When you arrive at Bitterwasser you have to go to the two first. The flight office controls the paper and explains the airspace situation in Namibia and the special features of the gliding center. And it provides professional flight control at takeoff and especially when the day is drawing to a close. The “one hour before sun set call” is used to check where the pilots and teams are and that they can safely get into Bitterwasser in daylight. In the middle of the Kalahari this is anything but trivial, this semi-desert can very quickly become hostile to life.
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.