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Reviews

• Charlie Spratt, Competition Director
  “The best film I have ever seen on contest flying. The photography is super and the story line perfect.”
• Doug Jacobs, 1985 World Champion
  “Ever wonder what its like to fly Pennsylvania’s fabled Allegheny ridges at high speed and low altitude? How about a chance to climb in a thermal up close and personal with a Nimbus 4, its enormous wingspan somehow made delicate in circling flight? Want to know how soaring competitions work? How tasks are set? Where to hunt for lift on blue days or how to fly cloud streets? Or, best of all, how a master like Karl Striedieck plies his craft, getting the most out of glider and weather with keen decision making and flawless flying technique, whistling his way across the sky? Well, you’re in for a treat. Juan Mandelbaum’s new and exquisitely photographed film A FINE WEEK OF SOARING shows you a Mifflin, PA regional contest from the perspective of the participants and organizers. Plus, it puts you in the back seat of a Duo Discus with Karl at the controls. Shot from all conceivable angles from cameras mounted both inside and outside the cockpit, this film is part soaring essay, part documentary, part instructional work, and all soaring enjoyment. You’ll not only get Karl’s insights, but hear from two time World Champion George Moffat, the dean of American competition soaring, as he reflects on the development of the sport over many decades. And adding to the educational value of what you see on film are interspersed GPS flight trace excerpts, masterfully displayed by the 3D terrain mapping features of the marvelous SeeYou Flight Information Software, including head to head comparisons of multiple sailplanes hurtling down the ridges. Whether you’re new to gliding, a beginning cross country pilot, or an old competition soaring dog, you’ll get a heady dose of information, pleasure and inspiration from this fine film, and end up counting the days, hours and minutes until you can get back in the air. Enjoy!”
• George Moffat, 1970 and 1974 World Champion
  “Juan Mandelbaum's new film, A FINE WEEK OF SOARING, is a must-see for anyone interested in sailplanes, especially contest flying. Filmed at the Mifflin Regionals, it is marked by stunning photography, much of featuring the famed Pennsylvania ridges, up close and personal. In the 70 minute film, producer/director Juan, an accomplished soaring pilot as well as a professional movie maker, flies with Karl Striedieck in his Duo Discus on each contest day, and we get to listen to The Master's laconic and often amusing commentary on why he does what. Several other pilots are featured, showing varied viewpoints on each day's flight, with experience varying from a World Champion down to a relative newcomer. An interesting and helpful added feature is the use of SeeYou animation to show the tracks of some of the gliders. This film is a highly professional job and a delight to watch.”
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Review by Paul Remde
I love this film.  The scenery and cinematography are awesome.  The views of clouds flowing around mountain peaks are spectacular.  I like how he shows water flowing over a rock and compares it with the wind and clouds flowing over and around the mountain peaks.  The effect is very well done.  The flight is truly an amazing one and you get to relive it as he describes his thought process as the flight unfolds.  The film also includes a great interview with Klaus about the flight and future flights.  He talks about many topics including how sleep deprivation is a major factor in flights like this because late night weather analysis and early morning preparations don't leave much time for sleep before the flight.  At the end are more breathtaking views of volcanic craters, impressive lenticular clouds, etc.  It is a beautiful, inspirational and motivational film.  Why does he call it "Gliding in the 5th Dimension"?... You'll have to watch the film to find out.

The glider pilots are:

• Bernie Massey (NC) Std Cirrus
• Steve Wallace (KT) Mosquito
• Murray Wardell (UP) Std Cirrus

Note: Unfortunately, this DVD is currently available only through The Disney Movie Club.  You would need to join the club and buy a lot of other Disney DVDs to gain access to this DVD.  For a while I was able to get multiple copies through the Disney Movie Club, but they say I have exceeded my maximum for this DVD - so I am unable to get them at this time.  I may be able to get them again in the future.  You may be able to get the DVD at Amazon.com. 

At last...the best of Sunday night TV is back! It's the legendary TV show that's been popular with audiences for decades, and the longest running weekly prime-time series in television history. The winner of numerous awards, including seven Emmys, it's The Wonderful World of Disney!

