Original subtitles

Let me begin with skydiving.

160 of you applied for 20 places.

For glider around 100 of you applied for 30 places.

- Silence please... - We disappointed them...

Welcome young fellows.

I inform you that 61 years is my age. My flying age.

In order to have such a flying longevity

one must have a special character, a special life.

I do not stay late in the night, I don't smoke and...

I rarely touch the alcohol.

Flying is a form of art and one must take it as such.

You have to love it and invest passion in flying.

And I can tell you that you are going to be successful

if you set your life and character so that

you can perform

and you are going to be performant. Thank you!

There was no other flight instructor in the country

to let 7 students fly solo for the first time last year.

Some of them had one, some of them three...

But the last year I didn't participate in the national contest

and I only instructed.

I kept an eye on them because I love my students.

I like them especially when I start to explain things

and they start to catch on.

I can see how their instinct begins to develop...

After 10 launchings I can tell who is good and who is not.

K7 is a double seater glider.

It is light. It climbs easily in thermal.

It is similar with K13.

With K13... It is better than K13.

It is more performant...

Look, a Bocian glider!

Oh, the Bocian! I flew one of these... Bocian...

The prices grew. 8500 EURO...

For a Bocian? But it is a wooden glider, Luci!

- No. Bocian is made of metal... - Bocian is wooden.

It's metallic.

It's wooden. I flew Bocian and it was made of wood.

- Ready? - Ready. Wait a minute. Easy.

Like this. Good!

Follow the plane. Back, back!

Don't let it go! It slips away!

That's it!

Keep the same roll like the Wilga plane.

Follow the plane!

And during the take-off just hold it perfectly horizontal.

And when it gets some speed just help it a little

and when it lifts off the ground just hold it there...

Just keep it in line with the plane and...

While climbing follow the tail of the plane.

Not higher than the plane, not lower than it...

And tomorrow I'm going to let him fly alone.

- And what's his name? - Ionut Bornoiu.

- You know Bornoiu. - Yes, I know him from Facebook.

He is smart enough and quick-handed.

- The electrodes are cold. - It doesn't matter.

Please tell me how many hours have you flown

since the last medical checkup.

Since the last...

350 hours.

- Did you have any health problems? - No.

- No? - Doctor, I am at ease during flying.

For me it's much more complicated when driving the car, the scooter.

I mean I need to be more focused.

But with flying I feel confortable. There is no problem with flying.

You have to hold this booklet

at the distance you are usually able to read.

Let's see!

- I can only read up to here. - Read it aloud.

For each manufactu...

- Manufacturer... - Manufacturer from...

- ...the field of... - ...the field of intel...

Let's see one line above, please read...

Pays... of view...

-...represe... - OK, OK...

Well, doctor, without my glasses I do not read so well.

Yes but next time bring your glasses for the medical checkup.

This is what I am interested in.

No problems with the sinuses.

Open you mouth, please.

You said that your tonsils were removed.

They are small, obsolete...

- They haven't been removed... - Yes, yes, good.

This medical certificate is available for three months.

Doctor, can you make it available until September

so that I can finish my activity?

No, no. After three months you must come back

to have a new medical check up.

And during these three months,

because now you fly less, that is to say you don't fly at all now,

you must have an eye test and after three months

we meet again and you should bring the results from the ophthalmologist.

You'll have a new medical check-up and we'll see what to do in the future.

As for the eyes, I think nothing can be changed, doctor.

We'll see...

- Absolutely nothing! That's how it is. - We'll see.

It's going to stay like it is now.

Please sign here your medical certificate...

Shall we have double seater gliders in the championship?

For the time being no.

- So only single seaters. - Do we have enough single seaters?

- Yes, yes. We have at least 20-25. - Good.

It's enough.

It's difficult with the double seater, landing in the fields, dismanteling it.

Yes, you are right.

We need too many people, bigger trailers...

- On the other hand... - It's all about performance...

Yes, it's hard with the double seater.

