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PALMENGEFLÜSTER BITTERWASSER NEWS 27 - May 2007

Information for all friends of Bitterwasser

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Redaktion: Angelika Gleich Dorfstr. 7 D - 63741 Aschaffenburg

Tel: 0049 – (0) 6021 4 68 57 Fax 0049 (0) 6021- 40 10 91

E-Mail: Angelika.Gleich@t-online.de ======================================================================================

Bitterwasser im Internet: www.bitterwasser.com

Telefon in Bitterwasser: 00264 – 63 265 300

Fax in Bitterwasser: ....00264 – 63 265 355 E-Mail Bitterwasser: bitterwa@mweb.com.na

====================================================================================== Eine Bemerkung vorweg: Angelika Gleich The past season was again a record season. Never before were there so many pilots from different countries in Bitterwasser or such long distances flown, never before so many records! I do not know if this had to do with the fantastic weather or that so many good pilots came to Bitterwasser this year to indulge in their favourite pastime. Nevertheless, there was great delight over the wonderful flights. We are especially happy that all the pilots landed safely as this is, apart from the great enjoyment of flying, the most important thing. May all our guests have lovely flights in summer and always land safely! I would like to thank all those who sent me a report. I have only taken a few of these reports so that we can have something in the autumn edition, as the record flights alone will take up a lot of space. You can already look forward to that! Unfortunately, I do not get to know so many pilots anymore because I myself am in Bitterwasser in October and January. The more reason for me to look forward to your reactions. At this point I would like to thank you on behalf of the children and teachers, and my own behalf, for all the donations for the Bitterwasser day (see article on p.11). It would be lovely if this day would continue throughout the coming year. Thank you also that the ‘Palmengeflüster’(Whispering Palms) can again appear in English: a friend from Zambia living near Aschaffenburg has done the translation. If you get the Whispering Palms by post, even though you have an e-mail address, it would be kind if you would let me know via e-mail so that in future we can save on postage. Enjoy your reading!

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For all shareholders: The General Meeting this year will take place on

29. September in Crailsheim

Report from the Management Board Lydia Casper, President BITTERWASSER in “stormy seas”... I found myself suddenly with a difficult task when, unexpectedly, Hartmut Hanke and Anika Rust had to go back to Germany in April 2006 (family reasons). A manager had to be found for Bitterwasser (BW) at a short notice. Even with advertisements placed in the newspapers in Namibia and South Africa no suitable candidate was found. Luckily, Heinke Rust and Gert stood in to fill up the vacancies. Thankfully, Heinke took over the administrative tasks of the manager as well as care of the tourists, laundry, house-keeping, personnel and purchasing in addition to their (Gert as well) main task of bookkeeping. Gert was responsible for all technical and farm work. Finally it seemed we had found the right applicant. We agreed on a date for an interview middle of July, 2006 because Jürgen and I had to be in Bitterwasser in any case. We got a relatively good impression in two to three days. In short, the new manager, with wife, was supposed to start work on October 1, but he only came on October 3. In a short time he had introduced new things for the personnel and management board at hair-raising speed, things that had already been tried and tested for a long time. Shortly thereafter, after hard arguments between them and me I got rid of them end of October. Like heaven-sent, Hartmut and Anika, after being asked, were ready to stand in from the beginning of the flying season to the end, something they did with high commitment and admirable work non-stop. My heartfelt thanks to them for this work. In between Heinke said she was willing to take over the managerial tasks until end of March so that she could be more often in Windhoek. She would gladly continue with bookkeeping and even from time to time stand in for the manager. Quiet waters and land in sight... This was at the end of the flying season when Hartmut and Anika agreed that they would continue to be at BW’s disposal as manager, under the following arrangement: Hartmut and Anika in BW from 01.11. to 31.01. Hartmut alone until end of February, March or April, depending on the possibility. The same for June, July or August. During this time Anika would come in from time to time as additional manpower. Hartmut will work up to 8 months per year. For the low flying season, the so-called tourist season, Hartmut. Anika and I agreed to engage Christine Ballmer as assistant manager. She will be at BW’s disposal for the whole year and will maintain close contact with Hartmut, Anika and the board, especially with me. If necessary, Heinke Rust will stand in for her. With this solution I believe a functional and longterm solution has been found for BW for the future. Besides, since May, Christine has been very committed and goal oriented in her work. She is valued and respected by all our staff. I wish her fun and fulfilment in her work and that I can possibly work with her for a long time. Finally, I would like to thank Heinke Rust and Gert once more, to the latter for working astonishingly well with Heinke, and the former for her extraordinary, valuable and successful commitment.

