A Fine Week of Soaring
DVD, Format: It is "Region 0", so it will play anywhere in the world.
Duration: 69 minutes, Released in 2003
Written, Produced and Directed by Juan Mandelbaum
An exciting insider’s view of the 2002 Mifflin, Pennsylvania regional contest from the back seat of a Duo Discus high performance glider, with 15-time US national champion Karl Striedieck at the controls.  Flying at high speed at treetop level over the Appalachian ridges or climbing under majestic snow showers, we get a sense of how a champion plies his craft.  The supporting cast includes competition director Charlie Spratt, two-time world champion George Moffat, still a formidable competitor at 75, and the contest pilots and organizers.

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.”