Should I click it? Oh... Click! I clicked it.

OK. With a double click. My computer is so lazy...

Mami made two figures with me in flight that I had my heart in my mouth.

"Nice picture..."

I have other problems. My problems.

Look at this boy...

Oh God...

I flew myself. In Iasi, a long time ago.

And I also tried to do it here but he didn't let me.

I wasn't allowed to. No...

Let me see what he wants.

What do you want, my son?

You should take care of Tasha because it is going to bark.

I said you should take care of Tasha because it is going to bark.

Leave me alone, don't bother me...

That is a part of her old age.

She is six years younger than me.

Six years... But that's that.

It is possible to be the beginning of the Alzheimer's disease

the most difficult disease of the old age.

Look! These were won by my grand daughter.

She is going to travel to Canada. Gold...

She won them in Iasi.

Apart from mountain trekking she trained in canoeing.

It was not canoeing, mother. It was sailing, those boats with sails...

- Hello! - How are you Mami?

I'm on my way on Mihai Bravu Avenue.

I'm going to make a fuel stop and then I'll be at your place.

It's going to be hot today.

Didn't you take some appropriate clothes?

I took this one, but I' should take it off.

I took my sneakers. Last evening I was sad I couldn't find my sneakers...

I took those trousers.

I am going to put them on there because it's hot.

We are going to sunbathe.

Mami, how do you know to reach Topalu by plane?

You'll see today.

Don't fly me over the Danube because I don't have the passport with me.

It's compulsory to fly you over the Danube.

- Is it compulsory? - Yes, to cross the Danube.

Look! Can you see that heading? What's written on the dial?

- E... - East!

We are going East.

Bucharest is on the left side.

So we have to go this way...

- No! That way! - That way...

- Look! Can you see that chimney? - Yes.

That is near my home.

It is near your home. We have it on the left side.

So you cross the Danube with me finally.

I told you from the beginning that I'm going to do this.

Check if you have enough papers or too many...

All of these? Aren't these too many?

- Mami, just take some of them out... - What's this, my friends?

You must begin with the report of examination.

Just fill in your personal data

so that we may write your examination marks on them.

So how can we solve it?

Did you draw them by hand, Trelicule?

- I learnt them many times... - Yes but drawn without any ruler?

No, I drew it with this ID card...

- I take this with me. - Be patient! I have to check your test.

I have to travel outside the city. You may check the test later.

But what about if you fail?

You'll find a way...

Are you going to flunk me now that I am an old man?

Comme on... So long...

- Oh yes! That's it! That's a low pass! - A little bit too low...

Clear to land.

- We need a strong guy... Andrei... - It's OK. Adi is strong enough.

Wouldn't be better to take him with the chair and pour him inside?

Who is going to hold your feet?

- Take the chair. - This foot first.

Wait, the foot does not enter.

- Ready? - Perfect, Lucica.

That's it! Luci, now jam your butt inside...

If only Lulu had sucked his belly...

Luci...

- Oh my, you are not very small! - I grew up lately.

Check not to have a belt trapped over there outside...

- Which one is the magneto? - Magneto 1, magneto 2.

- Strobo? - No, without any strobes and stuff.

Clear prop?

You should't hold the stick with two hands!

It needed to be trimmed. It was lifting nose up all the time.

But you could have grabbed the trimmer from down there...

I didn't spend time to look for it. It needed to be slightly trimmed...

Oh boy, which one is the trimmer?

Ok, got it.

Did you know that caracal is an animal?

It might be.

Do you know how it looks like? Come and see!

Just a minute.

He was on a slope in Miercurea Ciuc where he was usually flying.

And he went down the hill with two heavy canisters

to bring some mineral water.

And he came back full of sweat.

Tired and full of sweat. He got on the hang-glider

and he made a stall or something...

I think he got sick up in the air.

When you get sick, you cannot control the neck muscles.

When you are conscious, the neck becomes as hard as stone.

Through the self-preservation instinct.

