User Reviews

I'm torn over The Boy Who Flew With Condors.

On the one hand I first saw this as a schoolboy at initial transmission in the UK sometime in the late 1960's. I always had an interest in aeroplanes and spaceflight and this little Disney piece fed that interest. I won't claim that it started me in a life of gliding - but I will claim that it was in the background.

Much later in life I did take up gliding and today possess a DG-800B self-launching sailplane. I have achieved "All 3 Diamonds" and the UK 750km Diploma. I have 1500 hours in gliders and am an instructor.

So - I see Condors through the eyes of the 9 year-old child and as the adult expert. But I also see Condors as a piece of education and entertainment. This little film succeeds as both; but only just!

It is a very Disney piece; frivolous, flimsy and lightweight. Some of the pieces are downright silly. For example; we would never land in a duck pond and we would never roll up behind someone of a golf course. We would never fly in the mountains in such dangerous weather. However - we do use other soaring birds to help us and we do engage in different forms of soaring; thermals, cliffs/hills and mountain wave. And we do have a lot of fun exploring the skies.

Condors is very dated now. Those gliders are museum pieces and the methods and attitudes are completely outmoded.

Nevertheless - The Boy Who Flew With Condors is worth a watch. It's basic but engaging and fun.

The Boy Who Flew with Condors was a turning point in sport aviation. It started a life long love affair for me and sailplanes. Like in the move I achieved a Silver, Gold and one Diamond for flying sailplanes. The Soaring Society of America more than doubled its membership and commercial sailplane operations throughout America blossomed.

I was in Jr. High and I work for a solid year packing groceries, delivering newspapers and every odd job I could do so I could go fly sailplanes. I did without a car and road a bike so I could fly. It is still my love and passion. All because of this one little hour on Disney.

The Boy Who Flew with Condors was pivotal in my life and several of my friends lives.

As a youth I remember watching this Wonderful World of Disney Sunday feature. I didn't know much about sailplanes or soaring then and found it intriguing. A special twist on the story from the beginning was that a young boy my age was the center of the plot. Needless to say, it captured my undivided attention. The movie told of how one would go about learning how to fly and that anyone can do it if determined enough. It covered the theory behind thermal updrafts and ridge winds that keep sailplanes aloft.

After years of flying private power planes I finally took an introductory lesson in a glider because I remember this movie from my youth. After that first flight in a sailplane I NEVER went back to power.

I wish this movie was available on DVD because it would help promote the sport of soaring. Disney is taking requests so please follow the link and vote for the DVD to be released: http://tinyurl.com/njw38