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Photo Album
(Opened 2008)
These album pages provide
an opportunity to show the pleasure and challenges of gliding
experienced out by members of the Booker Gliding Centre.
More BGC pictures
are available on the
BGC Blog
Pictures on
this site
Links to other
sites showing gliding pictures
A
miscellany of gliding pictures.
Photographs provided by
Mike Richardson
In Days of Yore
1
The following pictures showing something of the gliding activities
at Booker during the early 70s and 80s, were obtained by scanning
some old slides loaned by Gerry Leech.
If any member has similar slides or photographs they would like to
have included in this photo library,
please let me know.
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| Booker
Comps 1971 |
Brennig James - first person to fly a 500K
and at one time held the record for the most
750s flown
He was credited with setting up the Thames
Valley Gliding Club - later to form part of
Booker GC |
'Bungy'
Baker and Rip Whiteman. Mr Baker was the
first secretary of the Booker G.C. |
Chris
Tipney and Crew. '76 Regionals. |
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Derigging after outlanding Feb '76. |
Condor glider - built by a BGC member. |
Dart17r Booker |
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Bocian in the hedge. Written off. |
Gerry
Leech and Dave Margetts with K13 no. 421. |
Gerry
outlanding Feb '76. |
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| Gull
and Rhonbussard on dual tow. |
In
Chinnor field. |
In
playing field, Thame. |
John,
Nigel, Merial, Hilary and Verdun. '76
regionals. |
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Kab
and Skylark.
Notice the Ice cream van - the then
launch-point vehicle. |
Kerri
in Skylark 4. |
Tiger
Moth Tug. |
Mike
Field and Friend in K13 no. 421. |
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| Peter
Marshall and Mandy. '76 Regionals. |
Skylark and Pirat. |
Sue
with Rhonbussard. |
Vilga
tug and Pirat. |
In Days of Yore
2
The following photographs were contributed by past member Alan Smith
and cover events during 1989 - 2004
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Aboyne 1995: Taken at
Birkelunn. Left to Right back:
Dave Richardson, Jane
Moore, Hilary Luxton, Andreas Jeldon, Alan
Smith
Jane Lawrence, Bob
Sinden, Alex Lewicka, Mike Shaw, blonde
girl??,Sven Elgas, Jack Luxton
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Taken at The Potarch
Hotel, Aboyne Expedition (3/10/97) all in
this pic did Diamond heights this day.
L-R Paul Mellor, Colin
Jackson, Dave Fogden, Jerry Leech,
Bob Sinden, Ian Lingham, Danny Lamb, Alan
Smith
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Alan flying FRK (ASW
15b) in wave above Aboyne 1995 (taken by
Kathy Mellor) |
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Alan picked a field
too late and ended up with a bent tailplane
and a £5k insurance claim.
Not to be recommended. |
Taken circa 1995 |
Snow at Booker |
Half cat Instructors
course Booker 1989.
John Wright, Leo Meddens, Mike Phillpot,
Alan Smith, ?? |
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What used to be a Grob
109b after the 1988 storm (This is the
Booker Garden Centre) |
More storm damage. |
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Talgarth Expedition
'93 |
Talgarth Expedition
'93 |
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Shobdon 2004 |
Shobdon 2004 |
Glyn Read on approach
Shobdon 2004 |
Group Shobdon 04 |
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Shobdon Expedition
200n. Front Rob Harris and Alan Smith in the
back. Rob was having a site check and they
ended up at 5K |
Again at Shobdon -
Debbie Cooper (Daniel's wife) in the front.
In the background is Keith Ford and Paul
Copland |
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Should two full cats
be allowed to fly together?? |
A Day in Windsor
On the 15th March, a Booker Junior was assembled in the King Edward
Court, to encourage the sales of discounted
Introductory Courses.
Pictures contributed by Don Harvey
Not the Easter Egg Cup
Pictures contributed by Brenda Harvey
(also
see the entry on the blog)
The annual
aerobatic competition (usually run at Easter) took place
on the 12th April as Easter was early this year.
The competition was
won by Emily Todd.
Gary Nuttall came second and Mike Richardson third. |
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Landing Out
7 May 08
The following
series of pictures will be familiar to all X-Country
fliers who have failed to reach their desired
destination through lack of lift.
The pictures show
the retrieval of Jeremy Gilbey's DG 303, from a field
near Stokenchurch. They were taken by Martin Blanchard,
part of the retrieval team.
Jeremy has given
his consent to the publishing of the picture (and the
captions!)
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Wednesday 7th May around 3pm.
Gerry Leech (Driver/Foreman), Hugh MacDonald
(Helper) and Martin Blanchard (your
Reporter) set of from Booker to retrieve
Jeremy Gilbey at Stokenchurch. After a
relatively easy journey we meet Jeremy and
get the trailer as near the field as
possible. |
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Gerry
ponders the problem and I think “Why did
Jeremy choose a ploughed field with a power
line?” |
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Probably because all the alternatives were
worse!
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“.. and we have to get
down the hill again …” |
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Prepare the trailer |
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Get the
vehicle in the field. The furrow made by the
glider shows that the ground is quite soft. |
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Turn
the glider round and get ready to tow it out |
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Vehicle stuck! |
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“Let’s take the wings
off” |
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“This is getting heavy” |
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“Now for the other
wing” |
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Fuselage now tows out
easily |
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Tidying up – back to
Booker by 5pm |
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