All language subtitles for City in the Sky - S1 E2 Airborne

NARRATOR: YOU'VE JUST TAKEN OFF.

MAYBE YOU'RE GOING
TO SEE FAMILY

OR HEADING OFF
ON A BUSINESS TRIP.

BUT THE GROUND'S NOW
FAR BENEATH YOU,

AND YOU'VE GOT THOUSANDS
OF MILES AHEAD.

YOU'RE AIRBORNE.

TO US PASSENGERS, THIS IS

THE MOST UNEVENTFUL
PART OF ANY FLIGHT.

BUT BEHIND THE SCENES,
THERE'S A HIDDEN ARMY

KEEPING YOU UP IN THE AIR...

BECAUSE TO GET YOU SAFELY
TO YOUR DESTINATION,

YOU NEED FAR MORE THAN
JUST A BOARDING PASS.

IT TAKES AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
TO CLEAR YOUR ROUTE

THROUGH THE SKY,

DOCTORS TO KEEP YOU
SAFE IN FLIGHT...

SO HE IS HAVING
TROUBLE BREATHING,

AND THE REPEAT PULSE
IS 240.

IS THAT CORRECT? OVER.

NARRATOR: CARGO HANDLERS

TO COPE WITH EVERY IMAGINABLE
TYPE OF AIR FREIGHT...

[NEIGH]

[THUNDER]

NARRATOR: EXPERTS TO
PROTECT YOUR PLANE.

SCHUSS.

[ELECTRICAL BUZZING]

AND ALL THIS IS HAPPENING
WHILE YOU'RE AT 30,000 FEET.

THIS IS THE CITY IN THE SKY,

A CITY WHOSE POPULATION CONSISTS
OF THE ONE MILLION PEOPLE

AIRBORNE AT ANY TIME
AND WHO ARE UP THERE RIGHT NOW,

A FLYING CITY THAT STRADDLES

NOT JUST COUNTRIES,
BUT CONTINENTS.

IT'S BUILT OUT OF
THE 100,000 FLIGHTS

THAT CRISS-CROSS THE PLANET
EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THIS CITY IS AN INCREDIBLE
FEAT OF ENGINEERING,

DEPENDENT UPON ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY AND GLOBAL NETWORKS,

A HIDDEN WORLD RARELY GLIMPSED
BY OUTSIDERS...

UNTIL NOW.

WELCOME ABOARD.

NARRATOR: WE'VE BECOME SO USED
TO JETTING AROUND THE GLOBE,

WE TAKE FLIGHT COMPLETELY
FOR GRANTED.

WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST THOUGHT,
YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE SKY.

YOU GET SETTLED FOR
THE LONG FLIGHT AHEAD.

THE HOURS ROLL ON BY,

PUNCTUATED BY WELCOME
DISTRACTIONS.

YOU MIGHT WATCH
AN IN-FLIGHT MOVIE

OR TRY TO GET SOME SLEEP

AND HOPE THAT WHEN YOU WAKE UP,
YOU'LL BE AT YOUR DESTINATION.

BUT HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED
WHAT A MIRACLE IT IS

THAT WHILE YOU'RE
ENJOYING THAT NAP,

YOU'RE CRUISING ALONG
AT 30,000 FEET?

STAYING AIRBORNE
IS ONE OF THE GREAT
ACHIEVEMENTS

OF MODERN
ENGINEERING,

AND IT ALL RELIES UPON A HANDFUL

OF FUNDAMENTAL LAWS
OF PHYSICS...

WHETHER YOU'RE A PASSENGER JET

OR SOMETHING MUCH SMALLER.

THESE MAY LOOK LIKE
ORDINARY MEN,

BUT THEY'RE MORE THAN JUST THAT.

THEY'RE AIRCRAFT WITH WINGS
LESS THAN 7 FEET ACROSS.

THEIR BODIES ACT LIKE
AN AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE,

AND JUST LIKE A LARGE
PASSENGER PLANE,

THEY'RE POWERED
BY 4 JET ENGINES.

THEY CALL THEMSELVES
THE JET-MEN,

AND THE PRINCIPLES THEY USE
TO STAY IN FLIGHT

ARE EXACTLY THE SAME

AS THOSE THAT KEEP
US PASSENGERS UP THERE.

SO TO UNDERSTAND HOW
ALL AIRCRAFT FLY,

IT HELPS TO SEE HOW
THE JET-MEN TAKE TO THE SKIES.

IT MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE YOUR
AVERAGE IN-FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.

THEY DON'T TAKE OFF
FROM A RUNWAY.

THEY JUMP FROM A HELICOPTER.

