The VFR Club
Picture Galleries
No. 21
Screenshots and occasional real world photographs of Club Events and activities
03/06/07
Home > Pictures > Gallery No.21
The Real Leicester to Sywell Scenery
photos by Peter Dodds
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Departing Leicester Aerodrome on 24th May 2007 in a real Cessna 172.  Note the old WWII Dispersal points in the left foreground. The route follows the A6 (lower left) south from Leicester and the first waypoint is Market Harborough, seen ahead. Market Harborough with the railway towards the south side. The track passes over the two "twin" towns of Desborough and Rothwell.  This is Desborough.  Gravel workings new and old (now lakes) abound in this area

Already, across to the west Pitsford Water can be seen.  Pitsford is just north of Sywell. That's the A14 coming in, bottom right. Ahead we can already see the white buildings of the Telford Way Industrial Estate on the north west side of Kettering

The attractive water tower at Rothwell. The only time you get a real sense of height when flying is when you look down on a wheel fairing (bottom left)! Telford Way Industrial Estate at Kettering marks the turning point for the 4 mile run to Sywell.
As you turn, to your left you see the A14 skirting the west of the town and its junction with the A43 Northampton road.  The prominent white building in the middle distance is a leisure centre, with a small lake just beyond. Heading towards Sywell now, with the nose pointing at Pitsford Water.  A slight left turn is needed to get back on course. Running parallel to the A43 you may spot the farm strip centre right in front of the strut.  The white buildings in the distance are an industrial estate on the north side of Wellingborough. Sywell aerodrome.  The aircraft flew well above and north of the field so as not to interfere with their local traffic.  It has some of the smoothest grass runways around.
Turning north you see Pitsford Water and its distinctive causeway carrying a minor road from Holcott to Brixworth. Looking south west, Scaldwell village is much more obvious in the real world than in the flat VFR scenery.  Pitsford Water behind. Heading 030° and routing back towards Desborough & Rothwell, before turning north west back to Liverpool via the LIC NDB and Crewe. The distinctively shaped B576/A14 flyover junction at Rothwell.  The A6/A14 junction is just beneath the nose  You can see the water tower again, too.
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