Flying with the Champions

Seven days ...

Flying with the best of the best!

Your champion accompanies you in the cockpit of a double-seater and gives you professional feedback.

Whether you are a newcomer to competitive flying, or an experienced pilot, our world and European champion pilots will work out a training plan together with you in a relaxed, yet focused style to suit your needs.

Due to this unique and effective training you will significantly enhance your skills. The reliable weather of Namibia enables us to offer these courses at fixed dates.

In the cockpit alongside the champion ...

The training

What you can expect from this training:

  • Top coaches – European and world champions
  • Superb aircraft (ArcusM)
  • Personal training plan
  • Professional feedback
  • Flying under competitive conditions
  • Reflecting on what you have learned during briefings and debriefings
  • Reliable weather conditions
  • First class accommodation incl. full board
  • 9 Champions – 9 Trainees
  • Experience an exclusive dream week amongst friends.

Meet your champion

Current and former European and World champions will guide you through the programme:

Wolfgang Janowitsch

Wolfgang Janowitsch

Two-time World champion Cross Country Gliding

Wolfgang's list is long: 2 x World champion, 5 x European champion, 2 x runner-up in cross-country gliding, plus several record flights. The retired commercial pilot in him loves the change of perspective in flying. For a glider flight he enjoys sitting in the plane for up to ten hours.

Pete Harvey

Pete Harvey

Three-time European champion Open Class

The three-time European champion and 10-time British champion not only flies gliders but has also been a national champion in hang gliding. Pete is the Vice-President of the British Gliding Association and has worked as a management consultant for many years.

Peter Hartmann

Peter Hartmann

Multiple medalist

Peter has been flying gliders since 1980 and has spent his professional life in the cockpits of Boeing 767s and Airbus A330s. Countless medals from European and World Championships adorn his living room. The Italian by choice now likes to pass on his knowledge to young pilots at his club in Varese/Calcinate des Pesce, Italy.

Garry Coppin

Garry Coppin

Multiple medalist

Garry stepped on the podium several times in the double seater 20 meter class in cross-country gliding: silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022 at World Championships, and silver in 2017 & 2019 and bronze in 2023 at European Championships. In 2018 and 2022 he won the 20 meter National Championships in his home country United Kingdom – Garry is one of only six pilots who have flown 1,000 kilometers in a glider over United Kingdom in one day.

Markus Frank

Markus Frank

European champion 2011 & 2023

This passionate open class pilot has been part of the German national team since 2007 and has won the European Championship in 2011 and 2023. In 2013 and 2019, he once again achieved a podium finish at the European Championships. In addition, he is the reigning world champion in "joke telling", which he always impressively demonstrates in Kiripotib.

Arndt Hovestadt

Arndt Hovestadt

World champion 2010

What is it about gliding that fascinates a graphic designer? His answer: The performance-oriented multitasking in three-dimensional space is incredibly fun! The enthusiastic glider pilot spent four intense years in the German national gliding team. During this time, he took part in two World Championships and one European Championship and was able to stand at the top of the podium at the 2010 World Championships.

Ronald Termaat

Ronald Termaat

European and Vice World champion Cross Country

The enthusiastic glider pilot has already celebrated a lot of achievements in cross-country flying: European champion, Vice World champion, participation in 12 World and 10 European championships with many podium places and 10 times Dutch champion. He has been member of the Dutch National Team for 25 years. On top, Ronald flew the first flight over 1,000 km from the Netherlands. What is even more important for him than success: good fun and laughter. What use would gliding be without the fun.

Łukasz Grabowski

Łukasz Grabowski

Vice World Champion, vice European Champion

Coming from Poland, Łukasz is the youngest of the champions. His first international achievement was at junior age, when he gained his first silver medal at JWGC in 2011. In 2017 he took 3rd place in Benalla (Australia). In 2018 and 2021 he became second at WGC and third at EGC 2022. If you meet him at the airfield, the enthusiastic glider pilot is usually seen with a big smile on his face. Łukasz is rather a listener than a talker, but beware: throw a question about physical aspects of gliding or psychology in sport and you would soon see him fling into the discussion.