BUT ONCE THEY'RE FLYING
ON THEIR OWN,

THERE'S A LOT MORE IN COMMON
THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.

INITIALLY THEY PLUMMET
TOWARDS THE GROUND

WITH THEIR JET PACKS
ON FULL THRUST

TO PICK UP SPEED AND INCREASE
AIR FLOW OVER THEIR WINGS...

THE SAME THING
A PASSENGER PLANE MUST DO

BEFORE IT CAN TAKE OFF.

AND JUST LIKE A PLANE,
THE SHAPE OF THEIR WING

CAUSES LOWER PRESSURE
ON ITS TOP SURFACE

THAN ON THE BOTTOM,
CREATING A FORCE CALLED LIFT.

BUT THE KEY TO CONTROLLING
THE FLIGHT OF ANY JET AIRCRAFT

IS THE ANGLE OF THE WING.

WHEN THE JET-MEN
ARCH THEIR BACKS,

THEIR WINGS TILT UPWARDS,

JUST ENOUGH THAT THE LIFT
COUNTERACTS THE PULL OF GRAVITY.

THIS CREATES CONTROLLED,
LEVEL FLIGHT.

WHERE AIRLINERS USE A RUDDER
AND AILERONS TO STEER,

THE JET-MEN USE
THEIR HANDS AND BODIES.

BUT THE PRINCIPLE OF LIFT
IS THE SAME.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MOTION
OF AIR AND SPEED.

WHEN YOU'RE IN FLIGHT, AIR
RUSHES UNDER AND OVER THE WINGS,

KEEPING YOUR PLANE IN THE SKY,

AND IT MIGHT NOT FEEL LIKE IT,
BUT IN THOSE LONG HOURS

CRUISING AT 30,000 FEET,

YOU'RE MOVING AT OVER
500 MILES AN HOUR.

THAT'S SO FAST THAT IF
YOUR PLANE WAS POINTED

IN JUST SLIGHTLY
THE WRONG DIRECTION,

YOU'D END UP HUNDREDS
OF MILES OFF COURSE.

THERE'S LITTLE ROOM
FOR NAVIGATIONAL ERROR,

SO PILOTS NEED A TOTALLY
RELIABLE SYSTEM

TO FIND THEIR WAY
THROUGH THE SKY.

TONIGHT, LUFTHANSA SENIOR PILOT
CAPTAIN JOACHIM SCHWARZENBERG

IS FLYING ONE OF THE BIGGEST
PASSENGER JETS IN THE WORLD,

WITH 480 PEOPLE ON BOARD,

FROM FRANKFURT TO DELHI.

PROBLEM IS, FOR MOST OF
THE 4,000-MILE JOURNEY,

HE CAN'T SEE A THING
OUT OF THE WINDOW.

[INDISTINCT RADIO TRANSMISSION]

SO HOW DOES HE KNOW WHERE TO GO?

THE ANSWER LIES WITH ONE
OF THE CITY IN THE SKY'S

MOST IMPORTANT HIDDEN NETWORKS:
A WEB OF LOCATION MARKERS

DOTTED ACROSS THE PLANET
KNOWN AS WAYPOINTS.

SCHWARZENBERG:
TO FLY FROM "A"
TO "B,"

WE HAVE TO HAVE
AN IDEA

HOW WE WOULD LIKE
TO FLY,

SO WE FILE
A FLIGHT PLAN

WHICH GOES FROM
LANDMARK TO LANDMARK
TO LANDMARK

IN EARLIER TIMES.

NOWADAYS,
WE ARE FLYING

FROM WAYPOINT
TO WAYPOINT
TO WAYPOINT.

NARRATOR: MOST WAYPOINTS
AREN'T PHYSICAL BEACONS

OR EVEN REAL PLACES
ON THE GROUND.

SCHWARZENBERG:
THERE USED TO BE
PHYSICAL OBJECTS

IN EARLIER DAYS,

BUT NOWADAYS WITH
THE USE OF GPS,

IT'S ALL
COORDINATES.

WE DEFINE POINTS
IN THE AIR

SOMEWHERE OVER
THE EARTH,

GIVE THEM A NAME--
IT'S A 5-LETTER
NAME--

AND THEN WE FLY
FROM WAYPOINT
TO WAYPOINT.

NARRATOR: WAYPOINTS ARE LIKE
IMAGINARY SIGNPOSTS

REACHING INTO THE SKY.

THESE VIRTUAL LANDMARKS TELL
THE PLANE'S NAVIGATION SYSTEMS

EXACTLY WHERE IT IS
AND WHICH WAY IT'S HEADING.

