One for the day, one for the night

André Verhulst once jetted supersonic fast across the Atlantic with the Concorde. Today he and co-pilot Genevieve Berger are looking for quieter challenges in Namibia with an Arcus.

André is well known in Bitterwasser. He has been a loyal guest every season since 1999. But his sense of humor made him better known. Upon arrival, he likes to introduce himself as the “man with the two women – one for the day, one for the night”. This is his wife Roseline, with whom he has been married for 50 years, but whom he cannot really inspire to fly, and Genevieve Berger from Orleans, with whom he shares the Arcus cockpit on his Namibia flights. "She flies when I have to recover," says the retired Air France captain, explaining the division of responsibilities. The same age Genevieve practiced long-distance gliding in Orleans with her ASH 26. Together with André she only flies in Bitterwasser. André, on the other hand, is at home with his ASW 22BL in the Aero Club Buno-Bonnevaux and in St. Crepin in the Alps during the summer holidays. “I flew there with my wife for the first time –with a Bijave over the Glacier Blanc,” remembers André, since there were only a total of four flights together in five decades.
Even today, at 77 years of age, André does not simply go for a walk. He is always concerned with declared tasks. André: "That is the bigger challenge." And he always shows a good feeling for what is possible. There he is at the top of the daily standings with almost 900 kilometers in Bitterwasser – even ahead of the youngsters.

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Wir trauern um Dieter Schwenk

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.

Saisonfinale

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.