FRIENDLY CITY WELCOME

Port Elizabeth, 4 November 2013 - PIONEERING woman pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor was welcomed on Saturday, November 2, by a jubilant and celebratory crowd of aviation fanatics, tourism officials and Friendly City residents as she landed at the Port Elizabeth International Airport as part of an epic commemorative journey.  

Curtis-Taylor stopped in the city as part of a brave journey in an open cockpit Boeing-Stearman biplane from Cape Town to Goodwood in the United Kingdom. Curtis-Taylor is honouring Lady Mary Heath who, in 1928, was the first pilot to complete the same journey, also in an open cockpit plane – and who made history as the first woman pilot to do so.

Curtis-Taylor – who arrived in good spirits in the late afternoon - joined traditional African dancers in dance after securing a smooth landing at her first official stopover in Port Elizabeth. She gushed about South African, saying that it was the most beautiful coastline she has ever seen, referring to the route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.

“I am in awe of the beauty of South Africa. Although the weather has posed some challenges, I had an amazing first journey. The coast from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth is absolutely sensational.” 

Part of the welcoming party was South Africa’s first black female pilot in the South African National Defence Force, Captain Phetogo Molawo, who said she was inspired by Curtis-Taylor’s brave journey.

Curtis-Taylor soon made her way to East London on Sunday, 3 November where she re-fuelled and flew to Durban’s Virginia airport. The journey will cover approximately 11 265.41km (7 000 miles), broken down into 35 legs that will take six weeks to complete. To follow Curtis-Taylor along on her exciting adventure, visit her Facebook page: Cape to Goodwood. https://www.facebook.com/capetowntogoodwood