THEY GIVE PILOTS A TRAIL
TO FOLLOW THROUGH THE NIGHT.

AND ON A FAMILIAR ROUTE,

THEIR NAMES GET BURNED
INTO A PILOT'S MEMORY.

OUR NEXT WAYPOINT
IS NEVIV,

AND WE ARE FLYING
FURTHER ON TO PATAX,

MESRA, AND PAVLO,

AND PAVLO IS
THE ENTRY POINT
TO INDIA,

AND IT'S ALSO
THE EXIT POINT

OF, UH, AFGHANISTAN.

SO FOLLOWING
THESE WAYPOINTS,

IT'S JUST LIKE
FOLLOWING A TRAIL
OF BREADCRUMBS.

UH, WE HAVE ABOUT
5,000, 6,000 MILES,

AND SOMETIMES
THE SPACING OF
THESE WAYPOINTS

IS JUST 20,
40 MILES,

SO IT'S QUITE A LOT.

NARRATOR: WHILE WE PASSENGERS
ARE WATCHING THE NEXT MOVIE,

THE PILOT IS WATCHING OUT
FOR THE NEXT WAYPOINT.

BUT JUST LIKE THE GPS
IN YOUR CAR,

THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM
CAN'T TELL A PILOT

WHAT ALL THE OTHER
TRAFFIC IS DOING,

AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE

A LOT OF OTHER AIRCRAFT
TO THINK ABOUT.

EACH ONE OF THESE LINES
REPRESENTS THE PATH

OF A REAL PLANE BASED ON RADAR
AND TRANSPONDER DATA.

OVER 24 HOURS, AIR TRAFFIC

REACHES INTO EVERY CORNER
OF THE GLOBE,

ADDING UP TO OVER
100,000 FLIGHTS

CRISS-CROSSING OUR PLANET
EVERY SINGLE DAY.

BY 2034, IT'S PREDICTED
THERE WILL BE

OVER 44,000 PASSENGER JETS
IN OPERATION WORLDWIDE.

BUT WHILE ANOTHER PLANE
ZIPPING BY YOUR WINDOW

MAY LOOK TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT,

IT'S NO ACCIDENT THAT MIDAIR
COLLISIONS ARE RARE.

BECAUSE THERE'S SOMEONE
WATCHING OVER IT ALL...

A HIGHLY SKILLED GLOBAL ARMY
OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS.

ONE OF THEIR MOST
IMPORTANT NERVE CENTERS

IS JUST OUTSIDE
ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

80% OF AMERICANS LIVE WITHIN
3 HOURS' FLYING TIME OF ATLANTA,

AND TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHTS
CONTINUALLY CROSS THE AREA.

THE 130,000 SQUARE MILES
OF AIRSPACE ABOVE ATLANTA

ARE CRITICAL TO THE ENTIRE
U.S. AVIATION SYSTEM.

IT'S THE BUSIEST AIRSPACE
ON THE PLANET,

AND IT'S ALL MANAGED
FROM THIS UNASSUMING ROOM.

[INDISTINCT RADIO TRANSMISSION]

THE JOB OF THE CONTROLLERS HERE

IS TO SEE THAT PLANES
NEVER COLLIDE

BY FINE-TUNING THEIR ROUTES.

AIR TRAFFIC MANAGER
SHAUN SANDERS

HAS ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR ENSURING THIS VITAL SYSTEM

WORKS WITHOUT A HITCH.

SO, WHAT YOU'RE
SEEING BEHIND ME

IS THE CONTINENTAL
UNITED STATES

AND UP NORTH, CANADA,
AND SOUTH, MEXICO,

AND THAT'S EVERY PLANE
THAT'S FLYING

OVER THE CONTINENTAL
UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S ALMOST 6,000
PLANES YOU SEE
BEHIND ME,

UM, TRANSITIONING,
LANDING, DEPARTING,

WHEREVER THEY MAY BE
GOING.

SO IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE
A DISORGANIZED SWARM,

BUT IT'S ACTUALLY
QUITE ORGANIZED.

THEY'RE FOLLOWING
AN INVISIBLE HIGHWAY
IN THE SKY,

AND THEY'RE SEPARATED
BY WHAT WE CALL

OUR STANDARD SEPARATION.

THEY'LL EITHER BE
1,000 FEET VERTICAL

OR 5 MILES LATERAL,
SO WHEN YOU LOOK
AT THE SCREEN,

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE
ALL OVER THE PLACE,

THEY'RE ON TOP
OF ONE ANOTHER,

BUT IN ACTUALITY,
THEY'RE SPACED OUT

BY AT LEAST 5 MILES
AND 1,000 FEET.