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Finally once more thermal propelled world records Two world records – 40 country records – more than 1000km (x130) Volkmar Gleich Bitterwasser can look back at a super 2006/2007 season. Anja Kohlrausch with a triangle over 1,019km , Siggi Baumgartl 750 km with a FAI triangle, with an average speed of 156.3km/h. Both flew with a Ventus 2cxT with 15m wings. This has shown that it still is possible to make thermal flight world records. This was possible in the last season in Bitterwasser. The following records were flown: :

10 Belgian Records 8 German Records 3 Italian Records von Renato Mussio 2 Polnische Records 4 Slowenische Records 13 Hungarian Records

The following pilots managed to fly their first 1 000 km FAI-Triangle so that they were allowed to plant a new palm tree:

Gottlob Dietz Walter Reis Gerhard Keuerleber Wilhelm Dirks Michael Eisele Piet van den Berg Istvan Reti Renato Mussio Peter Szabo Adam Jung Peter Marosi Jean Renaud Faliu

There are now 14 new palm trees in Bitterwasser together with the two world record palms (a king palm is planted for every world record). Bitterwasser now has the most palms found at a lodge in Namibia. On the following days these pilots flew triangles with more than 1000km

Datum Pilot Copilot Strecke km

09.11.2006 Robert Scheiffarth Reinhardt Thies 1021 10.11.2006 Robert Scheiffarth Reinhardt Thies 1152 Thomas Mosberger 1130 Dieter Frank Herbert Frank 1060 19.11.2006 Thomas Mosberger 1009 22.11.2006 Erich Zanders Roland Lindner 1088 25.11.2006 Thomas Mosberger 1106 Wilfried Großkinsky Werner Jansen 1080 26.11.2006 Thomas Mosberger 1286 Erich Zanders Roland Lindner 1232 Wilfried Großkinsky Werner Jansen 1180 Klaus Langelüddeke Horst Seifert 1138 Alain Courtial Patrick Fort 1048 28.11.2006 Wilfried Großkinsky Werner Jansen 1036

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29.11.2006 Wilfried Großkinsky Werner Jansen 1074 Alain Courtial Patrick Fort 1028 Klaus Langelüddeke Horst Seifert 1011 02.12.2006 Thomas Mosberger 1136 Klaus Langelüddeke Horst Seifert 1006 Erich Zanders Roland Lindner 1044 05.12.2006 Bostjan Pristavec Klaus Seemann 1001 06.12.2006 Patrick Fort Alain Courtial 1216 Alexander Müller Helmi Lebok 1191 Thomas Mosberger 1147 Wilfried Großkinsky Michael Schweitzer 1137 Georg Unseld Thomas Unseld 1124 Jean-Renaud Faliu 1055 Joachim Schippers 1024 07.12.2006 Bostjan Pristavec Klaus Seemann 1040 Wilfried Großkinsky Michael Schweitzer 1030 12.12.2006 Alexander Müller Helmi Lebok 1168 Bostjan Pristavec Klaus Seeman 1152 Guy Bechtold Edy Dockendorf 1099 Thomas Mosberger 1077 Walter Eisele 1065 Renato Mussio Rizzardo Trebbi 1012 Andre Verhulst Genenieve Berger 1023 13.12.2006 Alexander Müller Rudi Baucke 1352 Thomas Mosberger 1245 Bostjan Pristavec Klaus Seemann 1216 Guy Bechtold Edy Dockendorf 1212 Andre Verhulst Genenieve Berger 1161 Gerhard Keuerleber 1045 Anja Kohlrausch 1045 Walter Eisele 1030 Raloh Woddard Helmi Lebok 1010 14.12.2006 Thomas Mosberger 1368 Guy Bechtold Edy Dockendorf 1352 Alexander Müller Helmi Lebok 1275 Bostjan Pristavec Klaus Seemann 1257 Andre Verhulst Genenieve Berger 1203 Raloh Woddard Jean-Renaud Faliu 1202 Walter Eisele 1192 Gerhard Keuerleber 1133 Walter Reis 1122 Gerhard Störner Wolfgang Hammer 1091 Gottlob Dietz 1081 Anja Kohlrausch 1074 Alberto Casamatti 1046 Johan Luyckx 1029 Hermann Hamm 1012 Jürgen Casper 1008

