Well she has certainly “inspired” a whole bunch of people on here; even if some of us could hardly be described as young...... :O

I would have thought that a pre-requisite for recommending that young people of either gender study STEM subjects would be to have done so yourself. Apparently not.

Perhaps I am qualified to encourage youngsters to pursue law or medicine as I know the square root of nothing about either subject.

Why would she Barry?

Did you ask her why Ewald had to be up front across Africa and to Australia?

What did he do for women in aviation apart from have to babysit her on all those "solo" flights.

I quote you..

By that I take you mean sponsored high end biplanes like the Spirit of Artemis with hotels to match?

With the servant in the front seat who dodged the cameras?

The job is done and despite being a co pilot she convinced the world she was "emulating/commerating Amy Johnson and Lady Mary Heath's solo flights.

The problem is they flew alone/solo/on their own.

I am sure all the old duffers in the various aviation organisations will pile on more accolades to Tracey.

The bottom line is she would never have got the publicity but for the fake news stories en route which will come back to haunt her.

For me Ewald was the star in building a wonderful Stearman, flew all the legs and got our fake solo 'Aviatrix' to Sydney then disappeared.

On a final note despite the big publicity Carol Vorderman has yet to fly around the world.

Bring on Colin Hales ������

Surely, the very fact that the Air League feel that having talks about "women in aviation" has any relevance whatsoever in this day and age is an insult to women in itself isn't it ?
The reason why women don't pursue aviation as a career in 2017 is probably because they don't want to . Not because they can't !
Look at how many females are in prominent positions today ! Not because they've been given any special assistance from men in higher places , but because they've merited that position by their own endeavours .


It's the freeloaders who can't quite cut the mustard that make it so much more embarrassing for the many who can, that drag the level of play down to pre 1930s standards.
It insults the ones who did cut the mustard........Their names live on forever.

I think Miss Peachy Bottom may surprise us yet, the word is she's been doing some training overseas recently in prep for her circumnavigation.

If she does what will be so special?

Lachlan Smart did it at just 18!

Wings Around the World | One Teenager ? One Engine ? Endless Opportunities

There are plenty of women commercial pilots flying every day. Some fly with their partner or even their with dad.

https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/m...K8&w=1400&q=70

https://www.catersnews.com/wp-conten...07-800x498.jpg

Chris Martyr,

I think this post may explain rather eloquently why many girls don't think a career in aviation is for them.

Hi Gonzo,

In this particular case, and I really do mean THIS ONE - I think that's okay. It also isn't industry specific (aviation or otherwise).

Carol Vorderman is clearly very happy with (proud about) her past 'rear of the year' awards - at least, I've not heard any complaints (which would be perfectly reasonable) from her about the attention her bottom has received.

I don't think PB84 is calling anyone else Miss Peachy Bottom - at least not in public, anyway. :-)



PS Actually, now given to two people each year (one of each gender): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear_of_the_Year
PPS I think perhaps time for it to be retired completely - but not my call!

Given the sad news yesterday of the death of Joy Lofthouse, I can’t help drawing a comparison between Ms Curtis-Taylor and Joy and her colleagues in the ATA.

They flew Spitfires, Hurricanes (solo: no room for Ewald!) as well as multi-engined bombers, often only with the benefit of a quick look at the manual before doing so for the first time. Because they were not supposed to fly combat, their guns weren’t even loaded and they ran the risk of meeting an enemy intruder every time they flew.

If anyone deserves a thread here with a million reads.......

Posted already Jonzarno.

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...aged-94-a.html

Yes I know, there’s also a thread on Flyer.

I had the privilege of meeting Joy at Project Propeller a few years ago. Although we only spoke briefly, she was a truly impressive lady!

My earlier post wasn’t to “break the news” but to draw the contrast.

I saw her interviewed on tv some time ago. A true modest aviatrix who with all the ATA women did a wonderful job.

A nice quote in the Guardian obit
Her wiki entry is quite brief.

Why close the thread Sam? Is her promised legal action against you approaching?

I don't think he was suggesting the thread be closed at all. Sam was referring to something else.

This is a really interesting point.

TCT has apparently no higher qualifications in science, but claims to be encouraging girls into STEM.


Theresa May has been expressing the importance of girls studying STEM subjects recently. She has a degree in geography.


A bit of googling just showed the Welsh skills minister Julie James recently also announcing on the topic. She has a degree in law.


