Air Disasters

On September 11, 2001, the unimaginable transpired when devastating attacks on the World Trade Center forced the shutdown of the entire U.S. airspace. Thousands of kilometres away in Gander, Newfoundland, a group of Nav Canada air traffic controllers suddenly had the lives of 33,000 people in their hands and had to think fast to find a place for them to go. Discovery uncovers how these unsung heroes managed to safely land 224 planes in four hours, without incident.

80 years of Air Army

At the core of these memories is Kcey, a spirited young woman of Puerto Rican and African American heritage. Her infectious spirit and uniquely endearing laugh became her signature, filling every room with infectious energy and joy. As a child, Kcey's spirited antics foreshadowed her future strength; she later emerged as a formidable member of the Air Force. Recollections from her mother, father, sister, childhood friend, and a battle buddy capture the essence of Kcey, from her infectious laughter to her cherished moments under the Afghan sunsets. Each memory serves as a testament to a life lived passionately. However, heartbreak strikes when, amid war, a plane crashes, claiming Kcey's life. As they grapple with this devastating loss, her loved ones oscillate between despair and denial, occasionally seeking refuge in work or the numbing embrace of alcohol. Yet, as they collectively mourn, they discover solace in their shared memories of Kcey's radiant spirit.

Until now, they have stood on the sidelines. They have not appeared before the cameras. They have not taken part in public discussion. It is mainly to them that the documentary film by the well-known journalist Ewa Ewart was devoted. It shows the face of the Smolensk catastrophe through the eyes of the victims' families. April 10, 2010 went down in the memory of Poles as a day of national drama. But for the characters in the film, it was the day of their greatest personal drama. Along with the presidential couple, their loved ones passed away in shocking circumstances. For most, the time passing since the Smolensk catastrophe does not bring relief. Ewa Ewart and her film crew accompany the families at various stages of their struggle with difficult emotions. The film is in the process of being made and will include sequences and stills that have not been used anywhere before.

After a plane crash, four indigenous children fight to survive in the Colombian Amazon using ancestral wisdom as an unprecedented rescue mission unfolds.

Bob Hoover tells his own story and shares, with his trademark charm, the hard earned wisdom of a life spent pushing the edge of the envelope while contributing to aviation’s many developments.

Point of No Return takes you behind the headlines of the first solar-powered flight around the world—where two courageous pilots take turns battling nature, their own crew, and sometimes logic itself, to achieve the impossible. Not just to make history, but to inspire a revolution.

This 2004 documentary by Werner Herzog diaries the struggle of a passionate English inventor to design and test a unique airship during its maiden flight above the jungle canopy.

For the first time in 40 years African skies resound to the roar of a flying boat. Alexander Frater boards a wartime Catalina in search of the romance and adventure of Imperial Airways' legendary route from Cairo to the Cape - down the White Nile to the Rift Valley lakes of Kenya and on to the astonishing Ilha de Mocambique - the forgotten jewel of the Indian Ocean.

Air Force One is a marvel of military engineering. For more than half a century, the presidential fleet of armed jumbo jets has served as a flying fortress for America's commanders-in-chief, carrying them in victory, in shame, and even death. Join us as we take an unprecedented look at the world's most famous aircraft: how it was born, how it has developed over the decades, and the role it has played in historic events, from the death of Kennedy to the 9/11 attacks to a morale-building, surprise Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, and more.

After 10 years of tests and 12 billion Euros invested, the state-of-the-art Airbus jet completed its first commercial flight in January 2015. We will discover how it was conceived and built, and explore its technological innovations every step of the way.

On 28 November 1979, an Air New Zealand jet with 257 passengers went missing during a sightseeing tour over Antarctica. Within hours 11 ordinary police officers were called to duty to face the formidable Mount Erebus. As the police recovered the victims, an investigation team tried to uncover the mystery of how a jet could fly into a mountain in broad daylight. Did the airline have a secret it wanted to bury? This film tells the story of four New Zealand police officers who went to Antarctica as part of the police operation to recover the victims of the crash. Set in the beautiful yet hostile environment of Antarctica, this is the emotional and compelling true story of an extraordinary police operation.

Lorraine Kelly returns to the small Scottish border town of Lockerbie to find out how the residents coped with the aftermath of Europe's deadliest terror attack. Lorraine was one of the first TV reporters to arrive at the scene after Pan Am Flight 103 exploded mid-air, killing all 259 people aboard and 11 on the ground. Before the police cordoned off the area, she saw first-hand the shocking aftermath of the disaster.

A dramatization to promote the Territorial Army.

It's June 1942 and the world's fate is about to be decided by a handful of pilots and their untested aircraft. Experience an inside look at the Battle of Midway, captured through rarely seen battle footage and firsthand accounts from its hero dive-bombing pilot, "Dusty" Kleiss. This is an hour-by-hour recount of one of the most pivotal conflicts of the 20th century. Take a closer look at how this desperately needed victory came about through the design of U.S. airplanes, the skill of the pilots, the element of surprise, and a stroke of luck.

The story, told by the survivors, of a group of young men, members of a Uruguayan rugby team, who managed to survive for 72 days, at an altitude of almost 4,000 meters, in the heart of the Andes Mountains, after their plane, en route to Chile, crashed there on October 13, 1972.

The iconic design of the Boeing 747 has endured for over 5 decades, but the end of production is looming. In this documentary special we follow the build of this last aircraft, whilst exploring how the 747 truly changed the world and influenced our lives in ways we never even realised.

The first Women’s Air Derby was flown in 1929 with brave women making history by breaking into a competition that was thought to be for men only. They encountered sabotage, death, and all the difficulties of flying at the dawn of aviation. Today the Powder Puff Derby continues as the Air Race Classic. The modern-day racers carry out the legacy of the original racers with their adventurous spirit.

An odyssey of a biplane once owned by John Denver.

This much anticipated sequel to the 2020 hit film, TOMCAT TALES continues the story and legacy of the one fighter Hollywood loves to feature in their blockbuster movies. MORE TOMCAT TALES showcases phenomenal F-14 footage and iconic cast of officers as they discuss their extraordinary experiences in the legendary Tomcat.