Henrik Theiss, was a bit late due to the pandemic, but on his first day in Bitterwasser he got to know Namibia with all its weather phenomena that the country has to offer – on the positive side the powerful, high-reaching thermals and the elongated updraft lines and on the other side the extensive fall areas on the edge of thunderstorms and dust rollers whipped up in strong winds. On this exciting flight, Henrik sat together with Wilfried Großkinsky in the cockpit of an EB28 edition.
Later, Henrik, flying alone with the Ventus 3M, was able to look forward to his first 1000 k in Namibia. It wasn't the very first, however. At home in Grabenstetten he has already managed two with the OLC-Discus, one of them in the small version with a wingspan of 15 meters.
But it doesn't always have to be a 1000 k flight. Christmas presents could also look different. Henrik Theiss: " A 720 k FAI triangle on Christmas Eve, I will probably not see that again anytime soon."
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.