A bit more googling highlighted a Helen Woolaston, head of the WISE campaign - dedicated to balancing gender inequalities in the sciences. No sign that she ever studied any STEM subject at a higher level either.


There would appear to be a lot of it about.

G

Encouraging anyone to do positive things is good, the background of the encourager is not necessarily of consequence.

If, though, the encourager is using their own background to support their encouragement - then that background should survive scrutiny.

Agreed. Some do that better than others.

(Mind you, if I make a habit of looking to politicians to show backgrounds that give them competence in any area they are in charge of, I shall probably just descend into a black pit of frustration.)

G

Indeed, our new Aviation Minister, Baroness Sugg, may not know anything about aviation, but she has a serious reputation and should pick it all up with tenacity and respect from peers - good luck to her

I think that the jury's out there - she was a Cameron policy backroom girl, and may be very good. Hard to see in reality however what she really did to earn that CBE!

However, best of luck to her - I'm quite happy to assume she'll be good at her job until she proves otherwise.

G

I am still puzzled by what Tracey has achieved. Why is she some sort of modern day heroine for the all the major aviation societies?

Let me remind you of your post on the LAA website last year Barry.


Despite her "Inspirational speeches" her 'Aviatrix' image has been built on long distance flights which she admits were not solo.

Indeed her much edited wiki page is open to question.

They say a picture speaks a thousand words ....

https://nationalpostcom.files.wordpr...6/05/alone.jpg

If a picture paints a thousand words...how many for a video.
If there is any doubt that there was intent to deceive, and memories are getting jaded and views on her changing then I suggest a re-watch.




Oh, and Sam, you have a Private Message.

How ironic that a woman who has publicly described her avoidance of university studies, formal qualifications and modern technology and whose path to celebrity and acclaim has been facilitated by the patronage of a string of high net worth men should be touted as the "inspiration" for young women to pursue studies in STEM subjects.

Has G-KEST had his account hacked? That last post is a very abrupt 180.:confused:

No CP I think G-KEST is just acknowledging what others who have attended TCT's public speaking events appear to have felt. Specifically, thats she's a very engaging and entertaining public speaker which in itself is quite a talent. Notwithstanding the probity of the subject matter she's presenting, her manner of delivery is well received.

Bottom line: She may be talking bollox but she looks and sounds the part. Kind of like that Weegie prat that does the history of Scotland show on the telly.

So, do we agree she is just a good talker (of perhaps "bollox")?


And that is all.

CC

That about sums it up. I watched the documentary and was suckered into believing it was all SOLO. Only later did the penny drop and all of the smoke and mirror tactics clear. Initially believing it to be just an unfortunate turn of circumstance but then, having dug a lot deeper, I see the deliberate acts of someone out to deceive; from the outset to garner funding and then later to continue the myth.

Ah.....

Let's not forget that she didn't do it all solo, if you see what I mean.

She not only needed to be accompanied in the aircraft, she needed people on the ground, before setting off and afterwards, to raise the money and keep the lie alive.

I don't think she's the only person who lied. Clearly she's not the only person who eventually knew it was a fake, and kept quiet while it suited.

What we need now is more of the insiders to come out and expose the whole thing as a fraud. I'm not sure we will get any, but we do know they are there.

This is not a simple tale of a charlatan uncovered, it's deeper than that.

This was at some point, I would hope, simply a wildly over optimistic endeavour, which blossomed into a conspiracy to defraud. I suspect that when it became clear that it wasn't the right bus to be on, it was already going too fast to jump off, without some damage. Perhaps when that damage was weighed against still being on board when the inevitable crash came..........

What puzzles me is how pretty much all of the major aviation societies are ignoring the fact that the global press were misled in to printing this fake news story.

Which in turn led to the awards.

I fail to see what TCT has achieved for women in aviation apart from proving it can be easily done with a good bloke up front and bucket loads of sponsors money.

She may have a passion for biplanes in much the same way I have a passion for travel and nice hotels but let's face it ....we all do if someone else picks up the bill.

Has anyone in these societies ever asked her to justify the solo claims on youtube or the the solo backdrop to her speeches?
http://www.jlpc.co.za/images/Cape_To...r_2013_Map.png

http://i.imgur.com/FfxvQor.jpg

I must say I find that UN Geneva speech promo highly amusing. While it promotes her solo flights it also displays commercial pilot Ewald up front hiding from the press when they landed in Sydney.

