Pilot Recreates England To Australia Flight In Open Cockpit Stearman

Why one woman flew 13,000 miles in a biplane

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Tracey Curtis-Taylor completed a 13,000-mile flight from England to Australia in a 1942 Boeing Stearman.
  • The journey, traversing 23 countries, served as an homage to female aviation pioneer Amy Johnson, who first made the flight in 1930.
  • Curtis-Taylor's flight highlighted the enduring capability of basic flying skills and celebrated the achievements of women in aviation, both past and present.
  • The Boeing Stearman used for the flight is scheduled to be shipped to the United States for a subsequent world flight later in 2016.
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Tracey Curtis-Taylor proved basic stick and rudder skills could still get you across the world after completing a 13,000 homage flight for female aviation pioneer Amy Johnson. Tracey’s flight, in a 1942 Boeing Stearman, took her across 23 countries and 13,000 miles from England to Australia, an air journey first completed by Amy Johnson in 1930. Curtis-Taylor says that, “Being able to fly an airplane like this at low level half way round the world, you know in some of the most epic terrain on the planet has been beyond anything. My flight is very much a tribute to her. So it is, yeah, celebrating what the pioneers achieved and what women achieve now in aviation as well.”

The Boeing Stearman Curtis-Taylor flew will be shipped to the United States to complete a world flight later in 2016.

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