It would be nice to see some of the out takes recorded by the Gopro cameras from the first couple of flights.

I suspect it was trying to manage everything and navigate that got to her.

That's rather an interesting thought.

Given this apparent change of mind about how the flight was to be conducted, it does beg the question as to what caused the decision to be made WHEN it was made and what was the real thought process behind the decision.

I don't really buy the sudden fit of altruism: "to let other members of the team share the experience" argument as surely that would have been built in from the start?

Also, it seems strange that the team member who seems to have done most if not all of the "experience sharing" seems to have been the 20000 hour ATPL qualified pilot who owns the aircraft, and who presumably had no end of experience in it?

As a pure speculation: I don't suppose that the aircraft owner, having seen her flying at the beginning of the trip, decided that he wanted to be in a position to protect his aircraft in case something went wrong?

I'd also be interested to know at what point the sponsors were consulted about this change, given that originally they presumably signed up to fund a genuine solo flight.

A man more sceptical than me might well conclude that Ms Curtis-Taylor's PR adviser, having already shot himself in the foot a couple of times, has pulled the trigger again....... :rolleyes: :ouch:

PS As a separate but related question: can anyone provide a detailed description of the people and resources that comprised the back up team for this solo flight?

From the RAF facebook page this morning.


SD

Helen Needham ([email protected]) is a Senior Producer at BBC Radio Scotland. In view of a complaint concerning their broadcast on September 2nd that featured TCT, she stated "We take such accusations very seriously and are looking into them."

Hi Jonzarno,

I can but I don't want to put 'innocents' into the public domain. Perhaps you can send me an email: sam at prepare2go then dot and com...?

Fly safe, Sam.

Further to Deefer Dogs post can I suggest you listen to this recent interview on BBC Radio Scotland.

BBC Radio Scotland - Out for the Weekend, 02/09/2016
She appears in two segments at the start of the programme trotting out the same old story and conveying the impression she was solo.

Ewald is briefly mentioned as a crew member on board the Stearman for the accident in Arizona.

Complaints regarding lack of research or imbalance in the interview need to be forwarded to
[email protected]

A cc to Helen Boaden who is the BBC Head of Radio would also help.

[email protected]

[email protected]

Thud 105 is correct - I first read about this sorry saga in Dave Unwin's PTT column in the September issue of Pilot."

Many thanks for flagging that up Centauras. I missed reading Dave Unwins column in the September edition of Pilot but having just retrieved it made me smile. The editorial team at Pilot have done the right thing in exposing TCT's charade.

Her is the answer to Jonzaros question.
Poor old Ewald relegated to plain engineer.
Q & A with Tracey Curtis Taylor - Features - Pilot

Nice to see Carol Vorderman doing things the right way and flying herself in to Lossiemouth.
She deserves credit for giving her time to the Air Cadets and I am sure they enjoyed her visit.

http://www.hrfca.co.uk/wp-content/up...AC-media-4.jpg

You wrote a post about it here.

Oops...Starting to lose my marbles on this topic:ugh:

A few other ways of looking at things:

Pilot Honesty: If a pilot walks in and says "I think I may have just done a heavy landing" you get the aircraft checked, if there has been a heavy landing hopefully the damage can be put right, the pilot learns a nasty lesson and, in my view earns trust for their honesty.

If a pilot does a heavy landing and says nothing then a later pilot and passengers may pay a heavy price for the first pilot's dishonesty. It has happened, and I know at least three flying clubs and one syndicate where an aircraft has been damaged with no report, the damage being found much later when the finger of suspicion may point, but there is little chance of proof.

Would you want to get into an aircraft recently flown by someone who is proven to be dishonest? In aviation we depend on honest approaches to standards, airmanship and reporting mistakes. Can we believe a dishonest pilot's logbook? Their claimed abilities, or qualifications they "earned" overseas. I work in an AOC environment where "Just Culture" is a core of the Ops Manual, and the Chief Pilot's brief to new captains starts "when you f### up tell me, we can sort anything if the first thing you do is tell me if you think you've made a mistake."

The LAA:
I am a member of the LAA. I am a member of the LAA because I own a permit aircraft. I trust, implicitly, my inspector, BUT I am extremely concerned that the LAA have been decieved, and are embarrased by that, and are making up excuses to cover their embarrasment. If that is the case then have the LAA acted in such a manner before? What else have they hidden? Do they deserve the trust placed in them by the regulator to oversee the permit system and fleet?

Actually the above is purely rhetorical, I believe the LAA are a superb organisation with a lot of hard working volunteers and a great full time staff, but, T C-T and others like her drag the reputations of others down with them. They tarnish those they come into contact with, by association, organisations like the LAA and HCAP start to look shady and lose credibility.

A couple of log books ago there was a pilot with dubious standards in a company I worked for, he got caught falsifying his experience, a brilliant training captain was in the crew room while the subject of this person was being discussed. His comment, "pilots like that are the skid marks on the white underpants of aviation." A rather crude analogy, but for the first time since then one I feel applies to the subject of this thread.

SND

In reply to Above the Clouds.....