I think that our Tracey should certainly receive some sort of award for being the first person (AFAIK) to run up 4,000 Posts (and well on the way to a million 'hits') on this Thread, devoted to a single individual. As I've said, it has been the Best Show in Town.

Any suggestions ?

Once Bloke in a Biplane (and a Stearman to boot).

Whatever happened to Caroline Frost and Lesley Hardy?

Dare I say two British commercial 'birds' on the flight deck 38 years before the term aviatrix was resurrected from the 1930's :ok:
http://s3.scoopwhoop.com/anj/femalep.../630158805.jpg

According to other thread on pprune:

Lesley Hill (Hardy)
03/10/2012 Very sorry to say Lesley died a few days ago in Ireland. Peter her husband died a few years ago. Chris Barnes (ex pupil EMSF) 01538 702544

JW411 wrote on 21/2/17:

The last time I saw Caroline she was a training captain on the Airbus A300 with Channex.

Out of interest, apart from the USA cross country trip, has the good lady been seen in the U.K. flying and participating in this "airshow season" ?

Please accept my apologies for exhuming remnants of the past , but it may have just slipped by without notice in some quarters , and I do feel that there is a relevance here.
But it is felt worth mentioning that the Bill Woodhams Trophy for 2017 was awarded at the recent LAA-AGM to none other than Colin Hales...:ok:

Considering the controversy over this particular trophy the year before , I feel that this is poetic justice indeed !

Excellent!

Thanks for the update Chris.

I cannot think of a more worthy recipient of the trophy than Colin Hales.

Meanwhile Tracey seems to have disappeared from the public eye. The last entry on her Bird in Biplane Facebook page was last May and the much heralded appearance at UK airshows never took place.

I can't find any evidence of 'outreach' either.

Any news on her flying biopic?

It surely must have been edited by now?

I'm guessing once the editing was finished anything worth showing was on the editing room floor. Not much call for a blank screen these days. :\

Well , ironically enough , I do believe that she does have an interest in vintage aeroplanes and the flying thereof and had there not been this smokescreen of lies and deceit then she would have been a worthy recipient of said trophy !

But there's no substitute for playing with a straight bat is there ? and she certainly learnt the hard way about that one.

But WtF , it's all water under the bridge now and one thing's for sure ! There will certainly not be any such shadows hanging over Colin Hales and I hope that the trophy takes pride of place on his mantelpiece.
May I also take the opportunity of wishing Colin all the best for his 2018 agenda.

And I think we all know what that is don't we................:ok:

On that note - and I write as a humble Ppruner on my second ID (certainly add ten years and probably add 1500 or so posts) - maybe it's time for the mods to have a look at today's date and perhaps lock this thread for posterity.

Justice of a sort (if that's what people feel it to be) appears to have been served and life - short as it may be sometimes, as I have found out to my cost recently - continues. As I've professed in the past, although perhaps not as prolifically as some, I'm no fan of TCT but equally I don't wish to see anyone disgraced unnecessarily. I believe the message has been effectively sent. Having read the entirety of this thread over the past however long, it would appear that one of the main protagonists in the form of G-KEST (sir! :cool:), agrees.

If the subject matter reappears in a dubious form in the future :=, in the way of this Pplace, I suspect a new thread will appear shortly afterwards.

Happy New Year. May all your take-offs equal your landings. :ok:

Tay Cough old boy , I almost agree with everything you've said mate. This thread has indeed reached 'middle age' and as you say , the msg has been effectively sent . One small detail though is , has it been received !

It takes absolutely nothing to make a small post on here , we've all proved that ! And if the person in question was to just acknowledge that , this thread would die tomorrow !,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,You can't tell me that she's not reading anything here , but because she chooses to ignore it , it just carries on.

Another point worth bearing in mind is , it's not just about Ms Curtis-Taylor , it is a merged thread and several other well respected and very worthwhile people within aviation have been acknowledged here , so with respect to them , I do not feel that the thread should just be locked off per-se.

Sure , if it was to fizzle out naturally , then fair enough , but not on one persons say-so.
Everything that Colin Hales has achieved [and he hasn't finished yet] has been done in a manner that Curtis-Taylor wouldn't even dream of , if she wants to REALLY network in the right places and wants to REALLY acquaint herself with folk who live , breathe and understand STEM , then perhaps she should stay tuned !
PS. SWB , check your PM's.

How is Colin? Did he ever make it out of Japan? From the last news I read about him it was apparent that any anticipated ballroom dancing lessons would have to be cancelled or at least postponed.