Rolf Bödeker is probably the pilot with the most hours in the world as co on Arcus / EB28. But the division of labor between the crew is not quite as simple as this picture might give the impression. Rolf: “After two and a half hours the change takes place.“ The pilot not flying can by no means withdraw to the as a passenger. Flight management is his task, so the important clarification of where the turning points to be set during the flight. If you want to be fast in Namibia, you have to recognize the lines that make the fast flight possible and use them consistently. Reinhard: “It is important to create a barogram without any jagged edges.” It is nice to have six-meter thermals, but if you only get down in between, the big distances, the 1000 k and more cannot be realized. In any case, Reinhard and Rolf are well-rehearsed, they always play at the forefront in the race for the long distances – sometimes over short distances with particularly high cutting speeds.
As a member of the Bitterwasser Board of Directors and CFI of the Soaring Society of Namibia, Dieter has rendered outstanding services to gliding in Namibia.
Sitting at his favorite spot in Bitterwasser, he has left us forever.
We will not forget him.
The season in Bitterwasser is slowly drawing to a close.
One by one, the gliders are being loaded into the containers. And still some teams fly over 1000 kilometers every day.