Climb aboard and soar skyward towards everyone's dream to fly. THE BOY WHO FLEW WITH CONDORS is the true-life adventure of Chris Jury, a California teenager who goes from admiring the endangered condors' flight to sailing sky-high with them. Inspired by his new friends, a sailplane instructor, a NASA test pilot and a budding glider pilot, he risks it all for airborne thrills. But to earn his wings, he'll have to navigate a dangerous storm. Will he come through with flying colors? Find out in an exciting story sure to bring out the spirit of adventure in the entire family!

Starring (as themselves): Christopher Jury, Margaret Birsner, Fred W. Harris (gliding instructor), Milton O. Thompson (NASA test pilot)

Based On The Story "The Sail Plane Story" By Ken Nelson
Teleplay By Homer McCoy
Narrated by Leslie Nielsen
Filmed in Tehachapi, California

Full Details on the Disney web site - with short video preview

Review by Paul Remde
The story follows a teenage boy as he gets into soaring and progresses through his Gold and Diamond badges.  There are many memorable scenes (see below).  It is fun to watch Chris learn to fly and dive into cross-country flight and badge flying while being mentored by his flight instructor.  I especially enjoyed the 2-22 landing in a duck pond, and the auto-launch behind an old jalopy.  It was also interesting watching the winch launches, ridge running and beach landings at Torrey Pines.  I also enjoyed having Walt Disney introduce soaring and hear Leslie Nielsen as the narrator.  This was filmed in 1967 when a Schweizer 1-26 was a "high performance model".  It sure looks like fun to me!  I remember watching this film when young.  It sparked my first interest in soaring.  It is great to see it again.  I have recently had many soaring pilots tell me that "this film got me started in soaring".  The film appeals to so many different types of people.  It is good for kids to watch, it is great for Schweizer 1-26 enthusiasts, and for those that love watching classic gliders soaring over the cliffs at Torrey Pines.

Scenes from The Boy Who Flew with Condors Click on the images below to view larger versions.
Margaret Birsner does an off-field landing in a Schweizer 1-26	Margaret Birsner in a Schweizer 1-26	Ridge Running at Torrey Pines	Aerotow from the beach at Torrey Pines ends with the 1-26 in the surf.	Chris taking flying lessons in a Schweizer 2-22 with Fred Harris in the back seat.	Chris gets "baptized" after his 1st solo flight.
Water landing in a 2-22	Chris goes for his Gold Badge in this "high performance model" (Schweizer 1-26).	Golf course landing - sneaking up on an unsuspecting putter	NASA Test Pilot Milt Thompson gives a quick tour of Edwards Air Force Base including this X-15 "hypersonic glider".	Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) "Flying Bedstead"	NASA M2-F1 "Flying Bathtub", Note the Schweizer tow ring and tow hook on it.
Fred Harris, Chris and Margaret discussing plans for Chris' "Diamond C" flight	Chris flying for his Diamond C Badge in a Schweizer 1-26.  The goal is Bishop.	Difficulty near thunderstorm. "Altitude gone, visibility gone, situation... deadly"	...but then... a condor...	Schweizer 1-26 flying with a condor	Schweizer 1-26 over Mono Lake
Landing near Mono Lake	Auto-launch behind an old jalopy	Arrival at sunset	Chris and Margaret flying their 1-26s over clouds	Walt Disney with condor and sailplane

Note: A customer has complained that he thought the quality of the DVD was poor - "not DVD quality".  I guess that is true, it is produced from an old film by the owner or the film.  Also, a scene from the original film in which the pilot is sleeping in a bed made from a glider fuselage has been removed.  With all that said, I still love this little film.  The loops and rolls and low altitude flying are impressive and fun to watch - in my opinion. - Paul Remde

Overview from the DVD Case
Stunning aerial maneuvers, tree-top chases and hair-raising pursuits through narrow rock canyons mark this sailplane adventure story.  Haunted by a mysterious superpilot, a young glider pilot first flees, then confronts his challenger.  In his fixed wing, 30-foot wingspan glider (Schweizer 1-26) he finally draws abreast of the rival plane... and learns who the pilot really is.

Dawn Flight is both a film about the wonder of soaring and a film about self-discovery.  The symbolic dawn in the title bespeaks the sense of renewal that comes to the young glider pilot when he conquers his fear and meets the challenges presented to him by a mysterious pursuer.

Producer, Lawrence Lansburgh wanted to do more than make a typical glider film:

"I wanted to take a fresh approach in a soaring film, to use motorless flight not as an end in itself but as a means to express something else that was on my mind."

