Instead of a long-haul flight, there was an AAT - signed area task - on 09.12.2023.
Three larger sectors were defined for this. The first sector near Kiripotip with a radius of 20 km, the second sector near Rehoboth with a radius of 35 km, the third sector with a radius of 30 km and the target circle over Bitterwasser. The minimum time was 2.5 hours. A total of 6 gliders flew the task.
At the beginning of the task there were good thermals with strong updrafts with a 4500 meter base.
Between the last two turning points, there was a screen from the west, which made the whole thing more difficult. The thermals weakened. Nevertheless, all participants made it back to Bitterwasser.
Manfred Dick took first place with me (Hannah Schweckendiek) as co-pilot. As a "non-sailplane pilot", I had the opportunity to fly in Bitterwasser for the first time and marvel at the beautiful expanses of Namibia! An incredibly great and unforgettable experience!
We flew 284 km in 2:33 hours at an average speed of 111 km/h.
Close behind us: Carl Schönherr, who covered 279 kilometers in 2:34 hours with an average speed of 108.6 km/h.
Other companions were Patrick Benoist, Jan-Luca Aberle with Ulrich Wild, the team of Helmut Rohs and Christian Bentz and Alvaro Jimenez Aguayo with Ney Lutti.
All the pilots really enjoyed the task. It certainly won't be the last one this season!
A stay at the Bitterwasser Lodge is usually beyond the financial means of young pilots. At the same time, the next generation is the key to the future of our wonderful sport—and of the lodge as well. That is why supporting young pilots is a core part of the Bitterwasser Flying Center’s mission.
Early October is the ideal time to prepare the runways for flight operations. You can land at the Bitterwasser Flying Lodge in every which direction—depending on how you look at it, on 8 runways (plus one emergency runway), each in two directions. Jeremias carefully levels the landing area over the course of several weeks.