It happened to me: I fell from a motocycle...

And the neck hardens.

The muscles get hard. But if the muscles are relaxed,

and it happens only when you are sick,

out of tiredness or hunger, he got sick.

And those muscles were...

Because he didn't have any other trauma. No broken leg, nothing...

He didn't have any other wound. It was only the neck.

His neck lashed...

If only his muscles were hardened, he would have escaped untouched.

Well that was the whole thing.

- What is your name? - Mihaita Nicolae.

- How old are you? - 78.

To the left.

- Here? - Down. Down.

- No! - That one?

- That one next to it. - To the right.

- And this one? - This one is to the left.

OK. As for the rest, he can't see them.

- And here? - Here I cannot see.

Like this I can see well, even with the good eye...

Let's not move the head.

- Keep your head straight! - I can see only the letters.

- How many fingers? - Two fingers.

- And here? - There all five.

Can you see the E in the upper part?

Yes... the E in the upper part... I...

He can't see it.

Take off your glasses, forehead here, chin there.

Why is he not able to see?

We should dilate it.

Do we have some Mydrum?

You have to wait a little.

Papilla is white... It is optical atrophy.

The surgery of your left eye...

- I used to see normally before surgery! - ...was very good.

You have optical atrophy on your left eye. The optical nerve is atrophic.

I don't think that you need cataract surgery for your right eye.

And coming back to the subject discussed before,

you may fly but only alone.

If you risk a life, just risk your own life. OK?

Good luck!

OK. This is all.

Let's go. Let's not waste the Doctor's time...

That's that...

But let's hope for the best.

I am not a hopless man...

- Why are you snooping aound there? - Yes, right...

Because I know my son...

- Look at the clock! - It's half past seven...

Don't move it. You're going to ruin it!

Yes, for sure...

I do not live with her since 15 years ago and shut up.

You do not know our situation here.

And don't you want to tell about it?

No! This is a private matter. It is not to be told.

And even my daughter is right somehow...

It's our problem here. So that it is not to be told...

- I fly in the contest with 44. - No Mami, I fly with 44.

Come on, I have already set it for me. I placed some cushions...

Mami, you have to fly with the pendular glider.

Nooo!

Why Mami? It is the best: best glide ratio, best speed...

Skip it! I want either the Parrot, or the 44.

You know that 44 was national champion and that's why you want it...

It wasn't champion. It was thrice-campion.

- I want either the Parrot, or the 44. - Take the Parrot, Mami.

- Do you want the Parrot? - No, no, no! I'll take the 44.

I don't like the Parrot 'couse I'm heavy,

and I hit it's belly on the ground...

And it's not friendly.

I can tell you what's the trick with those gliders

which they think are better.

Five seconds of dullness are enough to lose

all the advantage of having a better glide ratio.

Only five seconds of dullness and you lose everything.

Tavi chose the glider 44.

Mami, you have to take what we give you and not to choose.

No. Do you know how it used to be in the past?

We used to lucky draw the gliders.

Mami, anyway I bring plenty of gliders from all over the country...

Yes. And I said well, Tavi, I'll take the Parrot if you don't...

We will see. It is possible you will get a double seater.

Yes, but they have to give me a handicap if I fly with the double seater...

For sure, Mami. It is according to F.A.I.

You can beat them in jumps.

I'll fly the double seater, I'll go with any glider.

We'll give you a student to fly with, not alone.

I'll take a boy from Bucharest...

- No. He's from Pitesti. - From Pitesti?

He took part in competitions before. His name is Olarescu...

But I hope he is open minded...

He didn't train enough because they couldn't fly a lot in the country.

OK, George. Give me a smart boy and...

He is a good flyer, he trains for performance...

I preffer you to fly with someone, Mami...

OK. No problem.

You know there are going to be many gliders in the air and it's better to...

Put it on your nose but do not touch the nose. Keep it one centimeter above.

Come on! Again. Once again.

And with the other hand. Again. Once again.

