Shortly after ten, most of the pilots and teams set off in low blue thermal conditions. First to the southeast as far as South Africa to create a large triangle, then to the west to the prospect of convergence. The leg carried almost as far as Aust, already deep in the desert. Low fractocumuli there marked the weather limit. Then the pilots went back to Bitterwasser with a direct course.
A distance of 1250 kilometer was possible, at least with an EB28 edition, proved Reinhard Schramme with Andrea Abt. But Simon Briel won the day in the global OLC classification with 1211 kilometers and an average speed of 132 kph – and that with an unadjusted low wing loading. Simon's trainee Jerffrey Banks in the “Flying with the Youngsters” program had withdrawn at short notice in the morning to spend the day with his wife who had just arrived. It was too late to take more water ballast for the single-seat Arcus.
It was an extremely successful day for the Bitterwasser pilots. Ten reached more than 1000 kilometers, others came close to this dream distance.
Dieter hat sich als Mitglied des Bitterwasser Board of Directors und CFI der Soaring Societey of Namibia um den Segelflug in Namibia besonders verdient gemacht.
An seinem Lieblingsplatz in Bitterwasser sitzend hat er uns für immer verlassen.
Wir werden ihn nicht vergessen.
Langsam neigt sich die Saison in Bitterwasser dem Ende zu.
Nach und nach werden die Segelflugzeuge in die Container geladen. Und trotzdem fliegen täglich einige Teams über 1000 Kilometer.