15.12.2006 Thomas Mosberger Bruno Jori 1262 Guy Bechtold Edy Dockendorf 1256 Bostjan Pristavec Klaus Seemann 1245 Walter Eisele 1140 Sigi Baumgartl 1138 Anja Kohlrausch 1041 Johan Luyckx 1040 Andre Verhulst Genenieve Berger 1039 Gerhard Keuerleber 1023

16.12.2006 Bostjan Pristavec Klaus Seemann 1168 Alexander Müller Rudi Baucke 1155 Guy Bechtold Edy Dockendorf 1090 Andre Verhulst Genenieve Berger 1025 Thomas Mosberger Bruno Jori 1022

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Walter Eisele 1007 17.12.2006 Guy Bechtold Edy Dockendorf 1005 18.12.2006 Alexander Müller Rudi Baucke 1035

Guy Bechtold Brigitte Brüning-Baumgartl

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02.01.2007 Arno Kleinert Ingo zoyke 1175 Renato Mussio 1034 Peter Szabo 1023 Thomas Frey Roland Grunder 1020

03.01.2007 Jürgen Reuter Uwe Förster 1056 Adam Jung Peter Szabo 1054 Rudi Baucke Wolfgang

Schleemilch 1020

Arno Kleinert Ingo zoyke 1019 Thomas Frey Roland Grunder 1008

04.01.2007 Thomas Mosberger 1209 Arno Kleinert Ingo zoyke 1159 Johan Luyckx 1138 Peter Szabo 1077 Jean-Renaud Faliu 1070 Sigi Baumgartl 1069 Volkmar Gleich 1059 Rudi Baucke Wolfgang

Schleemilch 1032

Juergen Klein 1030 Peter Marosi 1026 Jakob Fahrni Giancarlo Meyer 1011

05.01.2007 Thomas Mosberger 1225 Arno Kleinert Ingo zoyke 1105 Rudi Baucke Wolfgang

Schleemilch 1095

Patrick Xans Eric Bernard 1061 Michael Hörmann Mario Kiessling 1046 Ralph Woodward Helmi Lebok 1026 Adam Jung 1024 Peter Marosi 1018 Thomas Frey Roland Grunder 1013 Juergen Klein 1007

06.01.2007 Peter Szabo 1104 Arno Kleinert Ingo zoyke 1093 Eric Bernard Patrick Xans 1078 Jean-Renaud Faliu 1023

10.01.2007 Michael Hoermann Mario Kiessling 1017 Volkmar Gleich 1017 Rudi Baucke Wolfgang

Schleemilch 1010

Thomas Mosberger 1238 Gerhard Heidebrecht 1137 Eric Bernard Patrick Xans 1044 Jürgen Reuter Uwe Förster 1039

11.01.2007 Carsten Koopsieker Mario Kiessling 1135 Rudi Baucke Wolfgang

Schleemilch 1008

Eric Bernard Patrick Xans 1187 12.01.2007 Carsten Koopsieker Mario Kiessling 1107

Jürgen Reuter 1023 Reiner Hog Uwe Förster 1036 Eric Bernard Patrick Xans 1068

20.01.2007 Juergen Raschdorf 1065 23.01.2007 Ralph Woodward Jean-Renaud Faliu 1037

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When one compares the flown “thousands” from the season 2005/2006 with those of 2006/2007 one sees that there are more consecutive days with very good, that is, moderate thermals. Anyway, in 2005/2006 these days were at the beginning and again end of December, while in 2006/2007 it was mid December and beginning of January. Similarly, many thousands were flown mid till end of November and mid January. May be it would have been even more if in these days more pilots would have been in Bitterwasser.

The dark columns show the thousands of 2005/2006 and the light ones those of 2006/2007. This confirmed what Peter Kayssler, the founder of the flying place in Bitterwasser, already knew: in order to be sure of some days with very good thermals it is to be recommended to come to Bitterwasser for 3 weeks! How I came to Bitterwasser Gerhard Heidebrecht Last year Mathias Schunk, a colleague from my club won the “Bitterwasser cup”. This year I managed it. I made a great effort to win the prize because I wanted to get to know Bitterwasser. End of July I could have my holidays in Germany, many thanks to my colleagues who took over my work as pilot, and therefore, an opportunity to fly a lot and in this way win the cup. I came to know that I would get a DG 800 when the prize was given to me at the OLC-Symposium end of October. I was very delighted. In preparation I read through the flight handbook of the DG 800, made a check-list and worked with the CD. At first it was terrible when I arrived in Windhoek: No taxi! Then I found one which brought me to Bitterwasser. Already on the way to the lodge I observed the sky and asked myself if this was a good day or not because the first cumulus clouds came later. I was very curious about what awaited me. When I arrived at the lodge there was no gliding plane to be seen, I drank my welcome drink, a “Bitterwasser”, with Sigi Baumgartl and Brigitte Brüning.

