BITTERWASSER LODGE AND FLYING CENTER Private Bag 13003, Windhoek Namibia phone +264 63 265300 Fax +264 63 265355 mail: [email protected]

Informations and rules for pilots General: Welcome in Bitterwasser, ... simply the best! You will here find extremely good flying conditions. But: flying in Namibia is quite different from flying in central Europe. This information should help you to make your stay in Bitterwasser as agreeable and beyond all as safe as possible. Arrival day: In Namibia, the temperature on the ground during the day can in the season go up to 40°C, but it is a dry and agreeable heat. These partially extreme temperature differences are difficult for our body, and therefore no flights as PIC can be performed on the arrival day. We beg to respect this for safety reasons. Drink lots of water! Formalities – before the first flight: All the pilots that fly themselves or as passengers with other pilots in Bitterwasser must be members of the Bitterwasser International Flying Club (BIFC). They must therefore before their first flight in Namibia (regardless whether it is soaring, powered or passenger flight with one of our asircraft) sign the membership application for the BIFC, as well as the general liability disclaimer of the BIFC. Membership with BIFC does not include any insurance. For damages from activities on the ground or in the air the pilot or the originator of the damage is responsible and liable. In particular, the BIFC cannot be held liable. Pilots: please send your license, medical scanned before to CFI Dieter Schwenk mail: [email protected] Glider owner: please send Certificate of Registration, Certificate of Insurance and Certificate of Airworthiness also to above mailadress. For flying of gliders in Bitterwasser, you need the following minimum flying experience:

100 hrs. since license 20 hrs. current training in the past 12 months. For powered flight pilots different conditions are in effect. Before the first gliding or powered flight that you realize as aircraft commander, you will attend a briefing during which all the most important points (which you find in this paper as well) will be explained once again. After this, you must sign a declaration that you are familiar with the procedures and that your license, launch permits and medical are valid. Flight operations in Bitterwasser reserve the right to check flight logs and licenses of the pilots, in particular also experience in the past 6 months. Naturally, all the launch types and extensions that you require for the operation of the aircraft in Namibia must be entered in your license and valid. Pilots which have never flown in Bitterwasser must make a check flight with an instructor or with a qualified pilot mandated by the management. A flight, safe in every situation, according to the regulations in force and with good airmanship is expected. We presuppose experience in aircraft tow and self- starting. The Bitterwasser airport is very large and one can take off and land so to say in 360° directions. But there are still then and when turbulences, taking off or landing, and as every pilot knows, the speed – not too much and not too little – must always correspond to the conditions. The bright sandy soil requires for many a pilot getting used to when landing. When you use an aircraft matriculated in Namibia, you require validation of your license. This must be applied for early enough (at least 7 weeks before your arrival in Bitterwasser) to be there when you arrive. Naturally, you receive our support for the validation procedure. Currently, we must make an examination on radio operation and the check flight must be passed before we can hand over the validation. For aircraft not matriculated in Namibia, you need a flyover permit for Namibia, this will be applied for by us. General remarks to flying in Bitterwasser and in Namibia: In your documents that you receive from us, you will find besides this document and the forms also the airport map of Bitterwasser, as well as information about the frequencies and the TMA Windhoek. Aeronautical charts in different qualities can be purchased in the flight office. The Bitterwasser airport is in an altitude of 1267 m ASL and is open all year from sunrise to sunset. Bitterwasser has its own frequency (Bitterwasser control 123.60 MHz), that must be used in an area of 10 NM around the airport.

The flight operations manager at Bitterwasser is responsible for the safe operation of the airfield. The instructions of the flight operations manager or his assistants must always be obeyed. Bitterwasser reserves the right to withdraw the permit to fly to pilots, which endanger the safety of others!