NARRATOR: AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS ACROSS THE WORLD

SHARE THE SAME SYSTEM
FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS.

BY HERDING AIRCRAFT INTO THOSE
INVISIBLE HIGHWAYS IN THE SKY,

THEY KNOW THAT PLANES WILL BE
FOLLOWING PREDETERMINED LANES.

THIS ALLOWS THEM TO CONTROL

THEIR SPEED AND SPACING
MORE EASILY.

BUT UNLIKE HIGHWAYS
ON THE GROUND,

THOSE AIRWAYS ARE
ACTUALLY DEEP CANYONS

WITHIN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE,

AND THAT EXTRA THIRD DIMENSION
GIVES THE CONTROLLERS

VERTICAL SPACE TO WORK WITH
WHEN TRAFFIC INCREASES.

[INDISTINCT RADIO TRANSMISSION]

ON AN ORDINARY DAY, ATLANTA'S
AIRSPACE IS BUSY ENOUGH.

BUT THIS IS THE BUILDUP
TO THANKSGIVING.

THE ATLANTA CONTROLLERS
ARE DEALING

WITH MORE FLIGHTS THIS WEEK THAN
AT ANY OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR...

[INDISTINCT RADIO TRANSMISSION]

RISING TO A STAGGERING PEAK
OF 9,000 FLIGHTS

CROSSING THEIR AIRSPACE
IN A DAY.

THAT MEANS ON AVERAGE,

AROUND ONE NEW PLANE
APPEARS ON THEIR SCREENS

EVERY 10 SECONDS.

THEY'VE GOT TO DO
EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER

TO PREVENT AVIATION GRIDLOCK.

IT TAKES INTENSE FOCUS
AND CONCENTRATION.

EVERY HOUR OF THEIR WORKING DAY,

THE CONTROLLERS HOLD THE LIVES
OF OVER 50,000 PASSENGERS

IN THEIR HANDS.

ONE SMALL ERROR COULD BE FATAL.

SANDERS: TO US, THIS IS
WHAT WE DO.

THIS IS WHAT
WE GET PAID TO DO.
IT'S NORMAL.

THIS IS YEARS AND YEARS
OF TRAINING,

YEARS AND YEARS OF
DOING IT OVER AND OVER
AND OVER,

DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

UM, WE DON'T THINK ABOUT
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
ON THE PLANES.

IT'S JUST ONE PLANE
AT A TIME,

GETTING IT FROM
POINT "A" TO POINT "B,"

GETTING IT THERE
AS FAST AS WE CAN,
AS EFFICIENT AS WE CAN,

AND AS SAFE AS WE CAN,
AND THAT'S HOW WE
LOOK AT IT.

I'VE NEVER WOKEN UP
AT NIGHT WITH HOT
SWEATS THINKING ABOUT,

"OH, MY GOD!
THERE'S THOUSANDS
AND THOUSANDS--"

ONE PLANE AT A TIME
IS HOW WE ALWAYS
LOOK AT IT.

NARRATOR: BUT AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS

AREN'T THE ONLY PEOPLE
MONITORING YOUR FLIGHT.

WE'VE ALL WONDERED
ABOUT THAT PASSENGER--

YOU KNOW, THE ONE JUST
A FEW ROWS BEHIND YOU

WHO WAS PALE AND SWEATING
AND DIDN'T LOOK SO GOOD.

WELL, HE MIGHT BE MOMENTS AWAY
FROM A HEART ATTACK.

[SIREN]

AND IF THE WORST HAPPENS,

THERE'S A TEAM OF EMERGENCY
SPECIALISTS

YOUR CABIN CREW CAN CALL ON.

BANNER UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
SEES A STEADY STREAM

OF EMERGENCY PATIENTS
FROM PHOENIX.

BUT MANY OF THE MEDICAL DRAMAS
THEY DEAL WITH HERE

TAKE PLACE THOUSANDS
OF MILES AWAY.

PLEASE GO AHEAD
WITH THE PASSENGER AGE,

GENDER, AND SEAT
ASSIGNMENT.

DIFFERENT WOMAN:
OK, YOU GO AHEAD

AND MAKE THE MEDICAL
ARRANGEMENTS
FOR THE CHILD.

NARRATOR: IF YOU'RE FLYING
ON A MAJOR AIRLINE

AND YOU GET SICK, THE CHANCES
ARE THE CABIN CREW WILL TALK

TO THE MEDICS IN THIS VERY ROOM
TO FIND OUT WHAT TO DO,

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE
IN THE WORLD.

THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL COMPANIES

THAT HANDLE MID-AIR
MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.

