf

http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594567.pdf

http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/59000-59499/59012/594568.pdf

** Incident/Accident as per NTSB/FAA: An accident is defined as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft that takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. An incident is an occurrence other than an accident that affects or could affect the safety of operations. (See 49 CFR 830.)

SATCOS WHIPPING BOY 2nd Nov 2016 17:06

1 Attachment(s)
Question...I am puzzled by a comment I have just seen on the Capetown to Goodwood FB page - 16 December 2013.

"two chicks in a sexy plane"


Who was the other "chick", or was Ewald having a gender crisis.

pulse1 2nd Nov 2016 17:29

TCT has ticked the box acknowledging that she has an instructor rating for SEA.
Ewald is shown as a member of the flight crew - how can that be possible?

clareprop 2nd Nov 2016 17:32

This is an interesting thread which may not have been seen before - if it has, mods feel free to delete. Lot's of photo's from the Cape Town start of her flight. What's funny is the number of photo's showing Ewald in the front and it isn't until page 6 someone writes 'Isn't she flying solo?'. The answer is excellent. I haven't read the rest of the thread but I'm sure it will provide some entertainment...


Tracey Curtis-Taylor's Cape to London Flight - Page 6 - AvCom

It all starts going a bit wrong for her on page 12.

farsouth 2nd Nov 2016 17:37

Also on the "incident" (.........) report, Principal Occupation - Pilot ..............


(Looking at the pictures on that AvCom site, one thing for sure - that is a beautiful aeroplane)

B Fraser 2nd Nov 2016 17:55

Why do both pilots log equal flight time in the preceding 24 hours ? Surely Mr Gritsch was a passenger ?

Most peculiar.

megan 2nd Nov 2016 18:12

Reading the details in the accident report is rather interesting, in as much the hours logged by both.

XXXXXXXXXXdXXEwaldXXXXTCT
Last 90 DaysXXXX28XXXXXXX26
Last 30 DaysXXXX26XXXXXXX23
Last 24 HoursXXXX6XXXXXXXX6

So both are logging the hours, all we need to know in what capacity was each logging those hours. TCT is nominated as PIC on the report, so how is Ewald logging time? Ewald as PIC (instructor), TCT dual (student) is about the only means by which both could be logging time, as far as I'm aware, in a single engine that only requires a crew of one. Unless of course TCT was instructing Ewald, since she says she has an instructors rating in the report.

deefer dog 2nd Nov 2016 18:32

Well spotted megan!

Wake up you lot, anything else?

B Fraser 2nd Nov 2016 18:50

Well, someone who describes her occupation as a "pilot" and wears a set of RAF wings does not hold an instrument rating. And then there is a missing value for the number of hours the engine has logged. The registered owner is not TCT but we already knew that.

Anything else ?

jumpseater 2nd Nov 2016 18:55

Images.

The date and times of images can be checked by using an exif reader. This shows the image data at the time the picture was taken, aiding anyone who wants to verify a time/date location.
There are a couple of things to be aware of:

If date and time are incorrectly set on the camera that will be recorded as the event time, however most people tend to have date and time set reasonably accurately.

On some images, the processing/editing software may make the original exif data invisible.

Fly-by-Wife 2nd Nov 2016 19:02

Deefer,

It appears that TCT has ticked "With limitations / waivers" on the Medical Certificate Validity.

FBW


All times are GMT. The time now is 15:31.


Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.