Down to earth with a bang – it’s the Bird in a Biplane!
Woman pilot bidding to emulate Amy Johnson hits a parked helicopter
SHE calls herself the Bird in a Biplane. And pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor wants to live up to her name by recreating aviation pi o neer Amy Johnson’s historic flight to Australia.
But her preparations took an unfortunate turn yesterday with a mishap that left her red-faced but thankfully unhurt.
Miss Curtis-Taylor, 51, was taxiing in her vintage Boeing Stearman at Goodwood Aerodrome in West Sussex when she ploughed into a stationary helicopter.
Her antique open-cockpit biplane, the Spirit of Artemis, was damaged in the smash, while the entire front of the Robinson helicopter’s cabin appeared to have been ripped off by plane’s propeller.
Last night it was not clear whether the accident, f rom which she walked away, will prevent her expedition, due to start in October, from going ahead as planned.
Miss Curtis-Taylor’s route to Australia is to take her across 23 countries, touching down in cities i ncluding Riyadh, Delhi and Jakarta. The 13,000-mile route was set to recreate the journey taken by Miss Johnson, who flew solo from the UK to Australia in a Gipsy Moth in 1930.
Her exploits won Miss Johnson the Harmon Trophy, awarded to the world’s top pilot, and a cheque for £10,000 from the Daily Mail, a strong supporter of early aviators.
She died in mysterious circumstances 11 years later while on a secret wartime flight.
Miss Curtis-Taylor was born in Britain and raised in Canada. In 2013 she and Spirit of Artemis completed an epic 9,000 mile solo jour-
‘People say I am madcap’
ney from Cape Town to Goodwood via Cairo as a tribute to a famous 1928 flight by Mary, Lady Heath.
The biplane, built in 1942, is fitted with extra fuel tanks in the top wing for increased range, has a top altitude of 10,000ft and a cruise speed of 90mph.
Speaking of her latest expedition last month, Miss Curtis-Taylor said: ‘I love the challenge and excitement. People say I am madcap, but this is what life should be all about, living the adventure. Flying an old biplane is an exhilarating experience, really not unlike driving an old open-top car with the same smell of oil and leather.
‘It is mind-blowingly beautiful and makes me feel at one with the elements – but you are moving in three dimensions and if something goes wrong, you can’t just pull over.’
Perils include the possibility of an engine breakdown over the sea, while her route will be significantly longer than that taken by Miss Johnson in order to avoid war zones and take in landmarks.