Mighty Planes

2012 • Smithsonian Channel

4.3

63 reviews

TV-PG

Rating

Eligible

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Season 4 episodes (6)

1 C-2A Greyhound

8/19/18

The unsung hero of the U.S. Navy: the C-2 Greyhound. Meet the young pilots training to fly this mighty transport plane.

2 Airbus A400M

8/26/18

Discover what it takes to build, fly, and leap out of the German Luftwaffe’s mighty cargo plane, the A400M Atlas.

3 Twin Otter

9/2/18

Take flight on the Twin Otter, the Canadian legend that can take off and land in spots few other planes could.

4 Stargazer L-1011

9/9/18

The Stargazer L-1011 is a unique kind of storm chaser, able to shoot NASA weather satellites into space from 39,000 feet in the air. See how this onetime Air Canada jetliner was converted to carry a very different kind of passenger: the Pegasus XL rocket, which launches satellites designed to detect the speed and intensity of hurricanes. Follow the Stargazer on her latest mission, one plagued by bad weather, mechanical issues, and launch delays.

5 Boeing 747-8F

9/16/18

Witness a nail-biting flight to deliver electrifying—and combustible—race cars and gear from China to England.

6 Ilyushin 76TD-90VD

9/23/18

Meet the mighty cargo plane capable of delivering multimillion-dollar mining equipment to the Arctic.

About this show

Enjoy a first-class seat aboard the world's most magnificent flying machines. Explore amazing aircraft and meet the men and women around the world who build, maintain, and fly them. Follow the Stargazer as it launches weather satellites into space, the Boeing 747-F8 as it hauls race cars across continents, and the Twin Otter as it flies in and out of inhospitable Arctic regions.