Shortly after ten, most of the pilots and teams set off in low blue thermal conditions. First to the southeast as far as South Africa to create a large triangle, then to the west to the prospect of convergence. The leg carried almost as far as Aust, already deep in the desert. Low fractocumuli there marked the weather limit. Then the pilots went back to Bitterwasser with a direct course.
A distance of 1250 kilometer was possible, at least with an EB28 edition, proved Reinhard Schramme with Andrea Abt. But Simon Briel won the day in the global OLC classification with 1211 kilometers and an average speed of 132 kph – and that with an unadjusted low wing loading. Simon's trainee Jerffrey Banks in the “Flying with the Youngsters” program had withdrawn at short notice in the morning to spend the day with his wife who had just arrived. It was too late to take more water ballast for the single-seat Arcus.
It was an extremely successful day for the Bitterwasser pilots. Ten reached more than 1000 kilometers, others came close to this dream distance.
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.