Looking at those pictures together do you think Boeing and Artemis got their money's worth out of sponsoring TCT?

Both pictures must be a nightmare for the sponsors and Tim Kelly the Artemis spin doctor.

The R44 is listed as destroyed.
GINFO Search Results

Built in 2007 I am not sure what it was worth but her hull losses over the last year have been substantial.
The helicopter incident occured on August 17 2015.

Ten months later she wrecked the Stearman again, this time at Willington Arizona.
Her insurance premium must be eye watering.Perhaps that is why she has not flown in the UK this year?

For those who are superstitious TCT crashed the Spirit of Artemis in Arizona on Friday 13th of May.

The interesting element is she was taking off from Willington to fly to Phoenix in Arizona.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=187339

The company name on the side of the helicopter she wrecked at Goodwood was Phoenix:D

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/...9847673370.jpg

TCT said in her recent Radio Scotland interview she planned to pick up where she left off.
That means heading for Phoenix?:O

You have to admire her persistence: only another three aircraft destroyed and she can claim she's an ace..... :O

The Radio Scotland interview is worth listening to Jon.
BBC Radio Scotland - Out for the Weekend, 02/09/2016
When the accident happened she admits she failed to turn off the fuel before crashing! Then describes
Ewald as a'crew member'.

She claims there were fifteen engineers working to restore the Spirit of Artifice.

Ewald Gritches 3G aviation at Meidl Airport, Hungary must be providing lots of work for the locals thanks to TCT.

Jokes aside I admire Ewald for the beautiful aircraft work he undertakes and his avoidance of the whole media circus in this sad debacle.

TCT has not realised that using the media is like playing with a dangerous dog.
It can and often does turn on you.

To be honest you could not make this story up.

It has echoes of the Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan saga. Was she the pilot or was it him?

Meanwhile here is a post on the Kathryns Report from an anonymous Halfpenny Green pilot.
Kathryn's Report: Boeing B75N1, 3G Classic Aviation Inc., N56200: Accident occurred May 11, 2016 near Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport (KINW) Winslow, Navajo County, Arizona

Given the amount of chicanery, deception and down right lies that have issued forth from the Artemis team I don't think I would have a lot of confidence in Artemis Investments, they won't see any of my cash!


Stand by for a company name change anytime soon! ;)

It strikes me that...
Artemis, Tim Kelly, the LAA and HCAP all thought they could tough it out - relying on the gullibility and short attention span of
the Great Unwashed.

I'm strongly of the opinion that a conscious decision was made by senior management at Artemis Investments, on the advice of
their sponsorship consultant, Tim Kelly, to continue with the blatant and ongoing deception.

Their goal in sponsoring the 'Spirit of Artifice' was simply that of using a powerful tool to create and enhance 'Brand Awareness'.
It's a bit of a shame that it seems they were not able to see any further than that narrow goal.
We'll see how it goes then, shall we?

Just by way of a p.s., I also can't help wondering whether any of the Artemis largesse had been promised to certain organisations
to help with their 'good works'... I certainly hope not.
Further, Prince Michael describes his occupation as that of "Consultant". I suppose his client list would be 'commercial in confidence'.

.

Jay Sata,
'Echoes of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan ..'
No, I don't think so. It is my understanding that Amelia was the sole pilot and her navigator, Fred Noonan, was seated
in the rear cabin from which the cockpit could not be accessed in flight - due to the large in-cabin fuel tank.

BTW, There's a thread started on Jet Blast titled... "Amelia come home...", if anybody's interested.
.

For those not familiar with mythology. A phoenix is a colourful bird with talons that continually reinvents itself after coming to grief.

he he!
Best post yet!

Having submitted a motion to the LAA requesting they rescind the Bill Woodhams award to TC-T for consideration at the LAA AGM at Sywell; I hope that those forum members who are members of the LAA turn up in support. It just might turn her down a peg or two.

Well done
 

Well done sir! Not everyone has to bottle to stand up for what they believe is right.

What irks me most is the lack of integrity in the way she has presented herself, quite the opposite of what we we have come to expect from the community of pilots.

I am an LAA member but I will not be able to make the AGM. Is one permitted to vote when such a motion is put forward, or perhaps I should write an email to them, or even one for G-KEST to hand in??

Excerpt du Jour - 2
 

The Australian Civil Aviation Authorities magazine - January this year...

Probably seen on the thread before but this article seems to suggest they were told it was a 'solo' not 'sole' flight. Strange that after the South African 'misunderstanding', it still hasn't been clarified for them.

Stearman solo success | Flight Safety Australia

However, I think the first line of this release is pretty much the nail in the coffin of deceit...

http://www.boeing.com/resources/boei...essRelease.pdf

But to go back a bit further...

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/Boeing-S...intage-Biplane

Must be stopped now.

Boeing are complicit in this.

Take a look at this sponsored video report from Boeing posted by Trace Dominguez who is a freelance also working for the Discovery Channel who I understand are going to air some Aviatrix programme later this year.

One Pilot Explains Our Deep Desire To Fly - Video

As the late Fleet Street newspaper editor Sir John Junor would have said "pass the sick bag Alice":ok:

Words actually fail me...

