episode description
In the first part of the 20th century, a seeming miracle took place. Humans learned how to fly. But the quest to reach for the skies came with tremendous danger. Events and circumstances that in an instant could turn deadly. Every time a new barrier was pushed, the limits of gravity pushed back harder, making every advancement in the world of aviation one that was paid for in blood. Whether it was just getting off the ground with powered engines, soaring aloft in massive balloons or airships, refueling mid-air, or attempting long distance journeys that seemed to guarantee disaster, early aviators were willing to take chances that few would ever try. The risks were many. Engines at the time often failed. Construction of aircraft was confusing and sometimes shoddy. Navigation across vast bodies of water, the most daring of all the feats in aviation, could turn someone into a hero, or put their name on a long list of aviators lost at sea. The harrowing tales of these aircrafts and their pilots are at once thrilling and heartbreaking. For every victory there was wrenching loss. For every minute pilots logged soaring above the clouds, there were moments when the planes, the pilots, and their dreams came crashing back to earth. Using restored film footage and high definition photographs, we tell the stories of the early years, when aviators put their lives on the line and captured the world’s imagination.
