Tracey Taylor departs from Karachi with 'sweet memories'

Published November 18, 2015
Air Vice Marshal Salman Ahsan Bukhari shakes hand with Tracey Curtis Taylor, before her departure on the next leg f her journey, in Karachi on Wednesday. ─PPI
Air Vice Marshal Salman Ahsan Bukhari shakes hand with Tracey Curtis Taylor, before her departure on the next leg f her journey, in Karachi on Wednesday. ─PPI

KARACHI: British aviator Tracey Curtis-Taylor departed from Karachi to India on the next leg of her journey in her vintage open cockpit biplane on Wednesday.

She was seen off by Air Vice Marshal Salman Ahsan Bukhari, Air Officer Commanding Southern Air Command.

Amjad Ali Toor, DG Civil Aviation Authority, was also present at the occasion, said a PAF statement issued on Wednesday.

Tracey had landed in Gwadar on Monday where she was received by Squadron Leader Saira Batool, a lady officer from Pakistan Air Force, the other day she reached Karachi and attended a media conference.

“When Amy Johnson landed here on May 10 in 1930, this was India. The world is a very different place now,” Tracey had said.

“Amy Johnson was creating a record when she set out to complete her journey within 15 days but did it in 19 by literally crashing her way into Australia. I am keen not to repeat that exercise,” she laughed.

Air Vice Marshal Salman Ahsan Bukhari seeing off Tracey Curtis Taylor. ─PPI
Air Vice Marshal Salman Ahsan Bukhari seeing off Tracey Curtis Taylor. ─PPI

Talking about the love she received in Pakistan, she said that she was overwhelmed by the affection shown towards her by the people of Pakistan in general and Pakistan Air Force in particular.

She had further said that she would be taking along sweet memories and an entirely different perspective from Pakistan to the West.

“I am not flying in isolation. I have the honour to fly with Prince Nikolaos of Greece."

Tweet from Tracey's official page

From Pakistan, she will leave for India and then on to Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia before crossing the Timor Sea to reach Australia by Jan 5, 2016.

After her arrival in Sydney, the plane will be shipped to America and flown across the US to complete the world flight in 2016.

The aviator started her journey from Farnborough, England, flew across Europe and the Mediterranean to Jordan, over the Arabian desert and across the Gulf of Oman.

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