DR. BHOW AT MEDLINK.
HOW DO YOU COPY? OVER.

NARRATOR: DR. MONEESH BHOW
HAS JUST STARTED HIS SHIFT

AND IS RESPONDING
TO HIS FIRST EMERGENCY,

A CALL FROM AN AIRCRAFT

TRAVELING FROM THE MIDDLE EAST
TO BANGKOK,

8,000 MILES AWAY, SOMEWHERE
OVER THE INDIAN OCEAN.

I UNDERSTAND
AN 82-YEAR-OLD MALE

WITH A POSSIBLE STROKE.

WHAT WAS THE CONDITION,
UH, THAT BROUGHT HIM

TO YOUR ATTENTION?
OVER.

NARRATOR: FOR DR. BHOW,
PRESSURE'S NOW ON

TO MAKE A QUICK DIAGNOSIS.

BHOW: OK. COPY THAT.
SO THE PASSENGER
WAS STANDING.

HE PASSED OUT,
IS CURRENTLY ON THE FLOOR.

IS HE ABLE TO ANSWER
ANY QUESTIONS? OVER.

OK. IS HE--IS HE
BREATHING ON HIS OWN?

NARRATOR: HE'S DEPENDING
ON THE CAPTAIN AND CABIN CREW

TO ACCURATELY RELAY
THE PATIENT'S SYMPTOMS.

OK, COPY THAT.
SO, WHAT WE NEED
TO FIND OUT,

IF HE'S STILL
NOT RESPONDING
BUT HE IS BREATHING,

I NEED TO KNOW
WHAT HIS VITAL SIGNS ARE,

AND IS THERE ANY
SPONTANEOUS MOVEMENT
TO HIS ARMS OR LEGS,

OR IS THERE A PART
OF HIS BODY

THAT HE'S NOT MOVING?
OVER.

I'M SORRY. THAT LAST
TRANSMISSION CUT OUT.

COULD YOU PLEASE
REPEAT? OVER.

CAPTAIN, ARE YOU
STILL ON THE LINE? OVER.

NARRATOR: THEY'VE LOST CONTACT.

BHOW: STROKE.

DUBAI TO LAGOS.

OK.

NARRATOR: IF IT DOES TURN OUT
TO BE A STROKE,

THEY'LL NEED TO GET THE PATIENT

ON THE GROUND
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

AFTER THAT...

NARRATOR: FIRST, THE TEAM NEEDS
TO CONSULT THEIR DATABASE

AND DETERMINE WHICH AIRPORTS

HAVE THE RIGHT MEDICAL
FACILITIES CLOSE BY.

OF THE AIRPORTS WITHIN RANGE,

ONLY TWO HAVE THE NECESSARY
EQUIPMENT TO TREAT A STROKE.

NEITHER ARE EN ROUTE.

OPTION ONE IS DELHI,
700 MILES OUT OF THEIR WAY.

OPTION TWO IS BEHIND THEM
BUT CLOSER--MUSCAT.

NARRATOR: A FEW MINUTES LATER,

AND THE CREW ARE BACK
ON THE LINE.

IS THE PASSENGER
AWAKE NOW? OVER.

CAN HE--CAN HE
SPEAK AT ALL?

IS HE ABLE TO
SPEAK NORMALLY
TO HIS SON? OVER.

OK, SO HE STARTED CHOKING,

AND THAT'S WHAT
CAUSED HIM TO FAINT.

IS THAT WHAT
I'M UNDERSTANDING?

NARRATOR: IT SEEMS THAT
THE PASSENGER COLLAPSED

NOT BECAUSE OF A STROKE BUT
BECAUSE HE HAD CHOKED ON FOOD,

UNNOTICED BY THE CABIN CREW.

HE HAS NOW WOKEN UP
AND, FOR THE MOMENT,

APPEARS TO HAVE RECOVERED.

OK, BUT WE WOULD
STILL LIKE AN UPDATE
IN 30 MINUTES

AS TO HIS CONDITION.
OVER.

NARRATOR: THIS EMERGENCY
SEEMS TO BE OVER.

BUT WITH A MILLION PEOPLE
IN THE AIR AT ANY ONE TIME,

MEDICAL CRISES IN FLIGHT
ARE INEVITABLE.

WHEN SHE
FAINTED, UH,

DID SHE FALL DOWN

FROM A STANDING
POSITION?

WAS SHE IN HER SEAT?

NARRATOR: THE TEAM
IN PHOENIX

HANDLE 38,000 CALLS
A YEAR.

OK. IS SHE ACTIVELY
RETCHING NOW?