Academy Award Nominee - Live Action Short - 1975

See the Entire Film on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgvVA5jXO2E

Review
I applaud the effort, but it is not a very exciting film.  But the price is right...  If I had a friend that was interested in soaring, I would give them a copy of John Roake Provides an Introduction to Soaring because it includes excellent footage of a lovely young woman taking flying lessons in a glider, and then going on a beautiful soaring adventure in the New Zealand alps - fantastic!  But that DVD costs more than twice as much as this one.  However, this video shows soaring in the United States - which is nice.

Flying in to be narrator in his 1931 Waco, John Denver, the legendary songwriter, brings his enthusiasm for all things aeronautical to soaring and succeeds in getting his 200 mile Gold 'C' cross country in a Libelle.  On the same day the great Kees Muster, 1983 World Champion from Belgium, attempts a flight over three times as long and lands only 20 miles short of a new World Record after eleven hours in the air.  The drama of long distance record attempts, both for the pilots and their worried crews, is beautifully portrayed, much aided by an excellent score by Richard Conrad.  For those of us who know and flew against such pilots as Helmut Reichmann, Ingo Renner and Kees there is much nostalgia as well as beauty seeing them again in their prime in this outstanding film.

Back Cover Review by Doug Jacobs, World Champion
It's not often in life that you get to go around twice on a great thing, but reviewing Chris Woods' masterfully produced Running on Empty in its new digitally remastered DVD edition is one.  Shot at the 1987 Hitachi Masters of Soaring competition in Estrella, Arizona, the original captured the gleaming essence of high powered sailplane racing as practiced by 20 of the world's best glider pilot who were asked to participate in this by-invitation-only meet.

The in-flight shots have to be seen to be believed, whether we're talking about gaggling or ridge running, and the close-ups of pilots' faces while in flight are deep into the category of "How'd they do that?"  While complex racing strategies and the mechanics of competition are made transparent by Chris Woods' focused vision, he goes one step deeper - effectively exploring the backgrounds, personalities, and motivations of this amazingly diverse group of pilots.

Narrated with great style by the legendary Cliff Robertson, this production easily ranks as one of the finest pieces ever made about motorless aviation.  And for those who've never seen it before? You're in for a treat!

From the early race to build gliders to the D-Day invasion at Normandy to Nazi Germany’s final surrender, Silent Wings – The American Glider Pilots of WWII narrated by Hal Holbrook, reveals the critical role gliders played in World War II offensives. Through rare archival footage and photographs, the film places the audience right at the center of the action in the dangerous world of the American glider pilot.


Narrator by Hal Holbrook

During WWII, 6000 young Americans volunteered to fly large unarmed cargo gliders into battle. These brave men were an eclectic band of misfits. One general called them “the bastards nobody wanted and the most uninhibited individuals ever to wear an American uniform.”

Yet for these glider pilots every mission was do-or-die. It was their task to repeatedly risk their lives landing the men and tools of war deep within enemy-held territory, often in complete darkness, using only a stopwatch to navigate.

They had no motor, no parachutes and no second chances.

Silent Wings Features

• Two broadcast legends Andy Rooney and Walter Cronkite who glided into Holland with the 101st Airborne Division in 1944.
• Archival footage and photos
• Interviews with glider veterans

"I don't think the 101st Airborne thought that this was a terribly difficult landing, but to me it was a scene from Hell". - Walter Cronkite

There will be an advanced showing of this film at the 2007 Soaring Society of America Convention on Friday, February 9th.

Trailer
DVD Cover Artwork

Books on this subject - available from Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

• Silent Wings At War - Combat Gliders in WWII (book - new)
• Silent Wings - The Saga of the U.S. Army and Marine Combat Glider Pilots During World War II (book - used)

Preview Video - Note: The preview video refers to the film as "Transition to Gliders" which was the previous name for this product.  They changed the name to "So You Want to Fly Gliders" because it is a good video for all new glider pilots, not just power pilots transitioning to gliders.

