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She is speaking at the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity Ball in Portsmouth this evening.
This story in todays Portsmouth News should give her audiance something to talk about. 23 September 2016 Claims adventurer Tracey Curtis-Taylor ‘embellished’ solo biplane flight from South Africa to Goodwood Pilot was awarded an honorary rank of Lieutenant Commander and an honorary degree at the University of Portsmouth for the feat She has hit back at critics over the claims I am deeply disappointed at the comments coming from a particular source making false assertions that my flight expeditions should have been executed as solo flights. Tracey Curtis-Taylor This was the opening of their press release for Cape Town to Good-wood CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Nov. 4, 2013 – With support from Boeing [NYSE: BA], pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor has taken off on a 7,000-mile (11,000-kilometer) solo journey, in a reconditioned Boeing Stearman open-cockpit biplane, to retrace Lady Mary Heath’s historic 1928 flight between South Africa and the United Kingdom. She denies her own trip was ever planned as lone voyage – despite an official press release by supporters Boeing at the time, which described it as a ‘solo journey’. In a statement, she claimed there had been an ‘initial hope’ of a solo flight. But this was dropped early on as the expedition grew in scale. http://wpmedia.news.nationalpost.com...trip=all&h=465 She never corrected this Daily Telegraph headline. Tracey Curtis-Taylor: from Cape Town to Cairo in a Forties biplane On New Year’s Eve, aviator Tracey Curtis-Taylor landed after an epic 9,000-mile solo journey, inspired by the glamorous adventurer Mary Heath’s pioneering flight in 1928 PIONEERING FEMALE AVIATOR LANDS IN ABU DHABI IN HISTORIC BOEING BI-PLANE - Boeing sponsors solo open cockpit flight from U.K. to Australia - 4,000 miles completed of the 13,000-mile journey across 23 countries http://www.boeing.com/resources/boei...essRelease.pdf British aviator has touched down in Sydney, completing her 21,000km solo flight from England in a vintage open cockpit biplane. “I need a drink. And I need a hairdresser,” Tracey Curtis-Taylor said as she climbed out of her 1942 Boeing Stearman, Spirit of Artemis, to cheers and applause at Sydney airport on Saturday. https://www.theguardian.com/australi...intage-biplane |
Jay,
For the complete avoidance of doubt, this is an extract taken directly from her webpage, which has now been deleted: Tracey Curtis Taylor Aviator, Adventurer, Inspirational Speaker Tracey is an amazing storyteller…and will spellbind any audience. Her solo open-cockpit biplane flight from Cape Town to Goodwood was the realisation of something beyond a dream. It encompassed great adventure and daring in some of the most spectacularly beautiful and dangerous parts of the world today. |
She denies her own trip was ever planned as lone voyage – despite an official press release by supporters Boeing at the time, which described it as a ‘solo journey’. In a statement, she claimed there had been an ‘initial hope’ of a solo flight. But this was dropped early on as the expedition grew in scale. Nailing down answers to those questions then stacking them chronologically against the subsequent claims she has made in public presentations about being solo should remove any lingering doubt ( if indeed there is any out there) that she's been telling massive porky's. |
Sam Rutherford said ,many pages ago ,it was after the first couple of flights while they were still in South Africa.
As we all know she has peddled the 'Solo Aviatrix' stuff ever since and like Walter Mitty embelished it with time. This from Lonely Planet last May. Meet the woman who is undertaking to fly solo across the US in this 74-year-old plane Pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor embarked yesterday on flying the 4,700 nautical mile historic US airmail route from Seattle to Boston, marking the third leg of her solo journey circumnavigating the world since 2013. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/tra...year-old-plane |
From same Lonely Planet article -
She [TCT]flew a further 14,600 miles from the UK to Australia in 2015, retracing the route of aviator Amy Johnson, and became the first female pilot to tackle that route solo. |
b) Denial ( "You misunderstand, that was just not the actual intention"). |
You certainly make a valid point Haraka.
I have sadly learned that shame is not an emotion shared by the morally bankrupt. Instead the PR fall-back is typically: a) Evasion ( "Must rush, sorry no time for questions just now in our busy schedule"). b) Denial ( "You misunderstand, that was just not the actual intention"). c) Counter-accusation ("We have to ask, just what are your motives for attacking us?"). |
They published two days ago. Not front page though.
Award-winning flyer may be STRIPPED after doubts emerge over claims | UK | News | Daily Express |
From the same Lonely Planet article, alongside the usual guff about being solo and wanting to inspire youth is this whopper
It’s not for the faint-hearted, as Tracey is exposed to the elements, controls the airplane by stick-and-rudder flying, and orients herself with the help of a compass. |
and orients herself with the help of a compass. Perhaps if TCT were to orient herself with a moral compass, this topic could be brought to an honourable close. |
From the Portsmouth newspaper article..
: : ‘I’m deeply disappointed at the comments coming from a particular source making false assertions that my flight expeditions should have been executed as solo flights. ‘They were not. They are all about a collaborative team effort and celebrating the brilliant achievements of women like Amy Johnson and Lady Heath who made history when aviation was in its infancy.’ |
Her statement in the Portsmouth News begs the question why she has a wiki article, an honoury doctorate from Portsmouth University and an honoury Lt Commander rank in the RN reserve.