NARRATOR: THEIR OPERATORS
FIELD THE CALLS

TO EMERGENCY DOCTORS
TRAINED IN HANDLING

MEDICAL SITUATIONS
OVER A SATELLITE PHONE.

I'D LIKE YOU
TO GIVE HER
ONE TABLET...

NARRATOR: DR. DAVID STREITWIESER
IS THE SENIOR EMERGENCY DOCTOR

TASKED WITH OVERSEEING
THIS FACILITY.

STREITWIESER:
WITH NAUSEA, VOMITING,

IT'S RARELY ANYTHING SERIOUS.

I CAN MANAGE MOST
OF THE SYMPTOMS.

BUT WHEN I'M TRYING TO RULE OUT
A SERIOUS PROBLEM,

THAT'S THE HARD PART.

SO I CAN'T SEE PASSENGERS.
I CAN'T TALK DIRECTLY TO THEM.

WE HAVE TO RELY ON THE CABIN
CREW DOING THAT,

SO THEY LITERALLY ARE
OUR EYES AND EARS AND HANDS

UNTIL WE CAN GET, PERHAPS,
A MEDICAL PERSON INVOLVED.

NARRATOR: MEDAIRE
HANDLES EMERGENCIES

FROM AROUND THE GLOBE,

SO THE CALLS CAN COME IN
AT ANY TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT.

IT'S A CONSTANT STREAM.

BUT SOMETIMES THERE'S A MEDICAL
PROBLEM THAT'S SIMPLY TOO SEVERE

TO BE TREATED IN THE AIR.

HE IS NOW HAVING
TROUBLE BREATHING,

AND THE REPEAT PULSE
IS 240.

IS THAT CORRECT? OVER.

NARRATOR: DR. MONEESH BHOW
HAS BEEN CALLED BACK

BY THE FLIGHT HE WAS
HELPING OUT AN HOUR AGO.

THE PASSENGER WHO THEN
SEEMED TO BE RECOVERING

HAS NOW TAKEN A TURN
FOR THE WORSE.

BHOW: LET'S CONTINUE
THE OXYGEN,

UH, AND LET'S PLAN
TO LAND, UH,

AT THE CLOSEST
POSSIBLE OPTION.

LET'S PLAN TO DIVERT
INTO MUMBAI.

WE WILL HAVE MEDICAL
PERSONNEL

MEET YOU ON ARRIVAL.

THEY ARE TURNING.
THEY ARE TURNING?

YEAH.

NARRATOR: DR. BHOW SUSPECTS
HIS PASSENGER'S SYMPTOMS

MAY BE DUE TO A SERIOUS
HEART CONDITION,

SO HE ADVISES THE CAPTAIN
TO DIVERT TO MUMBAI.

A FLIGHT DIVERSION LIKE THIS
CAN COST AN AIRLINE

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS.

BUT IT'S A DILEMMA THE DOCTORS
HERE FACE EVERY DAY.

BHOW: IN A 24-HOUR
PERIOD,

WE'RE PROBABLY
DIVERTING ONCE
OR TWICE.

BHOW: OUR ULTIMATE
PRIORITY

IS TO TAKE CARE OF
THE PASSENGER,

SO IF WE FEEL
THAT THE PASSENGER

IS--IS IN CRITICAL
NEED OF GETTING
ON THE GROUND,

THEN, YOU KNOW,
COST IS A SECONDARY
CONSIDERATION.

UM, BUT IT IS
PROBABLY THE MOST
STRESSFUL CALL

THAT WE TAKE WHEN
WE MAKE A DECISION
FOR A DIVERSION.

NARRATOR: AS SOON
AS THE FLIGHT LANDS,

THEY'LL RUSH THE PATIENT
TO A HOSPITAL,

WHERE LOCAL DOCTORS
WILL TAKE OVER.

AS WITH MOST OF THESE CASES,
DR. BHOW MAY NEVER FIND OUT

WHETHER HIS PATIENT
LIVES OR DIES.

THANKFULLY, NOTHING LIKE THAT IS
HAPPENING ON YOUR FLIGHT,

SO SIT BACK, RELAX, AND MAYBE
SLIP OFF YOUR SHOES.

BUT CONSIDER THAT
WHILE YOU'RE IN THE AIR,

THERE MIGHT BE A LOT MORE
STOWED BENEATH YOUR FEET

THAN JUST YOUR BAGGAGE

BECAUSE MOVING YOU IS ONLY ONE
FUNCTION OF THE CITY IN THE SKY.

LIKE ANY CITY
WITH TRUCKS ON THE ROAD

AND TRAINS ON THE RAILS,

THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF CARGO
MOVING ALONGSIDE YOU,

AND OUR MODERN WAY OF LIFE

DEPENDS ON IT REACHING
ITS DESTINATION.