Good, good! Now bend yourself keeping straight knees up to your limit.

- Does it hurt? - No.

Where are my glasses?

Maybe on the desk over there...

But why do they give you a double seater glider?

They didn't want... didn't have another glider for me...

- Oh, really? - Yes.

- This is a little strange, isn't it? - Yes, it is strange.

Because the double glider has a gliding ratio of 32

and the single seater a gliding ratio of 36.

And you have to fight harder to keep up with the others.

- I see. - That's the point.

Yes. There it is.

And it shows something in the Western part of the town.

Take your hand off!

There is a field over there, it is nothing there.

Maybe someone's property.

Move it to Balta Verde.

Craiova. Over there. By the road.

Let's check, can we see the hangars?

This one is also from the championship.

Yes, from the contest, for sure.

Sweetheart, I miss you!

Yes, I wrote something to her, too.

"I make faces, but you don't answer me."

This is also a cool T-shirt...

I have another cool T-shirt. But where is that supercool one?

It is not that one...

This is good.

We are again in Craiova between 10th and 25th of June 2013.

The aim of the contest is to find the best sport pilots in the country

for distant gliding, to select the national gliding team

to find the national champion

and to strengthen the team spirit among glider pilots.

How many flying hours have you logged?

Well, in a glider I flown 180 hours.

- Yes, in a glider... It's good. - And in a plane I flew around 90.

Just the glider. And how many kilometers?

- More than 3000. - Good, good! You are OK.

They will probably give us speed and regularity tasks.

We have to calculate the circle, to enter it up to the center,

or to the margin.

We have to keep the time and be very focused.

How many championships have you lost in the last stage of the contest?

- At Iasi it was proverbial... - No, the most epic was at Clinceni.

My dear ones, we have fun but the time is 3 minutes to 11.

Yes, you're right.

That contest at Clinceni was something...

I landed 5 meters in front of the finish line.

You landed in the field and pushed it to the finish line.

No, I lost!

I heard the story that you piggybacked the glider to the finish line.

It is not true. At the finish line there was also the Hungarian guy

and it wouldn't have been possible to do it.

But you knew the old regulations

which stated that if you can move the glider to the finish by your own

means it's ok.

The first place was definitely mine.

- And you lost it? - And I lost it.

- When did it start to look like this? - Since now...

I think that the screen went dead.

It is impossible. Seconds ago I had the map on it.

It doesn't start? Just press on start button. Leave it to me.

Didn't it start? It opens like this...

What on earth it doesn't shut off?

Dedu, do you know how to handle these things?

PDA means...

I used to know but I don't remember...

PDA...

I don't know.

Personal digital sistem?

No, Personal Digital Assistant or something.

PDA... But it is also Aerial because it starts with an A.

- It's assistant. It assists you. - Assistant...

It digitally assists you.

It's my personal digital assistant, I got it.

And PNA is the aid... Personal Navigation Aid.

Well, you see? He knows because he is young.

And it is good for him that he knows.

Are we on track?

Yes. Let me check again but the track is this direction.

We have a cloud above. Isn't there any thermal below?

- Where does the wind come from? - We have head wind.

Come on, boy! The thermal must be here.

What the hell...

If only we can land somewhere around here...

Ground control, are we allowed to land on the airport?

Can't you manage coming back the airfield?

From our current position we can't. We consider this option.

It didn't work...

"I inform you that the glider landed somewhere near the platform,

by the taxiway B."

"Please get ready to vacate runway!"

A good task is if 25% of the pilots land outside the airfield

and the rest of them come home.

I think that Mami flies in a double seater glider because

he has some small problems with technology,

with the restrictions and mainly with the other gliders

because he cannot see them very well and he might do something wrong...

I was told to come here to fly with Mami and not let him commit suicide...

During the kind of flights I know better, around the airfield,

Mami does not fly scholastically.

He flies like a bird. He doesn't obey the rules...

It doesn't matter who the co-pilot in front of me is.

It doesn't matter because I know the relief,

I know the landmarks, I know everything.

