Gliding visionary Uys Jonker visits Bitterwasser

Uys Jonker, founder and innovator of Jonker Sailplanes, is visiting Bitterwasser. Together with his brother Attie, he founded the company in 2004, which is now one of the world's leading manufacturers of sailplanes.

During his stay, Uys, together with Katrin Senne - world champion and sales manager at Jonker Sailplanes - will test the latest flagship from their production: the JS5 Rey, a glider that is intended to set new standards in the open class. In a presentation, Uys provides exciting insights into Jonker Sailplanes' current projects and talks about the challenges involved in the development, production and certification of modern gliders.


His passion for gliding is not only evident on stage: Uys is also available for discussions outside of the official program - even in the pool, he is not above discussing technical issues and clarifying questions.


We are pleased to welcome Uys and Katrin as guests here in Bitterwasser!

 

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The Long Journey to Africa

In early September, the containers holding the gliders for the 2026/27 season were loaded in Waghäusel. Transported by trailer, truck, and cargo ship, the gliders are now on their long journey to Namibia, to the Bitterwasser Flying Lodge.

Winner Club Class

Two new world champions are heading to Bitterwasser!

The Bitterwasser Flying Lodge was the main sponsor of the Junior World Gliding Championships, where from August 2 to 17, 2026, around 80 pilots from 22 nations competed for the titles in the Standard and Club classes. The grand prize for the JWGC winners was a one-week stay at the lodge, including travel and an airplane.