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 Simon's trainee Jerffrey Banks in the “Flying with the Youngsters” program had withdrawn at short notice in the morning to spend the day with his wife who had just arrived.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.
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.
At around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the first truck carrying one of our seven containers set off. This marked the end of another impressive gliding season in Bitterwasser.