Several of the clips clearly showed the woman flying other than solo. Including in close formation with what I guess was the support aircraft.

She was 'uncontactable today' according to the BBC...

The item included an interview with Phil Croucher of Caledonian Advanced Pilot Training, who explained the meaning of 'solo'!

The item concluded by mentioning that the woman is, according to her website, 'considering legal action'.

If she does that then, given the rates charged by M'Learned Friends, I would imagine that there's a good chance she will end up financially as well as morally bankrupt.

In addition, of course, such an action would also just give this sorry saga even more legs. :rolleyes:

I have to say I was quite surprised at the BBC reports. The website was particularly direct in calling her 'a liar'.

Possibly setting up their stall before the inevitable questions are asked about why they screened a documentary about her flying solo?

I think it's all over bar the shouting anyway. Checking this morning, the Times has it on their site now. Every report I've seen has her protesting she was 'always' the 'sole' pilot but then there is a clip or copy report under the article showing her accepting solo status. It comes down to the fact that anyone who read those articles at the time (or indeed, the people who wrote them) wouldn't have even considered that she wasn't flying solo - especially as her website at the time claimed she was doing so.

As far as the Wikipedia site is concerned, I don't think a two-line 'Controversy' section is valid anymore. It isn't controversy, it's the fact that she and her team pulled the wool over the eyes of the public and the media and that is fast becoming a bigger issue than her flights.

clivewatson's excellent piece about Bake Off and the dangers of changing tried and tested recipies (post 1986): is a very good read.

It inspired me to compile a list of things NOT to do when flogging a profitable cake recipe under a highly-hyped and trusted brand:

1) stick to the exact ingredients you advertised 'on the tin'

2) never be tempted to over-egg the mixture

3) avoid adding a pinch of salt - it can become addictive. Next thing you know, it has so much salt added it leaves a foul taste

4) avoid all artificial flavourings. Once detected, they leave a foul taste to those who rightfully expected all natural ingredients as listed on the tin, see 3 above

5) when caught changing the recipe, admit it immediately and apologise. It will probably save your reputation and your brand. Trying instead to redefine that well known four letter 'S' word (salt?) and then blaming others for having defective senses is ridiculous and smacks of the worst arrogance. Definition of defective senses include taste, eg. tasting salt where there was supposed to be none. Also sight, eg. seeing double, for example 2 pilots seen in an aircraft for a flight which was touted as being solo or 'alone'.

Breaking any of these fundamental rules could cause embarrassment. Breaking all of them is certain to kill the brand - the golden goose - meaning no more eggs for baking with. Then, the only egg will be highly visible, all over the face.

I am a tad perplexed. Just exactly who would TCT sue? What would she sue them for? I know this one is rather hypothetical but what would be her chances of success in any such lawsuit?

This featured on local BBC News (South) last night. It seems it was one of her crew dobbed her in over the Capetown-Goodwood flight. He advised her not to accept any solo awards. She ignored the advice.

There is an excellent and thought provoking book by Jon Ronson called "So you've been publicly shamed"

I recommend that before everybody gets too excited about her downfall that you read it.

We must all exercise caution, I hear she is a fully qualified barrister.
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sorry, stand easy, I meant barista, skills picked up whilst working as a waitress.

SND Re RIAT 2013 and Stearman Flying displays
this link indicate a paucity of solo displays
Flight Timetable

This links indicates a static display for a Stearman 75
RIAT 2013 Participants

This area (2013), doesn't look like a flight line..
https://www.flickr.com/photos/522878...7670778077891/

Certainly if there's any award she is worthy of it would seem to be "Waltess of the Year".

I have a feeling she and her team are just going to try and ride this out on the basis that she has an income stream to protect and of course there is the adage that today's newspaper is tomorrow's chip wrapping.

I'd be very pleasantly suprised if HCAP change anything at this late stage, but as has been said, money/saving face and connections probably means they won't ..and I would not be at all surprised if she picks up an OBE..for much the same reasons.

Hi KelvinD (and anyone else new to this debate who is overawed by the prospect of scanning through 2000-plus posts),

Sam Rutherford's original, whistle-blowing post - on a sister thread which predates this one - should help:

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post9012078

At the HCAP Trophies and Awards Committee..
I'd love to be a fly on the wall up there, where I'm sure some midnight oil is being burned.

"There must be something we can come up with to justify Tracey's Masters Medal this year, chaps."