I’m deeply disappointed at the comments coming from a particular source making false assertions that my flight expeditions should have been executed as solo flights. ‘They were not. They are all about a collaborative team effort and celebrating the brilliant achievements of women like Amy Johnson and Lady Heath who made history when aviation was in its infancy.’ An adventurer has touched down in Australia after a 13,000-mile solo-flight from Britain in a vintage biplane. Tracey Curtis-Taylor, 53, who lives in London, said she was “euphoric” after reaching Sydney Airport on Saturday three months after leaving Hampshire. Had it been known her so called Bird in a Biplane trips were not solo she would not even have managed a paragraph in a local newspaper. Someone is responsible for all the newspaper 'solo' claims and I place the blame firmly at TCT's door. |
Now I'm a little more confused....
I presume that: ‘I’m deeply disappointed at the comments coming from a particular source making false assertions that my flight expeditions should have been executed as solo flights. It seems very thoroughly documented, as referenced in this thread, that TCT repeatedly publicly presented her flying as "solo". If that was her assertion, certainly assertions from any source that her flying should have been solo, are true! |
If she's back-peddling to this extent, she'd do better to come clean, tell the whole truth, and apologise. She might regain a modicum of respect that way. But I'm not placing bets on that happening!
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Step Turn
The quote comes from the end of the Portsmouth Newspaper article that Above the Clouds kindly provided a link to in permalink #1468: Here is that portion of the article in full, it's a straight cut and paste, I've not done any editing: She denies her own trip was ever planned as lone voyage – despite an official press release by supporters Boeing at the time, which described it as a ‘solo journey’. In a statement, she claimed there had been an ‘initial hope’ of a solo flight. But this was dropped early on as the expedition grew in scale. She added: ‘I’m deeply disappointed at the comments coming from a particular source making false assertions that my flight expeditions should have been executed as solo flights. ‘They were not. They are all about a collaborative team effort and celebrating the brilliant achievements of women like Amy Johnson and Lady Heath who made history when aviation was in its infancy.’ Read more at: Calls for famed pilot to be stripped of her titles in Portsmouth amid claims she lied about solo flight - The News |
It is not just TCT that is back-peddling.
It appears the Honourable Company of Air Pilots are re-writing her citation for the third time. I hear that the medal will be awarded to TCT as Boeing and Artemis think she alone should receive the award. However, the citation will now state in terms that there were two pilots and name Ewald Gritsch. Given her new statement to the Portsmouth News the question now is why she deserves a Masters Medal. There was nothing special in her trips or the organising behind them. It was the big sponsorship money from Artemis and Boeing that funded all the logistics. It has also been suggested to me that a motion could be raised later by unhappy members at the HCAP AGM to remove the medal. It certainly will attract the newspapers again if the LAA rescind her Bill Woodham navigation award just days before the HCAP awards dinner. |
If these flights were ALL about collaborative team effort and were not planned to be solo, then there is nothing special about them which deserves any awards. Her honourable way out now is to claim that LAA, HCAP etc. have misunderstood the whole venture and she should help them out by returning any awards or refusing to accept them. Blame the media for misguiding everyone and she will escape with a trace of honour left.
We all know that is not exactly true but at least it will end this saga with no further damage to all parties. The LAA can then get back to doing what it does best and the AGM will be able concentrate on more important matters. If what they say about there being no such thing as bad publicity, at least the LAA have done well out of the various media reports this week. |
She doesn't need to make any claims like that. She can say she originally wanted it to be solo, but realised fairly early on that she couldn't do it - she wasn't a good enough pilot, found it too hard, whatever. But she was on a treadmill by then. It was hard for her to back out of all publicity, sponsorship etc without upsetting a lot of people. The media and sponsors put a lot of pressure on her. So she went along with the charade, believing it was for the best for all concerned. She realises now it was a mistake to do that, is sorry for misleading everyone, and doesn't want any awards.
Many people would respect that sort of honesty...as I suspect this is roughly the truth (OK, maybe I'm being too kind). At any rate, the furore would quickly die down after that, no-one would be interested, and Tracey could disappear and...well, get on with life. If I'd got into this mess, that's what I'd do. Tracey, are you reading this? Think about it... |
Whirls/pulse1.
I think you're both right. Maybe the solution is as you say she returns/declines the awards..the aviation community then leave her alone and she can carry on with her after dinner speaking career, albeit restricted to non-aviation savy audiences... I have to say (even as an ex- "crab") that given the allegations I personally find the pictures of her wearing a Lt Cdrs uniform in bad taste and even bordering on the offensive...is it just me? |
What will the award be for now? Web design & media relations? Getting other people to pay for your flying? Operating a Garmin 430? Just wondering. But I do think the HCAP would do themselves a big favour by admitting that they have got it wrong and rescind their award. Their problem is that they initially considered TCT for a gong based on information that is now known to be incomplete and correct, but they have been far too reluctant to admit they have been duped. The trouble with issues like this is that whilst the main problem can appear to be buried, the stink lingers on and will taint anyone who was close to the scene.
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