Tilo Holighaus

Tilo Holighaus

World champion Cross Country 2019

Tilo flew his first competition with 17 years and at the age of 21 he collected all three diamonds and the 1000km badge in cross-country gliding. At the World Grand Prix Finals 2019 he became World Champion. Since several years Tilo supports the German Junior National Team as a trainer. His main passion are long and challenging crosscountry flights. For almost 30 years Tilo has been managing the family business Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau in Kirchheim unter Teck (DE).

Erwin Ziegler

Erwin Ziegler

Two-time European champion 1994 & 1996

At a young age, Erwin was the runner-up in the European Junior Championships in France in 1989. In 1992, he won the title of German Champion in the Standard Class in Mengen. His piloting career was crowned by two European Champion titles in Italy and Finland (1994 and 1996) in the Standard class. At the German championship in Zwickau in 2000, Erwin stood on the podium as the runner-up.

Mike Young

Mike Young

Vice World champion Cross Country 2001 & 2009

Mike has many achievements to his name: Bronze at the 2012 & 2017 World Championships in the 18-metre class, Vice World Champion in the Standard class in 2001, European Champion in 2009 in the 18-metre class, 6 x Overseas National Champion, 5 x British National Champion, 2 x British Junior Champion. For the commercial pilot, gliding in Namibia does not only mean flying over the breathtaking landscape, but pure magic.

Holger Karow

Holger Karow

Three-time world champion

Despite spending much time in the cockpit as a commercial pilot, he has already spent more than 5,000 hours in a glider. Since 1985, he has enjoyed competing against the best of the best in national and international gliding competitions. The successes speak for themselves: 3 x world champion (2 x open class and 1 x Grand Prix 18 meter) and 6 x German champion (2 x standard class, 3 x open class and 1 x 18 meter).

Stefano Ghiorzo

Stefano Ghiorzo

Three-time world champion & two-time European champion

Our gentleman from Milano (Italy) is a three-time world champion, two-time European champion as well as multiple record holder in gliding. The former General Manager of Alisport Srl Aviation was instrumental in the development of the Silent 2 Electro and is considered a pioneer in the 13.5 meter class.

What our customers say

I attend Flying with the Champions to improve and to have fun. Come to Kiripotib, you will have a great time.

I got rid off my bad gliding habits together with a trainer and learned from his tactics.

I wanted to discover Namibia by glider and and the Champions by my side gave me the confidence to do so.

Dates

Time to team up with your champion.

"Flying with the Champions" takes place at the beginning of the flying season at Kiripotib.

week 1: 01. – 07. November 2024

week 2: 09. – 15. November 2024

Preview 2025/26:

week 1: 01. – 07. November 2025

week 2: 09. – 15. November 2025

A day with the champion

After a lovely breakfast we begin the day with a briefing. We discuss the weather, flight planning, safety topics and organisational issues. Afterwards, participants and champions talk about what they learned in the previous day. Following is the theoretical part including a keynote lecture by one of our champions. This is where your questions can be asked and individual topics can be discussed.

The rest of the morning you prepare for your flight and together with your champion you set up an individual daily task. If there is still some time left, you can relax at the pool or enjoy an early lunch.

Teams usually begin their cross-country flights between 11am and 12.30pm. Before sunset you land back at Kiripotib. While enjoying the obligatory landing beer (or landing soda), the trainee and the trainer review the day and look forward to their 3-course dinner.

After three days of flying, we regroup you and you get another champion at your side – this way you can benefit from more experience and from shifting the focus on other aspects of your flying.

The last day is coming up with a special highlight: a common competition task just like in a Grand Prix is on the agenda. Crossing the starting point, you start a regatta with a countdown. This makes "flying the race" especially fun!

Goals of the program:

  • Optimisation of basic skills:
    e.g. eye guidance and control of the aircraft
  • Strengthening mental skills:
    e.g. decision-making and risk management
  • Getting to know one's own strengths and weaknesses
  • Faster, further and more active cross-country flying

When the training is over:

You can apply what you have learned right after the training by extending your stay in Kiripotib. Book your glider as early as possible.

We will be pleased to rganize your stay, book your flight tickets, and make a reservation for your rental car. On top we arrange your social program for you and your companion.

Enjoy an unforgettable holiday in Kiripotib.

What our champions say

"I like to bring over all the things I learned over the years to other pilots."

"It is not how good the trainee flies, it is how enthusiastic she or he is."

"I like to bring pilots to their next level"

How much is it?

Here you will find the detailed costs to this program.