The killer in that press release is the address.

Over on the LAA forum Ian Melville joked about Stearmangate.

Now that there is a direct link,to Boeing, he might be nearer to the truth than he thinks.

The company have a corporate responsibility to tell the truth and not deceive the public.

They also have an image to uphold.

Maybe a phone call to the Washington Post is not such a bad idea:ok:

Er, Stearman, wasn't it, before it got trashed?

So in the interest of accuracy let's agree it's made of steel and fabric.

But do go on, and on - Tracey...

To be fair, Wageslave...
At least the wings are of wood and rag construction.
Aside from that, it's the same ol' BS...
A fantasy world combined with breathtaking arrogance - everybody, except pretty little me, is stupid.

.

@Jonzarno

Late reply, on the Cape Town to Goodwood trip we were:

1 'Sole' pilot, Tracey
1 'Engineer', Ewald
1 Pilot of C208 support plane
1 Logistics, me
1 Director
1 Sound
1 Camera
1 Second camera/gopro/comms

So, eight in total, of which four were pilots.

But Sam everything I read is about a solo pilot....:ooh:

So Bird in A Biplane was actually, 8 folk on a road trip???? Give that Aviatrix another award please.

Sam,


Who did the flight planning, met checks, notams, decision making etc. ? I presume that with two aircraft in loose formation, it only needed to be done once and was shared between both teams.

Sam, I got a question (and this is in no way a dig at you) but putting myself in your position sitting in the back of the Caravan day after day, hour after hour that's flying along doing S turns or holding just above the stall speed to stay behind the Stearman that's got a 20,000 hour ATPL, A&P keeping a close eye on things, at a certain point I think I would have said to myself "what is the point of all this sh*t, what are we achieving apart from burning thru a pile of money and avgas?" I understand it is what you do for a living but your other projects do look like real adventures and not a babysitting exercise as this one appears to be. Weren't your bored ****less?

Well...
Having to deal with TCT, he would have more than earned his money on that alone, I suspect.

"What could be more important than getting my luggage to the hotel?!"
An all-time classic.
.

It would never have got this far had it not been for Pprune.

Many thanks to the mods on this site for sticking with it when others turned a blind eye.

Here she is over herds of wildebeest in Africa.Sole pilot as you can see:ok:

https://s10.postimg.org/gbuz3tdm1/image.jpg

Are you sure that the HCAP medal wasn't actually awarded because she flew so low? ;)

A couple of answers:

Whilst I had done all the flight planning for the entire route before departure, Ewald and the pilot of the C208 did most of the day to day enroute planning with my input at times. Tracey was generally given the final result (or not, as Ewald knew it of course) - but was very rarely involved any planning. In her defence, she was usually very busy with the film crew and it would not have made sense (for the film) for her to be checking notams etc. I filed all the flight plans and GenDecs (Stearman POB:2) and paid all the charges etc. for both aircraft.

I wasn't bored! As well as the aviation side (including the AVGAS along the route) I was also dealing with film permits and paperwork, visas, ground transportation, hotels and restaurant bookings and managing the entire (also very large amounts of cash) budget (converting money to receipts!).

TCT/ Nylon Films and the BBC
 

Can I open up a new line of enquiry Sam.

Nylon Films must have sold the Aviatrix to the BBC before you all left Cape Town.

Did Nylon Films contact the BBC to alert them to the fact that it was no longer a solo voyage by TCT or was the video sold post production?

Who funded Nylon Films?

Was the low flying she claims part of your flight planning each day?

Was there a pre flight briefing from the film crew as to what they wanted from each flight?

Was Ewald briefed on how the above would be achieved and filmed?

Did no one ever question it was no longer a solo flight?

:ok:Good post airpolice and of course you have the answer to why she never flys alone outside a local comfort zone.

There was an ideal opportunity recently for a flight from Farnborough to Lee On Solent to collect her honourary doctorate from Portsmouth Poly. Then up to Brough or Humberside for her Amy Johnson lecture.

However she drove instead despite some of the best VFR this summer.

"Too late to scramble" she claimed in her unique quirky 'Aviatrix' style.

https://www.facebook.com/birdinabiplane

Of course that flying might have involved a bit of navigation and I don't think Tracey is up to that.

Meanwhile here are a few pictures to illustrate her claims of flying over Israel,Jordan and the Dead Sea with a 'military escort'.

Transpires it was a private registeted Israeli registered Stearman :ok:
Planepictures.net search: Registration: 4X-AAY

Who could that possibly be in the front seat of the Spirit of Artifice?
https://s22.postimg.org/eyqzs0nhd/image.jpg



Surely not our elusive airline pilot Ewald Gritsch? Zoom in and you will see Ewald is flying and Tracey is sightseeing
https://s12.postimg.org/8hq1px2zx/image.jpg
Over the Dead Sea. Total width around 15 kilometres. Less than than Cardiff to Minehead!
https://s22.postimg.org/dkzcwpo81/image.jpg

And a reminder from Tracey to LAA members to focus on old aircraft.

Ahem...
"Incredible" (adj; So implausible as to elicit disbelief) would be the operative word there, would it not?