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 Simon's trainee Jerffrey Banks in the “Flying with the Youngsters” program had withdrawn at short notice in the morning to spend the day with his wife who had just arrived.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.
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.
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.