It goes without saying that we do not fly under the influence of alcohol or even drugs. Regardless of the provisions of the authority that issued your license, we require that you fly completely sober, that you have not been drinking alcohol within 8 hours before the flight. Pilots who do not feel fit due to alcohol- (or drug-) consumption or who do not feel well due to other circumstances may not fly. Please note that because of altitude and high temperatures the power of your engine cannot be compared with its power in central Europe, but is much lower, and you therefore require a longer takeoff roll distance. Planned FAI flights and record flights must be confirmed by an official observer licensed in Namibia. For cross-country flights, please note that you are flying over a desert and sparsely populated areas and that with a field landing you may have to stay in the desert overnight before you can be taken back. For these flights, you should have at least the following equipment mounted on either the man or the parachute: Min. 2 l Water per person (possibly not completely discharge the water in the wings, not for drinking but for use after boil or shower) Flashlight Aluminum thermal cover 3 signal rockets Signal mirror Plaster Lighter or matches Warm clothing A kit with these things (without water and clothing) can be had at Bitterwasser. Do not forget your personal documents, a phone card, your handy (works occasionally) and some money. We furthermore recommend a locater such as SPOT (http://www.findmespot.eu/gm/). Flying without solar protection is dangerous and irresponsible! Use oxygen if longer than 30 minutes over 3,600 m QNH and always on more than 4,000 m. Use it rather sooner than later because the great thermals in Namibia bring us sometimes into these altitudes with more than 5 m/s. If you must make a field landing please remember to log out in Bitterwasser or any other flight center or with some other pilot as transmitter, so we know where you are! Flights to Botswana are only allowed with the required release. This will be discussed during the daily briefing. As a general rule, however, remember for flights over Botswana that a field landing there poses a great danger not only because of the vastness, but because of the small population density and of wild animals. Not to mention that pick up can take 2-3 days due to not immediately disposable material such as trailer and tow car. Please note also that a radio connection from the ground is not ensured and that a repatriation campaign causes considerable cost!

Important phone numbers for you: Telephone Bitterwasser: +264(0)63265300 Telephone Bitterwasser 2: +264(0)63265390 Pokweni +264(0)63265608 Kiripotib +264(0)62581419 Air Traffic Control: +264(0)6270249094 Accident Hotline +264(0)612088410 Ground operation: To transport the aircraft on the ground, vehicles are available (sometimes with drivers and helpers).These vehicles must, when they are not needed, stand in front of the Flight Office from 22:00 to 7:30 hrs. It is forbidden to let those vehicles stand overnight before the bungalow or to leave them in the pan after takeoff. Unnecessary trips over the pan, especially with towed aircraft must be omitted for flight safety reasons. Aircraft must be towed to the takeoff point (or back) slowly, carefully, exclusively along the edge of the pan and on the designated paths. Whenever an aircraft is towed, the pilot himself drives the tow car! Gliders can be parked in the palm alley or on the southwest side and outside of runway 11/29 with the nose to the northeast or in front of the bungalows along 11/29. The parking areas have electricity and water connections (Caution: no drinking water!). Parking space for powered aircraft is assigned by flight operations. It is forbidden to roll in the palm-alley with powered aircraft and motor gliders under their own power. Furthermore, please note: When landing on runway 11, the so called Hoskia the aircraft must come to standstill before the first bungalow. No rolling to the bungalows through the palm alley because of persons crossing! Accordingly, for landings on 29, the landing point must be after the bungalows, flying across the palm alley is strictly forbidden! Furthermore, the plane must come to a standstill before crossing the runway 09/27 HANGAR. No planes should roll inside a radius of 100 m from the windsock in front of the palm alley. The ground there is very soft. Before the first flight of the day with your aircraft An extensive briefing takes place every morning at 09:00 hrs. which is mandatory for all the pilots taking part in the flying operations. Start list management: Each PIC shall independently enter his data before launch and after landing into the start list in the flight office. Please write legibly intended flight route, possibly FAI record attempt or 1000 km or similar, ideally with the turning point names etc. This is a safety issue, if somebody is missing in the evening, we can at least reduce the search area somewhat.

Takeoff and departure from Bitterwasser The starting direction is, if possible, set during the briefing, but may vary (wind direction usually changes significantly during the day). With a Bitterwasser car or your own, you pull your plane along the edge of the pan to the specified starting point. Since we cannot provide a car for every aircraft, we ask you to ensure that the vehicle comes back as quickly as possible from the starting point again to fetch the next waiting pilot – Egoism is wrong at this point! The starting position can be side by side, we usually have enough room for this. Check your airplane without haste before takeoff and when you are ready, sign in on frequency123.60 MHz with your matriculation and starting direction and the indication that you take off in 2 minutes. Best with the engine not yet turning for better understanding. Please wait for the confirmation. When lots of aircraft are taking off, the starting process is coordinated by the flight operations manager on site, with only occasional takeoffs confirmation will be by radio. With a tow plane, it goes without saying that a communications test is performed before departure. Please note that with takeoff direction 09 the edge of the pan on the opposite side forms sort of a peninsula and the take-off distance there is shortened! After every takeoff, without exception, a left turn must be made, the climb takes place along the edge of the pan, and thus safe landing on the pan is always possible with an engine fault! Within a radius of 10 km around the pan only left turns are permitted! During the flight Within 20 km/10NM from the pan, the Bitterwasser frequency 123.60 MHz must be set and listened to. Outside this zone, three different frequencies must be used when gliding 123.40 MHz inside our special gliding zone 124.70 MHz outside the gliding zone – Windhoek information. You must use the standard phraseology in English here 124.80 MHz for landings on unattended airfields and below 1500 ft. Please note the special rules for the TMA/CTA Windhoek in a separate documentation. Approach and landing in Bitterwasser As soon as you are less than 10 NM from Bitterwasser set the radio to 123.60 MHz and give a position report with course and intentions. Please plan your approach so that you can first cross the pan in order to unhurriedly see wind and landing directions. You receive wind direction and if possible wind strength from flight operations. You choose your landing direction yourself in consultation with flight operations and other pilots in the area. If instructions are given by flight operations, they must be followed.