Now, our change to the 'women and aviation technology awareness' theme might need a rethink.
After all, Tracey has publicly stated that she hates technology.
Further, while it's true that she has created a good deal of 'awareness', do we really want to go down that path at the moment?

Put your thinking-caps on, gents - and no, I don't think "Waltess of the Year" is likely to reflect too well on the dignity and honour of this Company.

I see that the Portsmouth News have picked up on the story too. How embarrassing for the Uni that gave her the Honorary Doctorate, and in a paper that will be read by a lot of Naval personnel.

Bird in a biplane hits back at ?false claims? - The News

As Pickford's would say...we're on the move!



Media Information

For all interview requests or to request access to high resolution images for download, please contact
Tim Kelly
M: + 44 7773 325 533
E: [email protected]


Recent articles about my flights have suggested or implied that I have misrepresented or have sought to mislead people into believing that I undertook my flights alone and without support.

My position is clear and unequivocal - for clarification, please see the statements below:

Statement released by Tracey Curtis-Taylor on 24 October 2016
Statement released by Tracey Curtis-Taylor on 13 October 2016
Statement released by Ewald Gritsch, 3G Classic Aviation Europe on 13 October 2016
Statement released by Tracey Curtis-Taylor on 11 June 2016



Tracey Curtis Taylor - Aviatrix, Adventurer, Inspirational Speaker

You lot are pathetic
 

I'm sorry, this has gone too far
Why don't you all get back to your pipe, slippers and stale ale and let the high achievers get on with their lives!
Goodbye!!

As shown in the recent statement, the first time 'sole flights' was referred to was just four months ago, in June. The award was made in 2014 - where are all the 'sole pilot' statements from then?

Exactly Clareprop.

Clearly, there are some big players sponsoring this misrepresentation.
How Boeing could argue that they did not understand the concept of 'alone' & 'solo' is actually quite laughable.

Perhaps if Tracey does goes through the motion [which has already been suggested here] to which some through they were infallible from, Max Clifford may then have a quiet word in her ear.

I recall a fairly short interview with TC-T on Australian radio in early January 2016; I think it was after she had landed in Sydney. I was listening very closely because I had noted that everyone seemed to be under the impression that it was a ‘solo’ flight whilst all the photos and videos showed 2 persons in the ‘plane. I hadn’t noticed any ‘passenger’ other than Ewald. I wish that I had a link to a recording or a transcript of that interview.

The interview went something like thus:

Presenter (in a preamble): This morning, we have with us the British aviatrix TC-T who has just completed a solo flight of 23, 000(?) miles from England to Sydney in 19(?) days ……. Good morning, Tracey, and congratulations………

TC-T: Ah – I must, first of all, correct you on that …………

[I listened intently]

TC-T: The flight took considerably more than 19(?) days, it took just over 3 months. I was stopping off ………….. and then there followed the usual tosh about outreach, inspiration etc.

I noted that there was absolutely NO attempt to correct the ‘solo’ statement in the presenter’s preamble.

I wonder if it is possible to get that recording – after all, Aussies have a reputation for taking a dim view of BSers!

i just posted my reply on her Facebook page in response to her announcement today

''sorry to have witnessed this Hoo Hah but having seen your first rather lovely BBC documentary about your flight from CPT to the UK I must say I TOO was under the complete and full impression from all the programme and the following media hype that this was infact a SOLO flight undertaken by you, as was the Oz one as well -

i can therefore fully understand why the LAA and Pprune campaign has probably occurred - which is most unfortunate but seems to have escalated because of the lack of action by yourself to mediate the claims? just my impression but the press band wagon did not stop...

I am sure you did not go out on purpose to mislead - but as a lay man i certainly thought you flew these fights SOLO

rather than enter into nasty and costly litigation just fully explain your flights openly to all - even the BBC still says you did the flight solo from cape town on their blurb ....''

It seems that even non-pilots have no problems understanding what a "solo" flight actually means. For those who may want to quibble the FAA regulations (for those flying American registered aircraft, which the Stearman is) seem pretty clear;

On the matter of TCT's previous clarifying statements, by her own account these appeared on 11th June 16, 13th October 16 and 24th October 16, quite a long time after awards had been announced/collected, and a well after the matter first came to light.

The door has now been clarified as being shut by TCT, but it took until the horse had bolted for her to do it.