You put it better than I Stan. Once had him stay as an overnight guest, and you know what he complained about at some length? People wanting him to do stuff for free. This was prompted by a scout group phoning wanting him to give a speech. Given his connivance in conducting his flights I thought it all a bit rich.

kghjfg, you've just made me realise that all my flying has been solo. Planning a solo venture from Oz to Europe next year, spouse is doing the same. I'll get her a log book for Xmas.

I have just watched Carol V on the One show and it was interesting to hear the amount of emphasis being placed on the word solo. I suspect there was some pre-broadcast chat about the TCT Saturday Dail Mail item.

Given her maths qualifications I can't see Carol having any problems with the navigation. She is also used to the pressure of broadcasting and tackling several things at once.

She speaks from the heart without churning out the same old script. It is apparent to me she is not trying to say look at me I am a woman pilot.

I was speaking yesterday to Dave Jarvis who wrote the Mail story. He was describing TCT's shock when he doorstepped her in London. His impression was that she has no passion for flying but rather thinks of it as a means to an end. " I also got the message that she is used to having her own way" he said.

Good luck to Carol V...it promises to be an interesting series.

She's also doing it in a DA42 which is somewhat more capable. To me, it is absolutely clear that Carol V is doing the trip primarily as a personal challenge.

Amelia Earhart's reaction to the adulation she received after her first Transatlantic trip.


Since most of the flight was on "instruments" and Earhart had no training for this type of flying, she did not pilot the aircraft. When interviewed after landing, she said, "Stultz did all the flying—had to. I was just baggage, like a sack of potatoes." She added, "...maybe someday I'll try it alone."

As I said some time ago: "Solo is solo is solo, and everybody in aviation knows what it means".

A third class honours degree in general engineering!

Quite good enough for pilot nav, but not that impressive.

G

However, the rest of Carol V is quite impressive. Have to take an holistic view on these things y'know.

That is a very fair point Clare.

G

Is CV still planning on flying with Red 8 back up?

I may be wrong but I think they have split up.

Oh good.
That gives me a chance then, does it?
I might just have time to fit her in to my busy schedule.

Back on track..
The TCT publicity machine seems to have been a little bit quiet, just of late.
Marshalling the dribbling old fools and the compliant media hacks, perhaps?

I would imagine, though, that one small thing she's going to have to overcome is the reluctance of the Royal Family to have, henceforth,
too much to do with her.
Bummer!

flybymike - yeah, that's why I was asking....

(Thread drift)

Come on chaps...upto speed.

Carol Vorderman back together with ex-boyfriend Graham Duff

Happier and, I assume, uncontroversial news ~


Jetblu Dream on.

Step Turn I accept that the Honourable Company of Air Pilots is not widely known amongst Canadian light aircraft pilots but that should not lead you to underestimate its standing in Canada.

Our affiliated bodies include 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron RCAF, 19 Wing RCAF Comox, the Snowbirds and Harbour Air Seaplanes - the world's largest all seaplane airline. As well as being an affiliate, Harbour Air was awarded our Cumberbatch Trophy in 2012 for its outstanding contribution to aviation safety. The trophy was proudly displayed at their Vancouver Harbour terminal when I visited in 2013.

My North America schedule, which began at the Boeing factory in Seattle and ended in Washington DC two weeks later, included discussions in Ottawa with the Director-General Civil Aviation Transport Canada and then with the Canadian Transportation Safety Board (3 Board members, Chief Operating Officer, Director of the Air Investigations Branch and 12 senior air accident investigators.)
And, in Montreal, with the Secretary-General of ICAO (accompanied by the Director of Safety Standardisation and the Chief of the Flight Operations Section),
before flying to Washington DC for discussions with the FAA's Administrator for Policy & International Affairs and with the Chairman of the NTSB accompanied by two heads of aviation departments.
NB: None of the above meetings was in a personal capacity. All took place because I was representing the Air Pilots.

You will, I hope, be pleased to learn that Canadian aviators feature regularly in our awards.

In addition to the Cumberbatch Trophy mentioned above, I had the privilege during my year as Master of presenting the Prince Philip Helicopter Rescue Award to the crew of ‘Rescue 912’ from 103 Sqn SAR RCAF who successfully rescued three hunters from a Newfoundland ice flow in blizzard conditions with winds so strong that the helicopter was flown the final two miles to the rescue point backwards - the pilot positioning the nose into the storm to achieve a more stable flying platform.
The crew came to London to receive their award - as do recipients from all over the world, every year.
http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/5365...ml#post8395071

I had the privilege of presenting two Master's Medals:

That's pretty impressive stuff FL, both the meetings and the awards.

FL,

Like Step Turn, I was also confused when I first saw the acronym HCAP. After some head-scratching and some research, I discovered that HCAP was just a re-badged GAPAN, which I had known about for many years.

While it's clear that HCAP does very good work in promoting aviation and recognizing outstanding achievements (with the notable exception of one recent award), I find it anachronistic that a professional aviation organization models itself on a medieval guild - a cartel/secret society set up to protect the interests of its members and establish a monopoly in its particular trade. It is no wonder that some people think HCAP is linked to Masonry.

Viewed from the outside, GAPAN/HCAP comes across as an "establishment" club, which view is reinforced by the headquarters address and the dinners in fancy dress.

I've never been a GAPAN/HCAP member, but may as well point out that it really is one of these "ancient" guilds (more properly called Livery Companies).

There's a list of all 110 of them on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livery_company

On the whole, whilst I tend to think that the criticism of the Masters medal is fair, and yes it is an Establishment Club - it's one that is open to anybody to join and isn't at-all secretive.

I've never joined for the simple reason that you can only belong to so many organisations, and I consider it less useful to me than for example the Society of Flight Test Engineers. But in general terms, the basic fact and existence of HCAP / GAPAN is entirely reasonable and above board. I've been invited professionally to a few of their specialist meetings, and the quality of what they were doing was excellent.

Two other "establishment" clubs I belong to: the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and the Royal Aeronautical Society are both very happy to also dress up for dinner - and the first of those is American with a headquarters in California (and boasts the aforementioned Tim Peake and Jim Lovell as members). We're human, we love our ceremony and tradition - it's no reason to criticise anybody. It would be a far poorer world without a bit of pomp and dress-up.

G

Excellent news that the HCAP Masters Medal for 2016 goes to Tim Peake.

Can I take it TCT will not be receiving an HCAP award?

Worthy recipients, FL and some interesting background on the Guild which I hadn't known before. Thanks.