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I would have loved to make a flight test on my arrival day. That was possible the next morning with a twin, not with the DG 500 as planned. I finally flew the DG 800 at 14:00 hours. I got a very good introduction from Volkmar, the former owner of the plane. The area was exactly like the pictures I had seen. It is impressive, although compared with flying in the mountains rather monotonous. All the same I still flew 610km on this day. After overcoming the initial difficulties including checking the flight, this was independent flying. The kind of flying one wishes for, when one makes a flying holiday where everything is in place. That the hangar, which is only a few metres from the bungalow, has everything – water, oxygen, fuel. This is very pleasant. One only needs to push their machine a few metres to the pan and the local helpers are there to couple the aeroplane on to a car and tow it to the starting place. On account of the big space which, through the pans serves as the take-off and landing place there is no starting order. Everyone can start according to their own calculation. When the DG 800 was at my disposal, for 9 days, I flew every day: in total 62 hours and over 5000km, including a registered 1000 FAI triangle with a flying distance of over 1137km. Unfortunately, I did not receive the obligatory Bitterwasser palm tree because I flew the 1000 diploma in Serres one and a half years ago. In 2005 this was the “OLC-Flight of the Year”. Being in Bitterwasser is like being in a holiday club, only that one is together with gliders. Like in a holiday club a table sits 8 people, one is among contemporaries and can simply enjoy himself. Whoever one talked to, (starting with Sigi Baumgartl whom I met immediately after my arrival, Woody, Thomas, Volkmar and many others) one got tips on possible flying stretches and different weather conditions. I had to fly everyday in order to make the most of this wonderful aircraft. Certainly there would have been more 1000s if I had simply flown according to the clouds and not setting tasks for myself. But I find myself more drawn to trying to fulfill my own set tasks. A big thank you to Bitterwasser Pty. for the fantastic prize. Pity that one can only win it once in a lifetime! ‘All round catered for Packet’ Gliding holiday in Bitterwasser My first flight Stefan Senger Until now I was twice in South Africa, both times in Bloemfontein, for gliding. Many British gliders fly in Bloemfontein. Because I wanted to make a gliding holiday with an Antares 20E in South Africa/Namibia for the 2007/2008 season I decided to have a closer look at Bitterwasser before making a decision on a suitable location. One hears and reads a lot about Bitterwasser and for me Mengen is a convenient loading place for the plane. Since the plane could also be chartered, it was absolutely necessary for me to see the famous farm personally before making a decision. The journey itself was fascinating. During the 2 hours drive with the taxi we did not come across one village, not to mention a town! More than half of the stretch was driven on gravel roads, although I must say that the ballast roads in Namibia are in excellent condition. Although I knew how Bitterwasser looks like through the internet, I still was surprised by the size and number of thatched cottages. Even the pool is beautifully situated and inviting for relaxation after flying. I had chartered the DG 800 of Bitterwasser Pty. which was in a very good condition. Everything that needs to be in it is there. On the first day I really only wanted to go for a bit of flying to acquaint myself with the area. Actually it was not really a good day, only blue thermals because of the strong

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winds which were dissipating them. I decided to make the first trial after lunch because according to the weather forecast, as we were told during a briefing, the thermals would only come later. Martin Kroke and I had agreed that for my first flight we would take the DG800 and I would familiarise myself with the area in a team flight. The area is very lonely and uninhabited. Once in a while in the huge expanse we sight a farm. The geological formation is very interesting, everything seems to be formed in a north-south direction. I see many dried up rivers, only the Fish River and the big Lake Stau in Mariental are flowing. The thermals are not so moderate as expected, actually they are still blue as forecast. Things proceed well and rather soon we see the mountains in the north-west and finally behind the Namib Desert. We then fly southwards up to Lake Stau and a few kilometres along the Fish River. It is now time to make our return flight to Bitterwasser. Half an hour before sunset I land the DG800 on the salt and wait a few minutes before disembarking to allow for reflection on the day’s impressions. Then the big surprise for me as I read the log: despite starting late and the moderate blue thermals we have managed to cover 505km. Namibia and Bitterwasser through the eyes of ‘ground personnel’ Birgitta Walter March on Lake Constance: after strongly making itself (spring) felt now winter wants to creep up on us once more before the start of spring. I use this time sitting in front of my fireplace to write the Whispering Palms and a report for Angelika. Beginning of December we were on our way to Namibia for the fourth time to enjoy a gliding holiday in Bitterwasser and to get to know the country a little bit more. Two years before we had acquainted ourselves with a part of northern Namibia, now- with a 4 wheel drive with a roof tent we were driving in the south where, above all, the former diamond mining town of Kolmannskuppe had fascinated me, a town which slowly but surely will be affected by desertification. On the way there one drives for many kilometres on a straight road through a hardly perceptible changing desert landscape. We were lucky to see wild horses, descendants of German draft (work) horses, which were to be seen here near Aus for almost a century. It is worth it to keep one’s eyes open when travelling through Namibia, then one can see outstanding things even in this monotonous landscape. For us the perfect variation is travelling with our own ‘bedroom on the roof’. There are many possibilities to set up tent in good camping locations with good infrastructure or to leave the tent and spend a night in one of the