BUT AT 30,000 FEET,
THAT SOMETIMES PRESENTS

A CONSIDERABLE CHALLENGE,

ESPECIALLY IF THE CARGO
IN QUESTION IS EXPENSIVE,

FRAGILE, AND HAS 4 LEGS.

[HORSE NEIGHS]

THESE SHOW JUMPING HORSES
NEED TO BE IN HONG KONG,

OVER 6,000 MILES AWAY,
BY 5 P.M. TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

THEY'RE DESTINED
FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS

LONGINES MASTERS COMPETITION.

[HORSE NEIGHS]

FIRST JOB FOR VET GORDON SIDLOW
IS TO MAKE SURE

EVERY HORSE IS DISEASE-FREE.

THEY'LL NEED THE ALL-CLEAR

BEFORE BEING GIVEN
A BOARDING PASS.

SIDLOW: BASICALLY
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE

THAT EVERY HORSE IS
HEALTHY BEFORE IT GETS
ON THE PLANE.

THE IMPORTING COUNTRY
WANTS TO KNOW

THAT WE'RE NOT BRINGING
DISEASED HORSES
INTO THE COUNTRY.

NARRATOR: THE LOADING TEAM
HAVE JUST 7 HOURS

TO GET ALL 64 HORSES
HEALTH-CHECKED AND BOARDED

ONTO THEIR OWN SPECIALLY
CHARTERED PLANE--

EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

SIDLOW: JUST OCCASIONALLY,
YOU WILL GET A HORSE

THAT WE'RE NOT EXPECTING
A PROBLEM WITH

WILL HAVE A PROBLEM.

IT'S THE SORT OF JOB
WHERE SOMETHING CAN GO WRONG--

VERY, VERY WRONG,
VERY, VERY QUICKLY.

NARRATOR: IN TWOS AND THREES,
THEY'RE GUIDED

INTO SPECIALLY DESIGNED
AVIATION HORSE BOXES

THE SAME SIZE AS A STANDARD
CARGO CONTAINER.

THAT MAKES IT EASY
TO LOAD THEM ONTO THE PLANE.

BUT THE SEATING PLAN
NEEDS SPECIAL ATTENTION.

SIDLOW: THERE ARE
A FEW RULES.

ALL THE HORSES HAVE TO
TRAVEL FACING FORWARDS.

WE GENERALLY TRY AND PUT
THE STALLIONS AT THE FRONT.

STALLIONS--THE NATURAL
REACTION TO A STALLION,

IF IT'S--IF IT'S STANDING
6 INCHES BEHIND A MARE,

UM, AND IT CAN SMELL
THE MARE IN FRONT OF IT,

IS THAT, UM, STALLIONS
WILL DO WHAT STALLIONS DO,

UM, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT
YOU WANT TO HAPPEN,

UM, WHEN YOU'RE
AT 30,000 FEET.

NARRATOR: IN TOTAL, THEY'LL HAVE
AROUND 32 TONS' WORTH OF HORSES

ON THE FLIGHT, SO IT'S
CRUCIAL THE CARGO HANDLERS

LOAD UP THE BOXES
EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE PLANE

TO MAKE SURE
IT ISN'T UNBALANCED.

AND JUST LIKE US HUMANS,

THE PASSENGERS GET
WHAT THEY PAY FOR.

YOU CAN HAVE 3
HORSES IN A BOX,

WHICH IS ECONOMY FLIGHT,

OR ONE OR TWO HORSES
IN A BOX,

WHICH IS BUSINESS CLASS.

NARRATOR: BY 7 P.M., ALL 64
HORSES ARE SAFELY ON BOARD.

FLIGHT EK9320 DEPARTS BELGIUM,

EMBARKING ON ITS 6,000-MILE
JOURNEY THROUGH THE NIGHT.

ITS DESTINATION, HONK KONG,
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

MORE CARGO THAN ANY OTHER
AIRPORT IN THE WORLD.

THIS PLACE IS KNOWN
AS THE GATEWAY TO CHINA

AND ITS 1.4 BILLION CITIZENS.

TO KEEP THIS VAST FLOW OF GOODS
MOVING THROUGH THE SKIES,

HONK KONG HAS BUILT THE BIGGEST
CARGO HUB ON THE PLANET.

[MAN SPEAKING
FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

NARRATOR: WHEN THE HORSES
ARRIVE IN A FEW HOURS,

THEY WILL BE JOINING

THE ASTONISHING VARIETY
OF AIR FREIGHT

THAT ENDS UP HERE.