Overview
Perfect for power pilots who want to discover the joy of soaring - or for beginning glider students - this new video shows you “what you should know” about flying gliders. Bob Wander, noted glider instructor and best-selling author, joins the Sporty’s Academy team to take you into the cockpit of several training gliders. With exciting in-flight footage, you’ll see maneuvers from inside and outside the aircraft, and you’ll ride along for a self-powered launch, an aero-tow and a winch launch. Also covers aerodynamics, stalls, spins, speed-to-fly, spirals, variometers, all training maneuvers, soaring weather (including ridge, wave, convergence and thermal soaring) and much more. State of the art 3D graphics and animations are used throughout to explain complicated subjects. This comprehensive program will prepare you for your FAA glider checkride and beyond.

From the Back Cover of the DVD Case
So You Want To Fly Gliders, part of the What You Should Know series, gives power pilots and anyone interested in gliders insight into and an appreciation for powerless flight.

Whether you want to add a glider rating to your existing pilot privileges or just learn the ins and outs of soaring flight, Sporty's shows you how.

Bob Wander, noted glider instructor and the author of the Gliding Made Easy series of books, joins the Sporty's Academy team to lead you on your video journey from glider neophyte to glider aficionado.

So You Want To Fly Gliders takes you inside the cockpit of several training gliders to give you a real sense of what soaring and gliding are all about.  Outside the glider, you will see how your control inputs are affecting the aircraft.  State of the art 3-D graphics & animations are used throughout the program to explain more complex concepts.  You will learn what you should know and enjoy yourself as well during this exciting program.

The program starts with an introduction to the FAA training requirements and the glider launch methods.  You will ride along as we self-launch in a motorgliders, get towed aloft by an airplane, and get pulled into the air by a ground based winch.  You will see how gliders differ from airplanes and be introduced to the aerodynamics of gliding flight.  Along the way, you will see all of the maneuvers and cover the topics required for your glider checkride.  Weather as it relates to soaring as well as methods to find and harness the lift that Mother Nature provides are also included. 

So come along for the ride as Sporty's shows you yet another way to keep flying fun!

This new DVD release is from a new video master made from a film print, so it looks super.  As you can see in the photos at right, the new version of the film is much sharper and more vivid.  And yes, it does include the Bee Gees music - as in the original film.  The DVD menu has 9 chapters, a photo gallery and closed captioning. On the DVD box itself is an essay by Robert Drew on "Why and How The Sun Ship Game" (see DVD case images at right) and a review Doug Jacobs (see DVD case back cover at right, and review text below).

Review by Doug Jacobs - Former World and 8 time U.S. National Soaring Champion

If you're like me, The Sun Ship Game serves as the standard against which to measure all attempts to convey soaring in motion pictures.  Centered on a remarkably determined George Moffat's pursuit of a National Championship on the way to multiple World Championships, it captures like none other the majesty of the slender wing and graceful vulnerability of glider against the big, big sky and heartstopping terrain of Marfa Texas.  Yet even more compelling is its captivating story of eyeball to eyeball struggle between pilots to win, to excel against one another, to accept the tribulations, sacrifices and danger of this beautiful but little known sport despite its meager prizes.

Bob Drew, noted documentarian, pulled this triumph together in the early 1970's, capturing on film the amazing aerial footage never before seen of gliding competitions and blending it with an up close and personal window into the personalities and aspirations the pilot contenders, their families and friends, strengths and flaws, into an all-too-human montage of the soaring scene.  The result was a classic that has inspired and motivated hundreds of soaring pilots of my generation.

However, inspired as we were, we were equally annoyed that well traveled films in the possession of the SSA were often scratched, patched and in generally poor quality.  An attempt to save the work through converting it to VHS was only partially successful, but nonetheless cassettes were snapped up by collectors eager to have their own copy of this remarkable story.

Now comes deliverance - Bob has taken the original masters and professionally converted them to DVD format.  Back is the amazing clarity and color quality of the original film and terrific sound (especially if you're a BeeGee's fan - break out the paisley!) of the original for you to savor without the distractions of failing media.

The chance to own and view this work should not be missed by any serious soaring pilot, and studied intensely by those who chose to compete.  A masterful story, one that belongs in the collection of everyone that shares our devotion to this compelling and amazing sport.

