2300 hours!

Hans Jörg Schweizer has been coming to Bitterwasser every year for 30 years. At over 80 years old, he has now enjoyed his last gliding flight. He flew almost 2300 hours alone from Bitterwasser.

It was his 468th flight to see the Kalahari from above once again together with Carl Schönherr. Hans Jörg looks back on a great time! The Swiss flight instructor has been flying with Carl Schönherr here in Bitterwasser for 4 years.

There are many experiences that Hans Jörg remembers most. His favorite memories are of his 1000 km flights. A few more have been added in recent years. His longest flight was with Wilfried Grosskinski. The two of them covered a distance of 1222 km.
Hans Jörg still remembers exactly how everything was navigated with a map and watch back then. But now he doesn't even need the latest navigation devices, because he knows Namibia and Botswana inside out from above and can find his way back to Bitterwasser from anywhere!

Hans Jörg has also done a lot in motorized flight. Whether it was tempflights from 2001-2005 to obtain weather information or safari flights over the vastness of the desert, Hans Jörg has enjoyed them all!

Pilot Hans Jörg flew a total of 220,000 kilometers over southern Africa. Now, after his last landing on 14.12.2023 at 18:31, he received a warm welcome. Jeremias played the Swiss national anthem on the trumpet, accompanied by a fresh drink and warming words from Hans Jörg. The evening was spent laughing and swapping old stories.

And of course Hans Jörg will continue to come to Bitterwasser, as a pedestrian, friend and great pilot!

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Die Segelflugsaison in Bitterwasser dreht noch einmal richtig auf

Obwohl Mitte Januar die Saison in Bitterwasser dem Ende entgegenzugehen scheint, zeigt sich das Wetter von seiner besten Seite. Piloten aus aller Welt genießen beeindruckende Thermik, atemberaubende Streckenflüge über 1000 km und eine einzigartige Gemeinschaft.

1250 km-Palme für Dmitry Borovyk und Anton Minskii

Die letzte Saison 2023/24 endete mit einem spektakulären Highlight für Dmitry Borovyk und Anton Minskii: Am allerletzten Tag gelang es ihnen, drei deklarierte Wendepunkte zu umfliegen und eine beeindruckende Strecke von 1250 Kilometern zurückzulegen. Mit dieser außergewöhnlichen Leistung verdienten sie sich das Privileg, in Bitterwasser eine Palme pflanzen zu dürfen – eine Ehre, die nur den besten Piloten zuteilwird. Ein Jahr später kehren die beiden nun nach Bitterwasser zurück, um ihre Palme nach alter Bitterwasser-Tradition in feierlicher Zeremonie zu pflanzen.