As big as the country is, you are not in the sky alone here in January. The gliders brought into the country are used diligently. It is not uncommon to meet gaggles.
Bitterwasser is positioned on an international level with guests from USA, Russia, Great Britain, Italy, France, Switzerland and now also from the Netherlands. But the german pilots are not yet in the minority.
And the weather is right. The glider area south of Windhoek, which encompasses almost all of Namibia and part of South Africa from flight level 145 (around 4500 m) to flight level 195 (around 6000 m) can be fully used up to the upper cover. There is no need for wave updrafts. In the afternoon the thermals reach all the way to the top. To the north of Windhoek, the cover is in flight level 145. There you can longingly look up to the base but also make comfortable progress.
Photo: encounter on the way.
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.