For me navigation is not a problem. I cannot get lost.

Especially in the Southern part of the country

I navigate without a map. I cannot get lost.

I know all the country.

The art of flying is done with gliders, not planes.

A glider does not have an engine. It is all in your head.

It's about how you apply tactics.

You're on your own, following your thinking.

A glider is a bird which does not flutter its wings.

A bird which does not flutter its wings needs energy to fly.

An impulse is done, for instance a plane towing up to 400 meters.

Until it catches the thermal stream.

And after it catches the stream,

it flies in spirals through the stream and climbs.

If you want to find something similar to a glider climbing in thermals,

we have to watch a stork.

A stork is a perfect flier in thermal ascending currents.

Because the poor bird gets tired

If it tries to get higher using its own energy, it fails.

It flutters its wings up to 50 m.

There it catches the thermal stream and climbs, and goes to find food.

From that height it can glide for kilometers.

And comes back to its nest to feed its offspring...

Celaru, near these forests...

- Task B. - Which one?

The big one...

- Task B. The big one. - So let's change it

I have already entered it. Let's select it in the PDA.

- Isn't the task B too long? - Why do you think it, Mami? 150 km...

- 150 km task B... - And do you think it is too long?

Yes, I do. Because it must be flown in a limited time and it doesn't fit.

- It fits. - It fits...

- It fits, it fits. - We'll see...

We're going to make a mess of this task...

That weather front comes towards us. The wind blows this way so...

It's not going to work.

Line is open for the Senior Club Class.

- For the longer task, the B task. - The B task.

- The track is over there. - We'll go over there.

Close the vents, close everything!

Are we on track?

So if the track is over here, we have to fly a little bit to the right.

- Mihalcea where did you land? - I haven't landed yet.

Leave the boy alone!

I thought he landed and, as I cannot resist much myself,

I wanted to know where he is...

92, how is the terrain that you landed on?

It is a plough land with no vegetation.

This one is good. The sunflower field on my left side is equally good.

Ground control confirms.

Expecting coordinates and glider status after landing.

Let's go home! Our only escape. Soon it will start raining.

The airfield is over there.

When we crossed the Jiu river we found something good, a thermal.

And it saved us.

But on the other side of the river there was a cattle run with a road on it.

When you see a cattle run with a road on it that is good for landing.

We get points for speed and, with the handicap, we are going to be OK.

Let's hope so.

Mircea was the only one who could have had the chance to fly all the distance.

But he missed the AXA checkpoint and he is considered to be landed there.

Mircea?

Tanana, your adversary, entered the forbiden controlled airspace...

Mircea has got zero points.

But he get points for distance, right?

- You make stupid mistakes... - So that you can beat me, Mami...

I cannot beat you with the double seater...

But today you beat me.

Come on, this is not a victory.

How many kilometers did you fly? 210...

Yes, you were in the first place...

- I notice you feel good! - Wonderful, Mircea!

Yes, Luci. I finished the task.

You're going to see the rankings turned upside down today.

Alina landed off airfield. Mihalcea did the same.

From the very beginning two are out.

Yes, I got back home.

- And what was the speed of Manoiu? - Manoiu? 55...

- 55... And what about us? - We had 60.

There it says 52 but for the whole task, including flying before start.

Anyway this means that we have both speed and distance.

- We will see soon. - Yes. We'll see.

It's good that you sent data to Luci.

Later on just send him the general rankings.

- They are already on the Internet. - Really?

- All the information is online. - I see.

Good job, you are on the second place!

For the time being you're number two in the general rankings.

You have 100, almost 100 points more than Mihalcea.

Is there one more task tomorrow?

Take care what you do, be smart. Just land on the airfield.

You can't take the first place. It's already taken.

Craciun has 29...

They should have given him a double seater, too.

Well that's the difference between a single and a double seater.

Ok, take care for the next task...

How many points are there between 1st place and Mihalcea?

Wait a minute. But he landed off airfield...