Review by Paul Remde
I'm very happy that this classic soaring film is available on DVD.  It is a fun and interesting trip back in time.  It is more than a soaring documentary, it is a film which digs deep into the skills and philosophies of 2 very different soaring contest pilots: George Moffat (contest number XX) and Gleb Derujinsky (contest number CI).  The action begins at the 1969 Sugarbush Regional Soaring Contest and ends at the 1969 U.S. Nationals Soaring Contest in Marfa, TX.  Toward the end of the film the battle ends up being between George Moffat and Wally Scott.  This is a time when a "flight computer" was a circular paper glide calculator - and they were not adopted as necessary "technology" by all glider pilots.  The film documents many interesting off-airport landings.  Some of these pilots were willing to risk landing straight ahead (on course) in order to use every bit of altitude to get a few additional point for the day.  One of my favorite scenes shows George using a saw to cut off the tip of his sailplane's wing and attach longer tips. It is hard to watch the sawing, but neat to see what was done to improve the performance of the sailplane.  It is also interesting that during this era every contest pilot had a dedicated crew that followed them around the course with the glider trailer in tow.  There is high-drama near the end of the film as George makes a bold move on the last long leg of the final task in the U.S. Nationals.  I love this film!

George Moffat's reaction to the DVD version - as printed in the January 2010 edition of Gliding International

"The Sun Ship Game, Bob Drew's remarkable film of the 1969 Nationals in Marfa, Texas, has long been the best-ever film of what competition soaring is all about.  In it he captures not only the beauty of soaring but also the dramatic aspects of the competition and the tensions between the leaders, their differing philosophies, and their wives, families and crews.  Now Bob Drew has taken the original master and professionally converted it to DVD.  I recently saw the result, and it is breathtaking as to color, sound and clarity.  I did the flying for most of the thunderstorm scenes, and the sharp color and clarity brought them vividly back to life.  Nothing in this film was staged.  Everything you see was filmed as it happened.  This new DVD version is surprisingly vivid and new despite having been filmed forty years ago."

Below is an excellent overview found on the rec.aviation.soaring newsgroup.  It was posted by Aldo Cernezzi.  He states that it was provided to him by "a close friend of the director."

"Some words on the film: As far as I know, The Sun Ship Game is the only real movie, not a documentary, dedicated to soaring competitions. It has was filmed at great expense (about 300-400,000 U.S. dollars in 1969, equivalent to at least 10 million Dollars today), privately financed without any perspective of reasonable revenues -- by the Director and producer Robert Drew, for one of its great passions, soaring.

I consider Bob an exceptional person, and his movie, which in 20 years I have probably watched and shown over 20 times, is a true masterpiece dedicated to soaring competitions. Its beauty is revealed gradually, when, through repeated viewing, one understands the untold in the conversations between the pilots. I recall in particular a confession: "…soaring pilots - a champion is speaking -we become aware that our talent, when we win a contest, is inexplicable; and we live therefore with the fear of losing it…"

I suggest a visit here: http://www.drewassociates.net/ to see how much and what Robert Drew, as one of the prominent figures of the "cinema verité", has filmed in its professional life. This movie is a wonderful "gift" that this director-soaring pilot has given to the world of soaring.

The plot of the narration is based on the major difference in the personalities of the two protagonists, Gleb Derujinsky, CI (an advertizing director, the first one to appear in the film, on a bicycle in New York) and George Moffat, XX (a professor, who appears in a classroom teaching English literature). Gleb, an instinctive pilot, is described as "unbeatable when he's in top condition", but he's also sometimes inconsistent. Moffat, on the other hand, is a cold "analytical-numerical" pilot flying a modified Cirrus with longer wings, but we finally see that he's also "human after all" through his flying and the suffering against Wally Scott who had a new ASW-12.

George will win (at least) two World Championships, Marfa 1970 and Waikerie 1974. Gleb, instead, will drive form Marfa to Mexico in order to get a divorce, always followed by Bob's movie cameras.

The movie features a gallery of prominent figures of soaring, including, Klaus Holighaus, Stouffs Sr., and Hal "The Judge"
Lattimore, contest director."

Champions of the Wave
Omarama, New Zealand, is one of the best gliding locations in the world.  Here a unique weather condition forms, know as 'The Wave', attracting glider pilots from around the world who come to challenge this famous and thrilling phenomenon, in the World Gliding Championships.  With cameras mounted inside and outside the gliders, we take viewers with these pilots as they soar over the Southern Alps at speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour (186 mph).  The battle is on to determine who will become the Champions of the Wave.

Paul E. Remde

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