The palm allée continues to grow

On 15 November 2024, Margherita Acquaderni made a dream come true: with her successful 1,000 km FAI diploma flight in a Ventus 3M, she earned a place in the legendary Palm Avenue in Bitterwasser. This special tradition, which rewards outstanding achievements in gliding, brings together pilots from all over the world.

The idea of celebrating outstanding flights by planting palm trees dates back to 1972, when Peter Kayssler, the founder of the Bitterwasser Gliding Centre, established this unique tradition. Initially, palm trees were planted for diamond flights and world records. Later, in 1984, the achievement of the 1,000 km FAI diploma became part of this honour. Since 2019, palms have also been awarded for flights over 1,250 km, in accordance with the rules of the FAI Diploma.

Today, more than 250 palm trees line the famous avenue, each one a living symbol of courage, endurance and flying skill. Margherita Acquaderni has now joined this impressive history. In addition to her passion for gliding, she is President of the Adele Orsi Aero Club Varese in Europe, where she shares her enthusiasm and actively promotes the sport of gliding.

We congratulate Margherita on her great success and wish her many more unforgettable flights at Bitterwasser.

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What a start to the season!

The early birds did it. Elmar Fischer and Reinhard Schramme struck in the first few days. Here is Elmar's report:

Loading of gliders in 2025

On the weekends of September 6/7, 2025, and September 13/14, 2025, 30 gliders were loaded into seven containers to begin the long journey to Bitterwasser, Namibia.

All gliders are very well booked. There are still a few slots available at the beginning of November. If you are interested, please contact  hog@bitterwasser.com.