To avoid confusion, the parallel runways 09 and 27 are designated with the addition HANGAR or PAN. For the landing direction 09 there are even three designations: 09 HANGAR- 09 LEFT and 09 PAN. Furthermore, we have the parallel runways 23 LEFT and 36 HOSKIA new and in red on the map. Left hand airfield circuit is required, please make left hand turns exclusively. Log in when you go into the downwind leg: “Your matriculation – landing direction – GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED” The airfield circuit should be a standard airfield circuit and not similar to an airliner approach. (We love to do another familiarization flight with each pilot.) Further radio reports are made as needed to ensure safety or because of large traffic volume. Especially late in the evening, when the sun is low in the west, it is strongly recommended to select 09 or 23 depending on wind conditions. After touchdown, the aircraft rolls in a straight line. In Bitterwasser, no spot- or point landings are expected, but to stand in the heart of the pan with a lot of approaching traffic is not the idea of "good airmanship"either. Landings by night are very dangerous and prohibited by law. Still, if you recognize that for any reason you will have a night landing, report it early on to flight operations. Only then can we help you. With cars in the middle of the pan, headlights in landing direction and taillights to the approach we will try to make a makeshift lighted runway. Please enter your landing always in the start list in the Flight Office. Make sure to also add any special accomplishments (such as 1000 km FAI, 1000 km OLC, etc.) You can yourself upload your logger data to the OLC, provided they do not contain air space violations etc. If you do not have a PC here, you can upload the flight, preferably from a USB stick or a memory card, in the flight office. In case of field landings or landings on unattended airfields If a field landing seems unavoidable you absolutely should, as quickly as possible, communicate your position, best shortly after the decision for outlanding! Set 123.40 MHz Bitterwasser. If you have no reception, try to make a relay to with other gliders. Set 124.70 MHz (Windhoek Info) or other aircraft Set 126.90 MHz TIBA frequency, communicate your position with the help of an airliner, and tell the pilots also where they should send the message – Windhoek etc. Set 121.50 MHz emergency frequency When approaching unmanned airfields send mandatory communications (downwind, base, final) Radio discipline procedures around Windhoek and Bitterwasser The radio should be in English. Radio is a safety feature, in benefit of all. Most pilots in Namibia speak English and are accustomed to periodically

give position reports in uncontrolled airspace. This is expected from us glider pilots also. We show a bit of professionalism when we do this as well. In the TMA / CTA Windhoek the special customary procedures apply and of course everything in English only. This airspace can only be entered with a release by the controller. Entry without radio contact is prohibited, irresponsible and can lead to the withdrawal of your license and even worse, the entire authorization for gliding in Namibia can be called into question!!! We are guests in this country, where gliding plays such a minor role so that we do well to stick to the law. Where can you still fly so carefree, without considerable air space restrictions, so let us stick to it. In addition, as always, common sense should be used on radio. Keep communications as concise and specific as possible and listen when others are speaking and possibly need help. Particular attention is required near the pan. Other pilots may have chosen and transmitted different landing directions. Services Batteries can be charged in the old or the new hangar and in the palm alley. Oxygen is available. The bottles must be labeled with matriculation and name. Please give the bottles for filling in the evening. (old hangar near flight office ) Fuel is available in different qualities, also mixture 1:50. Here again, please label the containers with matriculation and name and give them for filling in the evening (old hangar near flight office). necessary repairs - please talk to our team. Aircraft Charter With chartered aircraft, coordinate before the first flight with the Flight Office a handover date and time. The transfer takes place with a checklist and a handover protocol. Please understand that we do not rush into this, but use the necessary care, since after all expensive and safety relevant equipment is transferred. End of Charter: We can well understand that when your great vacation in Bitterwasser is about to end that you want after your last flight quickly return the chartered aircraft. Here again, a takeover date and time with the Flight Office team must be coordinated to be carried out in peace and not when it is already dark, so that everything can be verified and documented. The next pilot would also like a proper transfer protocol and a clean glider. We ask for your understanding.