numerous lodges. In any case when one is there one should take time to see the country. This perhaps is incentive enough for the one or other wife to accompany their gliding partner to Namibia. This is how I found my way to Bitterwasser. We arrived there five days after our roundtrip, but unfortunately, we missed the exciting week where – among others- two world records had been flown. But even without optimum weather one can still fly wonderful stretches from Bitterwasser, something one can only dream of here in Germany. There were only three days of exception, (see the photos) those which predispose one to depression if one is only one week in Namibia.

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At the same time it occurred to me just how many women, predominantly pilots, were in Bitterwasser. JR made a count and came up with over 20! Since May 2006 I also feel a part of this group. But given my lack of experience (zero so to speak) with self-launching gliders, and since at the moment I only have a PPL for touring motor gliders, I still flew the blue skies of Namibia in the company of a flight instructor this year. Having some experience with a twin Astir, Eckehard (the good soul of the workshop) allowed me to fly alone, including towing and landing, without standing at the rudder. The two hours of guided flying strengthened in me the wish, for our next sojourn in Bitterwasser, to move away from the status of a ‘scaredy cat’ and fly with my partner, and probably to share our own plane. Thank you once again to Eckehard.

Bitterwasser is also an oasis for ‘ground personnel’. I have enjoyed every day I spent there to the full. The nice people, be they personnel or guests, the good food, the wonderful lodge and its surrounding (which with its greenery sticks out like an oasis in the desert). Then there is the marvellous, refreshing pool and the possibility to read a book in peace, without any outstanding duties. I am sitting here in front of a cactus which only opens its petals at night. Ella (she is discovering with great fascination the nature around the lodge) and I met at the same cactus early in the morning so that we could photograph the open petals in daylight. This year I have witnessed for the first time the palm planting ceremony, that is, the planting of several palms at the same time. It is a huge experience, one that is preceded by a lot of

work. Everyone meets at the planting hole early evening and every opportunity is used to photograph the ceremony. Every palm receives a word of inspiration for its ‘journey’, as well as sufficient damp feet (also in the form of beer) so that they can thrive magnificently.

All in all it was a wonderful stay in Bitterwasser and I am looking forward to the day I will return there!!!!

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Not only gliders can make a holiday in Bitterwasser. The report from Heike and Günter Schmidt – who had been on a roundtrip through Namibia, but still stayed for more days because they liked it very much there - bears witness to this. A wonderful day in Bitterwasser Heike and Günter Schmidt Yesterday nothing came of the “game drive with a sundowner” because the wind was just too strong. All the same, a sundowner on Angelika Gleich’s terrace was an unforgettable experience! Today the wind blew gently and we would have liked to make an orientation tour in the nearby surrounding. But as new comers to Bitterwasser we were clearly advised not to venture out further than the salt pans alone. From the reception Heinke informed us that one could find a few agates there. We were then given rough directions where we would find very flat hills with the stones and we set off. The surface of the pans was varied, here pure sand, there hard and cracked with gridlike cracks over clay earth and then very loose and soft ground which left deep footprints. In the shimmering distance we also saw the barely noticeable mounds filled with lots of small dark stones. There were some suspicious looking stones, but we wanted to prove that so we used broken pieces of stone as wedges to crack the suspicious milky stones and found enough agates for souvenirs and further processing. Here is a picture of an agate. Then we made our way to the dune house. A special sight to be seen in the distance was a wind wheel used to pump water.

