Up-and-coming talent in Bitterwasser
Every year, many up-and-coming talents and young pilots come to Bitterwasser. Some faces are already well known.
Eric Schneider is in Bitterwasser for the third time this year. The German gliding champion has been flying for 14 years and is active at the Hammelburg airfield. "Bitterwasser is great for escaping the gliding winter break in Germany," reports Eric.
He has already flown 5 flights of more than 1000 kilometers and one flight of 993 km in Bitterwasser this season.
He won his first stay via the Bitterwasser Cup. This is an annual competition in which every young person under the age of 25, who started with the glider in Europe and uploads their flights to OLC is automatically entered.
The winner of this cup receives an 8-day stay in Bitterwasser including arrival/departure, meals and glider. This year Patrick Benoist will be traveling to Bitterwasser.
But even without a competition, young pilots are supported by Bitterwasser. They receive a 50% discount on basic accommodation.
Jan Knischewksi has also visited here before. Together with Eric, he took part in the 2022 World Gliding Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic. He has also flown in several German junior and senior championships. He has now been active in the gliding scene for over 10 years.
But there is also a new face in Bitterwasser this season. Gerrit Neugebauer has been flying in Esslingen-Jägerhaus for 11 years. He has also competed in several German championships. He also competed at the European Junior Championships in Denmark in August. Just like Eric and many other young talents, he is being sponsored this year by the Wilfried Grossinski Foundation.
All three pilots give one reason why they like coming to Bitterwasser so much: the incredible weather conditions, which are not to be found anywhere else in Germany.
Bitterwasser is looking forward to welcoming many more up-and-coming talents and young pilots!
Picture: Eric Schneider (left) and Gerrit Neugebauer (right) on a game drive in Bitterwasser
As a member of the Bitterwasser Board of Directors and CFI of the Soaring Society of Namibia, Dieter has rendered outstanding services to gliding in Namibia.
Sitting at his favorite spot in Bitterwasser, he has left us forever.
We will not forget him.
The season in Bitterwasser is slowly drawing to a close.
One by one, the gliders are being loaded into the containers. And still some teams fly over 1000 kilometers every day.