Anybody have news on how the HCAP banquet went?

Sorry for quoting such long text but given all this support I'm sure I could have done the flight 'Solo'. Dont have a PPL but I seem to do OK on Flight Sim and did get a few jollies in the Chinook.
From here : Tracey Curtis Taylor - Aviatrix, Adventurer, Inspirational Speaker

Firstly, I would like to pay particular tribute to my crew: Ewald Gritsch, whose company 3G Classic Aviation not only restored the Stearman, but who has worked tirelessly to provide full technical support of the flight. It wouldn't have been possible without him.

My huge thanks to our crew for their dedication and endless goodwill - chase plane pilot, Markus Loeschenkohl, and cameraman, Matthew Wainwright.

To Tim Kelly, who has done a masterful job managing the expedition media and communications; Mike Grey of White Rose Aviation for his fantastic service and support with all of our flight permissions and clearances along the route; and to Christian Schopf and his team from Fly to Sky for providing our support plane, the wonderful Pilatus Porter.

Most significantly, my heartfelt thanks to my principal sponsors, Boeing and Artemis Investment Management for giving me the wings to fly Africa and around the world to Australia; with further support from ExecuJet, GIC Re of India, KM Dastur, Singapore Airlines, the Taj Hotel Group, Jeppesen, Livewire Digital, Cobham, Inmarsat, Pol Roger and our media partner, the Mail on Sunday. A special thank you to all the British Embassies, High Commissions and GREAT Campaign teams around the world who have supported us throughout the flight. And this flight would not have happened without the unparalleled support of HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Judy and Hugh Chilvers (Amy’s family), Michael Loveridge, Sir John Rose, Mustafa Koc, Ho Ching, Derrick Gunning and Dame Diana Rigg.

There have been so many fantastic supporters behind this project over the last 12 months, so I would also like to thank a number of people: the Royal Navy (and especially First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas), the Royal Air Force (especially Chief of the Air Staff Sir Andrew Pulford and RAF No1 Squadron), the Royal Navy & Royal Marines charity, the BWPA, IAWA and AWPA, RAF Akrotiri, Bryn & Craig, the RAF Meteorological Service (who have provided us with weather reports for most of the route), the Israeli Civil Aviation Authorities, Libby Bahat and ‘Avner the Ace’, Avi Barber, Prince Hamzah and Princess Basma of Jordon, SkyDive Jordan, Sultan Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia, Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud, the Pakistan Air Force and Princely Jets along with Ghouse Akbar, Engro Corp and Habib Bank, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, the Indian Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force and Professional Helicopter Services at Uluru.

Thanks also to TAG Farnborough Airport and Graham Williamson, Rob and Chrissie Millinship, Graham Talkes and Nadia, Lynne Custance and Nick Adams, Mark Brandis and the Libertine team, David Freeman and Tom Chandler, Lee Brady and Diamond Jet Detailing in Dubai

So a good solo (oops, sole) effort, then

Might I respectfully suggest that she now considers starting to name-drop to further her cause (self promotion?), in case she's in danger of using up her own precious supply of oxygen?

Looking at that long list can anyone hazard a guess at what it all must have cost?

Could the money have been better spent on flying scholarships?

Did Boeing and Artemis get their money's worth given this picture?
http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/660/c...i032969972.jpg

The question now is where does this leave TCT?

Trying to pick up where she and Ewald left off having wrecked Boeing's centenary stunt?

Perhaps regaling a few old codgers with one of those cruise ship talks mid afternoon to a handful in the audience?

I doubt there will be any more sponsorship money for future events.

The whole saga has turned in to a PR disaster.

The Spirit of Artemis sits in a hangar at Farnborough instead of flying around the UK.

HCAP have put her on a pedestal alongside Time Peake and the press are sure to revisit this.

I have a question. On 1st October 2015 TCT set off from Farnborough in a blaze of publicity on her epic trip to Oz. She took off all by herself, alone in the airplane and then apparently flew to Le Touquet before continuing to Charleville in France.

FAB to LFAT is a mere hop of only 120 nm, and a direct flight from FAB to Charleville is only 226 nm - hardly a challenge for a Stearman with extra tanks. Charleville is a customs and immigration airfield also.

I wonder why Tracey stopped off at Le Touquet...or maybe that's where Ewald joined her? Would anyone know?

All of Tracey's own newsletters around the Oz trip make tedious, but revelatory reading
This from her first:
I leave on October 1st, which is fast approaching as we have just under 100 days to go, and although we are in a great position in terms of planning and preparation, for a trip of this magnitude there is still lots to do. My beautiful 1942 Boeing Stearman, Spirit of Artemis, and I, will have to navigate 13,000 miles across 23 countries to make it from one end of the world to the other which is quite some expedition to organise.

Sorry, it looks like I missed that the wind was across the RW at Le Touquet, so where did she land immediately after departing from FAB, and when did Ewald join her?

Er...hang on a minute. Where has that newsletter come from all of a sudden?

