Nettlebed
NETTLEBED: Glider retrieval site on several occassions
The first picture was obtained from Google Earth ©. The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Location: Just W of the B481, S of Nettlebed village on the A4130, about 4.5nm NW of Henley-on-Thames town centre
Take-off run: N/S c.600 metres although a more diagonal run was usually favoured to avoid the trees at both ends
ONE EXAMPLE
This picture was kindly provided by my very good friend James Roland. Although being a Senior Captain with British Airways, he has been involved with gliding for many years. Both flying a tug-aircraft, and indeed gliders. Liked nothing better than the opportunity to retrieve a glider from a distant field, by towing it out, not in a trailer, but flying it out with a tug!
Here we see him ready to tow the Slingsby T.21 using the Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee G-AVXA (ex N4576Y). Although being used by the Booker Gliding Club at the time, they had rented it from The South Wales Gliding Club at USK, to whom it has been registered since January 1989.
The Slingsby had been aero-towed out of WYCOMBE AIR PARK with the intention of landing at CHILTERN AIR PARK for a B-B-Q. As so often happens at the lighter end of aviation, (and I can testify to this time and time again even with a powered aircraft), forecast conditions can change very quickly, especially in our green and septic Isle.
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