Sailplane Grand Prix in the Andes
Format: Blu-ray (HD 1920 x 1080 pixels) or DVD (720 x 480 pixels), Available in NTSC or PAL formats
Duration: 24 minutes + other short films (see below), Filmed: January, 2010

You never knew gliders could do this: The speed, the adrenaline, the breath-taking beauty. 

Sailplane Grand Prix in the Andes is quite possibly the most extraordinary aerial footage you have ever seen.

It's the buzz of world championship glider racing blended with the best of High Definition technology to bring the battle for the skies into your living room.

Welcome to Sailplane Grand Prix in the Andes, a multi-feature Blu-ray & DVD tracing the story of one of the most beautiful sports on earth.

Contents

• Sailplane Grand Prix in the Andes (full version - 24 minutes) - The one that started it all, this is the cut that was televised in more than 160 countries around the world during the summer of 2010.  Sailplane racing like it's never been filmed before.
• Sailplane Grand Prix in the Andes' little brother (12 minutes, Dolby 5.1) - a shorter cut, but the audio to the max.  Enjoy.
• Dinámica - One day in Sailplane Grand Prix - focusing on one decisive day's racing at the World Championship Finals in Santiago.  An insider's view and a pumping soundtrack.  (Fantastic!  This is the highlight of the DVD in my opinion as a contest soaring pilot. - Paul Remde)
• The "Aquarium" shots - throw out your fish tank; we bring you more than 35 minutes of stupendous High Definition sailplane footage set to original music.  Turn on, turn up, soar away... Or just have it on in the background at parties.
• Kawa in the cockpit - fly with reigning world champion Sebastian Kawa as he puts his aircraft through its paces high in the Andean Cordillera.
• Day Six raw race animation - One for the sailplane nerds among us: watch how tactics and lift, experience and nerve play out with the complete race at 20 x real time.  Pilot course and tracking over mapped terrain through a six-point 330 km competitive flight.  No sound.

Review
I just finished watching the film in HD (high-definition) on my computer.  It is fantastic!  The cinematography is awesome!   The close-up views of the sailplanes in flight over the Andes are spectacular.  My favorite shot has the camera flying through the Andes mountains - introducing the contest "playground".  As the camera ship (not visible in the shot) descends, eight sailplanes seem to rise up in front.  They are all flying together - perhaps on final glide.  This is the first scene showing sailplanes - and it is dramatic and beautiful!  The detail and clarity of the entire film are excellent.  I can't wait to watch it on a big HD TV.  This is the first soaring film available in high-definition (HD) on a Blu-ray disc. 

However, the film does not try to document the contest.  It does not show the daily results or the drama as the leaders race home at the end of a tight race day.  As a soaring contest pilot I wish it did include much more in the way of race details.  It does show the winners of the contest about halfway through the film.  I guess the film is targeted at a more general (wider) audience than just sailplane racing pilots.  However, the extra features "Dinámica - One day in Sailplane Grand Prix", "The "Aquarium" shots", "Kawa in the cockpit" and "Day Six raw race animation" were created with us sailplane pilots in mind.  Dinámica is a fantastic segment - my favorite.

The film does do a great job of showing sailplanes in flight in spectacular surroundings.  It also is great at explaining what soaring is about and how elegant and lovely and efficient sailplanes are.

View the short preview in HD and learn more about the Grand Prix contest at:www.sailplanegrandprix.com

Review by Rand Baldwin of SoaringCafe.com

Click the play button in the images below to view preview clips of the film.  Click the "HD" icon to enable HD resolution viewing and then click the small icon with 4 arrows in the lower right corner of the video to view it full-screen in HD.  It is awesome in HD!

Or view the preview directly on Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/14091846  Best viewed in HD - full-screen.