Behind the Wings - Season 3

Wildfires are growing in intensity, and firefighting aviation is becoming increasingly crucial to saving forests and lives in Colorado and beyond. Fire aviation teams are critical, complex efforts, made up of pilots, technicians, and coordinators who work together with ground crews to put out and contain wildfires. As environmental conditions set the stage for unprecedented fire seasons, night vision goggle technology is employed for the first time, and Colorado legislatures are paying closer attention than ever to the importance of wildfires. The progress is clear, yet so much remains to be done.

New fire conditions call for new firefighting methods and tools. Looking at Calfire, we learn how the largest municipal fleet of firefighting aircraft in the world has developed over time. Live data feeds revolutionize how firefighting teams understand fires and communicate during missions. Colorado gets ready to purchase its first Firehawk helicopter, and inter-agency teams coordinate at the local, state, and federal levels. The challenges in fighting wildfires are greater than ever, but with new methods of fighting the fires, so are the opportunities.

In the 1950s, The Century Series defined an era of aviation during the Cold War, charting a metamorphosis from one era to another. Jets were in their infancy, and many milestones, including the sound barrier, loomed large. In an arms race with the Soviet Union, a rising superpower, the U.S. got to work developing a variety of impressive fighter jets, now known as the Century Series. Starting with the F-100, the first production airplane to break the sound barrier in level flight, we explore how the century series pioneered new airplane designs, including the aerodynamic coke bottle shape made famous by the F-102. The F-104, a missile with a man in it inspired a generation of pilots. The F-105 looked like a fighter but was a bomber in disguise. As a series, their legacy is evident in modern fighter jets.

For nearly sixty years the Learjet came to define a new class of luxury airplane - the business jet. Now, the last Learjet ever is being assembled at the Wichita-based production facility in "The Aviation Capital of the World". Speaking with aviation icons past and present, we get an intimate look at a company that shaped aviation as we know it today. From its record-setting performance achievements to its outsized role in popular culture, the Learjet's place in history is here to stay, long after the production lines shut down.