He landed outside. How comes that?

Take a look at the other rankings to see the point differences...

He got 282 points and both of them

had more than 2000 points since yesterday.

- It's good! - It's good. No problem!

In the end we are going to make an appeal together.

You mean that you want to beat Mihalcea, too?

It wouldn't be impossible.

It wouldn't be impossible.

- But you're not far from it, Mami. - How much do I need? 90 points?

- Yes. 80 points. - It's nothing.

- Mami! - So, good-bye!

Maybe we'll see again on Sunday.

He has a problem and I take a girl.

Tomorrow morning I have to instruct her.

It's not about navigation.

It's about checkpoints, entering points.

Yes, I'll instruct her appropriately. Bye-bye son.

Everything is all right.

So you said you have a PDA, no problem.

I have wires, no problem.

- I have a PDA. - And logger? Do we have a logger?

- I have a logger. A flight recorder. - Flight recorder, that's it!

Good morning everybody.

We have completed four tasks of the championship.

This means we have a valid championship.

Applause for you all...

But we won't stop here.

I got accustomed with Alex. He gave me all the information promptly.

He gave me all I asked. Promptly.

But the boy had a problem and was forced to leave...

We'll see what's next. Depending on the weather condition.

And weather does not say anything now.

But it is going to say soon.

- It is set on 100, isn't it? - Yes.

Be attentive on the track.

-Say it. -3710 ready for take off.

What happened? Did it reset itself?

Yes but I don't know why. I didn't do anything...

I'm trying to set it again.

I think I am going to be sick...

- Do you have a plastic bag? - No, I don't.

I have one in my backpack.

- Take this cover and vomit in it. - Won't you better give me my backpack?

- I'll give you your backpack. - I have something in it.

In a minute!

Maybe I have plastic bag in it...

- There is something in here... - Yes.

- I'll give you back the cover. - No problem.

Where is it?

- Where is it? It's the wrong way... - Yes, it's on the right side.

Tell me, where is it?

Isn't that the AXA point? That one down there...

We passed over it...

Oh my, just tell me what is the altitude?

We are at 600 m.

Look, it was that house! You see?

That's that! We missed it or not, that's that!

I don't even know whether I passed the AXA checkpoint.

This is why you are so angry...

But why?

She lead me to the Tarom radar station...

Oh my God, but didn't she have the PDA?

Yes, but she doesn't know how to read it...

Wait a minute, this evening we have to...

We passed it at 200 m from center.

So you hadn't been clear. I panicked...

We entered the circle, no matter how small it was.

- But why hadn't it made a beep? - It showed me on the screen.

It showed that we entered the circle but it doesn't beep.

- And it writes NEXT POINT - FINISH. - Oh, I see...

That is the way the PDA works.

It doesn't beep as when you reach 2000 m or a restriction.

I only knew that it makes a beep when you touch the point.

If it beeped, I wouldn't let you know

that we entered the circle for the other points.

So it was not my fault.

- Next time I'll be more clear. - Right, do that please!

Mami, it's good to stay between two girls...

Yes. Affirmative!

On the 3rd place...

A name with resonance in soaring, Mihaita Nicolae,

supported by two younger sportsmen: Chelariu and Olarescu.

On the 2nd place, a young and promising flight instructor:

Octavian Mihalcea from Bucharest.

And the 1st place, Mr. Mircea Craciun from Brasov Airclub.

Everything is all right.

Good evening!

Close the door...

Close the door of the living room!

- Tasha is not here? - It's somewhere outside.

Did you win again? Did you show them how to fly?

Well, so and so...

- And how was it? - Hard but I made it.

- Hello hubby. Still have a home? - Sure, of course I have.

Was it hot in here?

Don't you see the fan?

Anyway, they set big circles...

Yes. The circles are so large to let you chose how much distance you want to fly.

This is why it is called "area task".

The more you enter in the circle...

So if you enter more you get more points?

Yes, that's right!

It is about speed and distance.