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Helen Morrell

Annette Porter

The Lady Who Flew Africa: The Aviatrix

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Factual: Travel

17/03/2015

BBC Four - The Lady Who Flew Africa: The Aviatrix

Retracing Lady Heath's 1928 flight, in which she flew solo from Cape Town to London.

Tracey Curtis-Taylor sets out in a vintage biplane to retrace Lady Heath's 1928 flight, in which she became the first person to fly solo from Cape Town to London.

In 1928, Lady Heath became the first person to fly solo from Cape Town to London. Eighty-five years later, Tracey Curtis-Taylor sets out in a vintage biplane to retrace her flight.  

Her extraordinary eight-and-a-half-week journey from Cape Town to Goodwood is nearly 10,000 miles long and takes her through 15 African countries. From the beauty of the wilderness to the challenge of flying through war-torn nations, Tracey faces many of the same challenges as her aviatrix predecessor.  

With aviation fuel scarce and with a top speed of only 95 miles per hour, her progress is slow and at times frightening. Tracey will need the same courage and single-minded determination of Lady Heath if she is to make her lifelong dream come true.

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