I'll say this for them; they sure gave it their all. Some of those "taking off" scenes are a bit clumsy as George (or his double) gets jerked off-camera on a wire, but the fact that they'd go to such lengths at all in that era is commendable.
Ultimately, I think I prefer the "springboard" method, though.
But isn't that a goose-bump moment when Clark takes his glasses off and runs behind the boulder?
And when the truck comes barreling down on "Superman" (and the cameraman) on that dirt road, I confess to being a bit concerned!
In the previous episode, "The Birthday Letter," George swoops down though the little girl's apartment window and nails the landing so perfectly, I had to back up the disc and watch it again. I don't care what anyone says, this guy remains the REAL Superman for me.