It became clearly warmer and the fresh breeze was good. We found a shady place for a picnic – a break. The clear marks in the sand showed

that even wild animals often found a resting place here. Afterwards I cracked a few more stones while my wife went to the dune house. The house was not completely uninhabited as it seemed going by the sudden ring of a loud cry! My wife had been stung by aggressive wasps. A sting in the nostrils and another on the shoulder was very painful. The nose immediately began to

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swell. We started back for the Lodge. The shimmering heat had become stronger and from a distance appeared the silhouette-like avenue of palms. Thankfully, the nose had become less swollen on the way so we did not have to worry. We found a wonderful resting place under the wide sloping roof of our hut with a view over the wide pan. The delicious dinner was presented to us in Nama, Angelika had readily found a Nama girl from nearby Hoachanas who gave us the menu in her mother tongue. Mrs Angelika Gleich had invited Mr Izaks to dinner. During the day Mrs Gleich and Mr Izaks had talked about the education of children in Hoachanas. Now different themes were discussed in a more relaxed manner and it was also interesting for

us to be included in the conversation. Later a youth choir from Hoachanas came which presented its songs in an appealing and lovely way. It was lovely to experience the enthusiasm and devotion with which the songs were sung. During the singing of the church song, “Take my hand and lead me,” everyone could join in in their language. For tomorrow we have arranged a visit to Hoachanas with Mrs Gleich. It will certainly be very interesting. It was indeed a wonderful day in Bitterwasser! Great Joy about the ‘Bitterwasser Day’ Angelika Gleich In 2007 every Friday is Bitterwasser Day in Hoachanas. Food is cooked in both schools and the kindergarten for about 700 children and given out during lunch break, for many children this is their only meal of the day. Bitterwasser Day is financed through individual donations from pilots and guests and above all through the generous donation of one Bitterwasser shareholder, Rene Studer. Thank you very much Rene! About 300 Euro is paid out to those in charge of the schools and the kindergarten every week. The weekly accounts of how the money is used are faxed to me from Bitterwasser. The joy of the children and those in charge is shown in the following lines faxed to me which I have translated. The two school speakers: “We are boarders and therefore, do not participate in Bitterwasser Day because we get enough to eat in boarding school. But we know that the pupils are all very happy about this day. They say this is the only day when they get a meal and are really satisfied afterwards. On other days they get, mostly, only maize porridge. From midweek they are already wishing for Friday to come quickly because they look forward to the food on Bitterwasser Day.” Mr Topner (teacher in charge): “The children are very happy about a well-balanced meal. Most of these children who are allowed to take part in the programme rarely get such delicious food. This nourishment is very important for the children’s healthy physical and mental development. Their bodies need healthy food for the different functions and well-balanced food containing vitamins,

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protein and minerals. This also stimulates their mind and helps in learning. Fresh fruit and vegetables are not usually within their means, but Bitterwasser Day makes this possible.” Mr Cooper (Headmaster at P.J. Tsaitsaib): We would like to say thank you for the Bitterwasser day. Through this day we were able to buy maize up to the beginning of March and provide porridge for the children at break time. Normally the maize is provided by the government, but due to money shortage there was no maize for the first six weeks of the beginning of the school year. The first maize from the government came on March 9 and from March 12 we could cook maize porridge again. From March 16 we have the proper Bitterwasser Day again. We thank Mrs Gleich for being understanding, that part of the money for Bitterwasser Day could be used to buy maize meal for the daily porridge.” Thanks to the received donations until now the Bitterwasser Day for the school year 2007 is assured. Whether this will continue in the coming school year depends on the receipt of enough donations. If you would like to support this day, we kindly ask you to send the money with a note, “For”: “Bitterwasser Day”, to the following account no. 21 13 50 820, Bank code: 300 800 00 Dresdner Bank Düsseldorf, Recipient: DNG-Hoachanas (from overseas: IBAN: DE90 3008 0000 0211 3508 20, S.W.I.F.T.: DRESDEFF300). For donations upto 100 Euro a bank slip is recognised as a donation receipt by the finance office. For higher donations I kindly request you to give your address as well so that your donation receipt can be sent to you. I am at your disposal for further information concerning the Hoachanas Children Fund (www.hoachanas.dngev.de). You can write to, email or call me. In the next Whispering Palms you will read about, among others:

- Renato Mussio’s first thousand flight - Peter Szabo’s record flight- thousand (Hungarian record) - Arno Kleinert’s also one thousand - Ursula Gimmler and Ella Rikert, two “women pilots”