It's dated 28th January 2016 and has a 'New' tag against it meaning presumably, it's just been published. In fact, using wayback.com, it would appear that the 'news' icon on the birdinabiplane menu has been absent since at least 7th March this year and has now suddenly popped back again.

So, retrospective editing has taken place to miraculously make it look as if TCT was saying it was a jolly old joint effort all along - just like it says in the HCAP bumph.

When will they learn you can't lie on the internet?

In reply to deefer's point it is worth revisiting the Daily Mail story of July 1st
'Solo' flying poster girl is brought down by claims that she had co-pilot | Daily Mail Online


Watch the video, where Prince Michael helps push the aircraft from the hangar.
She clearly states it is a journey she is embarking on and does not mention others.
Nor does Ewald appear.
At the end of the trip Ewald is once again spirited away while she makes her address to the waiting media.

Clearly in my opinion a set up to fool journalists in to thinking it was all solo.

And talking of journalists it is only fair I now reveal apart from having a PPL A and H for north of 30 years I am also a retired ex BBC and Reuters journalist.

Hence my dogged determination to get to the bottom of what has been the most amazing story I have ever encountered.

I have not heard a peep from her lawyers but if it goes to court the result will be interesting to say the least.

BOOM

Watch this video chaps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fujEzI94zAc

Main part that will be of interest starts at 8:05 , listen very carefully at 9:45

Out of her own smug chops spew the words "...contacted me after I came back from Africa on my SOLO flight from Capetown back to England at the end of last year"

She then repeats the SOLO word again at 11:20. ..." that is what really drove my flight <pause for effect> SOLO from Capetown to England".

Seems this was at Herne Bay 20 September 2014.

Suggest someone downloads and archives that video (use Keepvid or similar) before she gets it taken down...

Maybe one of the people she has threatened to sue...

Did that before I posted on here :ok:

A Wing and a Chair - Solo flight to Oz - David Sykes

"I have not heard a peep from her lawyers but if it goes to court the result will be interesting to say the least."

Just be careful Jay.

This is very much an 'outreach programme'

It's been designed as an 'out of reach' programme from the likes of the normal working class of people to do anything about it.

They have used the media to their advantage. It's worked to some sort of degree because Joe Bloggs still believes it. They will watch the film and come away again believing it.

Sure, the LAA are a grassroots flying organisation run by 'normal' guys.
It's obvious something could be done at this level.

Once you move inside the city, large institutions are 'out of reach' with the 'normal' guys, and just do their own thing irrespective, generally saluting with two fingers if you don't like it. That's the way it has always been and will not be about to change. Some 'players' even have a finger in each pie.
Understand? ;)

Well spotted Satco.

I can have a lot of fun with that in court:D

This whole saga centres on well publicised solo flights that never were solo.

Had it been public from day one that this was just another reality programme in the making no one would have cared a hoot and there would have been little or no publicity.

We certainly would not be wasting our time on here.

TCT claimed to be emulating two pioneering women aviators from the early days of long distance flying.

Both flew alone and unsupported in British built aircraft.

TCT has had massive funding and support and is now backtracking on her claims that her flying was event was meant to be solo.

She also implied it was difficult to find a similar aircraft of the period to fly in Africa despite many examples of the DH Tiger Moth still flying there.

Of course DH are not still around to provide sponsorship but Boeing are and their centenary was coming up. Could that have influenced the choice of aircraft?

An aircraft from WW2 and far removed from the small DH?

I am not some individual with a private grudge. I had never heard of TCT until I read about her on this site late last year after she left the UK.

I have no interest in her apart from revealing the truth.

I am not, as described in her press release ,an "associate" of Sam Rutherford.

I have never spoken by phone to Sam Rutherford or met him.

As I stated earlier I am a retired journalist hence my digging out the facts.

And the facts of this story revolve around one simple word that means so much to all of us who faced it.

Solo.

Busted! :ok:

Perhaps someone should email that link to HCAP?

Well done Satco!

Suggest that is sent to the press. It's already been sent to wiki.

The actual clip that Satco identified is quickly reached by clicking here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fujE...utu.be&t=9m40s

Always intrigued by the ratio of the funds raised in sponsorship/donations to finance these flights round the world versus the eventual funds allocated to the selected charities concerned. Whether TCT, Amelia (Rose) Earhart - the Pilatus PC-XII one, Polly Vacher, whoever, the costs of those 'round the world' expeditions versus the money raised for the charity concerned always seems a bit out of whack. Got an opinion on what would be a sensible ratio? Of that raised, 60% towards costs, 40% given to charities? Nowhere near I suspect, probably more on the 'raising awareness of X/Y/Z' front and there's barely any cash involved for that entity.

according to her webpage in 2015

"The Cape Town to Goodwood flight took two months to complete with 38 stops. Tracey was supported by a second aircraft; a Cessna Caravan provided by Phoenix Aviation of Nairobi, which carried a logistics manager, an engineer and a four-man film crew."

so the engineer was carried in the support plane. If he'd have stayed there there probably wouldn't have been quite so much kerfuffle?

https://web.archive.org/web/20150204...om/operations/

and here, again in 2015 so after the event

"In preparation for her solo flight across Africa"

https://web.archive.org/web/20150204...om/operations/

and still here

Tracey Curtis Taylor - Aviatrix, Adventurer, Inspirational Speaker


all these mentions of "solo flight" were long after the event

Her flush is now truly busted.

