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Mighty Planes
Overview
Mighty Planes explores the art and science of aviation, on planes that soar to faraway places on astounding missions. From preparation, loading and take off, through the journey and to the landing and unloading, viewers will experience the high-stakes and high-stress jobs through the eyes and lives of the characters that make it all happen. Featuring the genius of flight technology with the aid of high-end CGI, shot in HD, and recorded in 5.1 surround sound, MIGHTY PLANES captures all the action as it happens.
Status
Ended
Network
Smithsonian Channel, Discovery
Seasons & Episodes
Season 1
Episodes
Orbis
In the series premiere, Mighty Planes joins the crew of the worlds only flying eye hospital for their most challenging mission to date. Orbis travels tirelessly around the globe, offering patients in developing countries precious sight-saving treatments. On the outside, it's a regular DC-10. On the inside, it has been stripped and re-designed to house a state-of-the-art ophthalmic hospital complete with an operating room, a laser treatment facility and a high-tech classroom from which student doctors in host countries can watch surgeries live on 54 video screens.
Martin Mars
In 2011, northern Mexico experienced its worst fire season in more than a century. Luckily, Martin Mars, the world's biggest seaplane was there to battle the blaze! Martin Mars has a partner in firefighting - the Sikorsky S76 - which uses HD and infrared cameras, along with state-of-the-art laser technology, to guide the Canadian owned and operated aircraft to a guaranteed bulls-eye with every drop. MIGHTY PLANES joins the four-person aerial crew when they answer the call for help as Mexico's northern states endure countless wildfires that threaten to destroy vast expanses of wilderness.
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is the world's first full double-deck passenger aircraft, a ground-breaking design in aviation history; we document the construction and delivery of a new aircraft, and Lufthansa's first commercial flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco.
Skibirds
The LC-130 Hercules Skibirds, which ferry supplies, fuel and crew to remote science camps in Greenland and Antarctica, are examined.
C-5M Super Galaxy
Mighty Planes boards the C5-M Super Galaxy for a mission into a war zone, from the initial briefing to crossing the Atlantic, and through the perilous descent into Bagram, Afghanistan.
Antonov 124
The Antonov 124 is the world's largest serially manufactured cargo plane; built to move Soviet military vehicles and equipment, now they're in constant demand moving everything from locomotives to whales anywhere in the world.
