Lindbergh

Skymaster Down(en)

On January 26, 1950, a US Airforce troop plane left Anchorage for Montana with 44 people on board. The crew of the Douglas C-54 Skymaster #2469 was supposed to check in every half hour along the route. As the aircraft crossed into Yukon, they radioed the tiny outpost of Snag to say that there was ice forming on the wings, but otherwise all was well. After that, the Skymaster disappeared. And to this day no sign of the aircraft or its passengers has ever been found. This fascinating Yukon-shot documentary tells the stories of the victim’s families and an intrepid group of Yukoners striving to give those families closure by searching every summer in hopes that the Skymaster will finally turn up.

The Lockerbie Bombing(en)

On 21 December 1988 a Pan Am 747 jet exploded over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie. On the 25th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on British soil, this is the story.

Comet: A Great British Air Disaster(en)

The De Havilland Comet was the world's first passenger jet airliner. But less than two years into service, two aircraft blew up in mid-air, killing all aboard. PM Winston Churchill ordered an assemblage of experts to discover what went wrong - in the process, inventing many of the air crash investigation techniques still used today.

747: The Jumbo Revolution(en)

At any given moment hundreds of people are soaring above us in a 747. From the moment the very first jumbo jet took off in 1969, it has been the aircraft against which all others are judged. But its 45-year journey has been anything but smooth. This is the definitive story of the Boeing 747, from its milestones and triumphs to its turning points and disasters. Witness its history through rare archival footage and tales from pilots, engineers, designers, and passengers who were there when it all began.

Panair of Brazil(en)

Panair do Brasil revives the story of the most important commercial aviation company in Brazil, between 1930 and 1965, with its commercial daring in establishing routes to the four corners of a continental country, taking the adventure of air transport to never-before imagined places, as well as the first international routes. Four decades after it closed its doors, it still retains a marked presence in the country's collective imagination for its pioneering spirit and stories of heroic deeds and for the bewilderment which was aroused by the facts surrounding its closure during the military regime.

The Secret Spitfires(en)

Spitfires were the nemesis of the Luftwaffe and the instrument which halted Hitler’s plans for invasion. After relentless bombing of the Spitfire factories in Southampton, the Germans were convinced they had halted the production of the Spitfires for good. But across the South of England, hidden in sheds, garages, back gardens, bedrooms, a bus depot, and even a hotel, a workforce of unskilled young girls, boys, women, elderly men, and a handful of engineers secretly built thousands of Spitfires to help win the war. Witnesses recount this never-before-told story of amazing achievement.

Black Wings(en)

For early aviators, conquering the forces of gravity was a daunting challenge. But black aviators had an additional challenge - conquering the forces of racism. Meet the men and women who took to the skies throughout the 20th century, proving to a segregated nation that skin color doesn't determine skill level. From biplanes to commercial jets, and from barnstormers to war fighters, meet the path-breaking pilots who opened the skies for all -- and contributed in countless ways to the development of aviation.

Erebus: Operation Overdue(en)

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.

Expedition Amelia(en)

Explorer Robert Ballard sets out to solve the mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance as he and a team of experts travel to the remote Pacific atoll named Nikumaroro in search of her final resting place.

Air & Space Smithsonian: Dreams of Flight - Higher Faster Farther(en)

Go higher, faster and farther with the Smithsonian as they explore the dreams of flight.

The White Diamond(en)

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.

Amelia: A Tale of Two Sisters(en)

Eight decades after her disappearance, Amelia Earhart's incredible accomplishmenys are still celebrated, thanks in large part to her sister Muriel.

Guy Martin's Lost WW2 Bomber(en)

Guy joins an ambitious engineering project to recover a crashed WW2 Lancaster Bomber – and the remains of its missing crew members – from the depths of the Dutch lake where it’s lain for 80 years.

Living in the Age of Airplanes(en)

LIVING IN THE AGE OF AIRPLANES offers a fresh perspective on a modern-day miracle that many of us take for granted: flying. Narrated by Harrison Ford and featuring an original score from Academy Award® winning composer James Horner, the film takes viewers to 18 countries across all seven continents to illuminate how airplanes have empowered a century of global connectedness our ancestors could never have imagined.

Avions de chasse : Une technologie XXL(fr)

SR-71 Blackbird: The Secret Vigil(en)

Few aircraft have attracted more attention than the ominous black supersonic jet that for years has ranged the world on reconnaissance missions. This is the definitive tribute to an extraordinary peacekeeper, the SR-71 Blackbird. The History. The Technology. The Missions. The Pilots. And compelling, gripping footage of the Blackbird itself, on its "rocket ride" through the world's airspace.

World's Biggest Airliner: Building the Airbus A380(en)

The compelling story of the multi-billion-pound gamble to build the world's biggest airliner, the Airbus A380. Provides insight into the unique challenges of building an airliner on such a large scale, and includes footage of its grand unveiling and its maiden voyage.

Ghost Planes and the Mysteries of Flight 370(en)

At the time of this writing, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, transporting 227 passengers and 12 crew members from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, has been missing for months. An unprecedented international search was unable to locate any bodies or debris. According to the Aviation Society Network, more than 80 aircrafts have been declared "missing" since 1948--"Ghost Planes" that have literally vanished without a trace.

The Dassault Saga, One Hundred Years of French Aviation(fr)

In 1916, while France was bogged down in trench wars, a young engineer named Marcel Bloch was inventing a revolutionary propeller, the Eclair propeller. It would prove very effective in air combat. Today, Dassault Aviation, named after the moniker its founder took on after the war, is among the jewels of the worldwide aeronautics industry. From astonishing growth to unexpected crises, the Dassault group's destiny is closely linked to the history of France and the saga of modern aviation. As it marks its first century of existence, the company continues to fly in civil and military aviation, still following the path of its founder's visionary spirit, Marcel Dassault.

The Lion Has Wings(en)

This early, influential propaganda film blends documentary and studio footage to show the valiant efforts of the Royal Air Force to defend the British people against the Nazis.