Hey Tracey, do you remember Jonathan Aitken by any chance? Like you he felt aggrieved when the newspapers accused him of lying. He also threatened to take legal action against his accusers and then following this now famous statement, he did:

And just as SATCO has brilliantly highlighted here, the truth was finally revealed.

Well done SATCO. It must have been an horrendous and vomit inducing task listening to hour after hour of her BS, lies and misrepresentations.

Nice find SATCO!

Also looks like she didn't actually fly at the Herne Bay display either.

The Stearman is in this video flying at Herne Bay. No date.

See 13:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2vgTpgqfGs
One occupant,

She mentions using Maypole as a staging post in Satcos video.
Welcome to the Maypole Airfield Information Centre

I think the Stearman was based at Goodwood at that time so a simple flight across Sussex and Kent.

Commendable research Satco :D

So, are we going to open a book on when the fifth 'Clear and Unequivocal' clarification statement will be made on the birdinabiplane website?

Thank you all for the tremendous support, I should like to thank my manager, my family and my friends who have been an endless support over these past three hours....yadda yaddda yadda

I can see how fame and adulation can affect someone to the point of believing their own lies.

I wonder how the vote would have changed if the video HAD been shown at the LAA AGM. I too wait with baited breath to see the next fascinating installment in this mockumentary.

If someone is retrospectively altering published material that might be used in evidence in court, and trying to hide the fact that it has been altered, surely that is a different ballgame altogether. I do sincerely hope this episode is not about to go down that sorry route.

WeeJeem

You seem to have missed the Pentavarit....?

WeeJeem

I think this will help with your dotted line from Marshall. :ok:

Bird In A Biplane Limited in London, SW15 4LF

A lot of commendable work going on here to establish the truth and expose TCT as liar who finds the temptation to exaggerate her claims irresistible. Brilliant work SWB.

Now what was it she was quoted as saying to the Sun newspaper earlier this week?

Crystal clear Tracey.

Ms C-T's Wiki page keeps listing her entire Career section around being at a few display, mostly as a static entry. No matter how often these incorrect claims to be a career display pilot are removed, presumably for her own benefit to prevent any chance of her being blamed for claiming to have flown either illegally or indeed if untrue, these claims keep being reverted back as her Career section.

The CAA section on Display flying has the following to say:
As there is video evidence of Artifice being displayed at the Herne Bay Air Disply, I wonder how her "behavioural and attitudinal fitness assessment" went, given this claim apparently attributed to her "Over the sea, I was flying at 10 feet or below over breeding whales".

I also wonder what height minima she was operating to and what other requirements there were for her Display Authorisation, which presumably was issued for participation in this disply.

By the way, did anyone manage to capture the quote posted a few days ago, apparently of Ms C-T boasting to an audience about some of her airmanship faux pas and subsequent threats to officials who reprimanded her and almost arrested her for breaching their airspace regulations? It seems to have gone, which is a pity.

I would have thought that the flying by the Stearman in the Herne Bay video above wouldn't be classed as a display for Display Authorisation purposes and would probably be classed as a 'fly past' which wouldn't require a DA - I stand to be corrected!

Pilotmike

It's not attributed to her...it's out her own mouth. Her interview starts at about the 42 minute point. I think some of the other stuff you are looking for is on there too.

BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Live, Former Spice Girl Mel C and aviator Tracey Curtis Taylor

Whatever angle you come at this from (as a previously fully qualified sea survival instructor, you can guess my views) more and more it points to what I might sympathetically term, "a total absence of professional airmanship".

another poster has made a more detailed comment on this abstract at #2191 (page 110) and raised similar concerns to you, you might want to review his/her post.

But yes, I would expect by now that red flags are starting to fly in the inner bowels of the CAA.

Thanks for confirming various things for me, The Old Fat One.

As I had only read a transcript (post 2191 as you rightly said) and hadn't heard the original recording, I was being very cautious to allow for the possibility of a mis-transcription or misquote. You wouldn't want to be caught lying after all - just imagine the playful ribbing you get here!

Weejeem, congratulations, a very well researched and presented flow chart.

This link (see the article about the Air League reception), may fill your remaining vacant box.

http://marshallgroup.co.uk/wp-conten...k-aut-2012.pdf

I know that this was 4 years ago, but this might be of interest:

Quelle surprise..

She certainly has been milking her contacts. You don't get the sort of help and support she's had without it.

A "flypast" at any air display which needs CAA authorisation is a display item and does require the pilot to hold a current display authorisation.
The requirement for a DA applicant to have an acceptable "behavioural and attitudinal fitness assessment" is a fairly recent innovation by the CAA GA Department.
Hope this explains a couple of points.