What potential the day then had, to the astonishment of the top pilots, only became apparent towards the end of the day. Guy Bechtold with Johannes Beier in the Arcus: "I didn't even had the thousand on my screen." Guy therefore pleaded self-ironically on the radio for the early home course: “Today I want to come home without an engine.” The day before, when the blue thermal conditions were significantly worse he had not succeeded. And then in the evening the computer showed how close the 1000 k was. About 16 kilometers were missing. The EB28 with Klaus Reinhold and Arne Röpling also lacked the small difference.
But the run along the lines was very nice. A good 200 kilometers could be flown at cutting speeds of over 165 kph. It doesn't hurt that much if there is no 1 in front on the distance counter at the end.
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.
Largely unnoticed by the public, the 5th Red Bull Global Aerial Performance Camp 2026 took place in Bitterwasser, Namibia, from April 21, 2026, to April 30, 2026.
A few videos and pictures on this page offer a glimpse of the athletes and their performances.