BUT SOME GOODS HAVE TO REACH
THEIR DESTINATION WITHOUT DELAY.

THIS IS THE HANDLING ZONE
FOR PERISHABLE CARGO,

THE STUFF THAT MUST
REACH CUSTOMERS

WHILE IT'S STILL FRESH...

FROM ALASKAN CRAB

TO FLOWERS FROM ECUADOR,

SNAILS FROM TAIWAN...

AND EXOTIC FRUIT FROM COLOMBIA.

WE VERY OFTEN COME ACROSS
WITH STRANGE THINGS,

BUT TO US, IT'S LIKE
WE'RE ACCUSTOMED TO IT.

ALL THE CARGO COMES
FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.

ALL THE AIRCRAFTS
PARKED IN THE APRONS
WAITING TO DEPART--

SOMETIMES IT WILL BE
VERY ODD-SIZED CARGO,

UH, WHICH HAS TO
BE MOVED OUT

IN A VERY TIGHT TIME FRAME

BEFORE THE DEPARTURE TIME.

NARRATOR: DELIVERIES
OF TIME-CRITICAL CARGO

ARE ONLY POSSIBLE
THANKS TO AVIATION.

AIR FREIGHT IS THE ONLY WAY
TO TRANSPORT IT AROUND THE WORLD

FAST ENOUGH.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST CRABS,
SNAILS, AND MYSTERY FRUIT

COMING IN AND OUT OF HONK KONG.

1 IN EVERY 15 AIR CARGO
SHIPMENTS

TRAVELING AROUND THE GLOBE
ORIGINATES HERE,

AND THIS BUILDING
IS AT THE EPICENTER.

THIS IS SUPER TERMINAL ONE,

THE WORLD'S LARGEST
AIR CARGO TERMINAL...

ABLE TO PROCESS

UP TO 3.5 MILLION TONS
OF AIR FREIGHT A YEAR,

ARRIVING FROM EVERY PART
OF THE GLOBE.

IT'S SORTED AND STORED UNTIL
READY TO BE SENT OUT AGAIN

TO ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD.

THE CLICK OF YOUR MOUSE
ON THE "BUY" BUTTON

DOESN'T ONLY HAVE CONSEQUENCES
IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD.

IT SETS IN MOTION GIGANTIC
CARGO TERMINALS LIKE THIS.

IT'S EXCITING,
REALLY EXCITING.

UH, IT'S LIKE
THE WORLD IS CHANGING
ALL THE TIME,

AND YOU HAVE TO RECEIVE
ALL THE CHALLENGES

THAT YOU CANNOT PREDICT.

AND YET WE HAVE TO
THINK OF THE SOLUTION,

HOW YOU CAN MOVE
THINGS OUT

WITHIN THE TIME THAT IS
REQUIRED BY THE CUSTOMERS.

NARRATOR: THE SUPER TERMINAL
HAS AN INGENIOUS SYSTEM

FOR ORGANIZING THE ENORMOUS
AMOUNT OF CARGO

THAT ARRIVES HERE.

NONPERISHABLE GOODS ARE FED
INTO A VAST NETWORK

OF ROBOTIC CRATES THAT TRAVEL
THROUGH MILES OF HIDDEN TUNNELS

TO BE STORED ON ONE
OF 10,000 SHELVES...

UNTIL IT'S CALLED UP FOR
THE NEXT STAGE OF ITS JOURNEY.

AND DESPITE
THE CONSTANT ACTIVITY,

THERE'S NOT A SINGLE
HUMAN AT WORK HERE.

THIS IS A VERTICAL CITY
OPERATED BY ROBOTS.

THE SUPER TERMINAL HAS TO BE
ABLE TO HANDLE

EVERY CONCEIVABLE TYPE OF CARGO,

AND SOME OF THE MOST PRICELESS
OF ALL IS ABOUT TO LAND.

THE 64 SHOW JUMPING HORSES
FROM BELGIUM

ARE COMING IN RIGHT ON TIME.

THE SUPER TERMINAL IS USED TO
DEALING WITH LARGE ANIMALS,

BUT AFTER 16 HOURS IN THE AIR,

THE HORSES ARE TIRED
AND IMPATIENT.

WITH ONLY TWO DAYS TO GO
BEFORE THE COMPETITION,

IT'S CRUCIAL TO GET THEM
AWAY TO THEIR STABLES

FOR SOME REST
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

VET GORDON SIDLOW MADE
THE JOURNEY ALONGSIDE THEM

AND NOW HAS TO MAKE SURE
THEY'RE READY TO COMPETE.

SIDLOW: HORSES DO
GET JET LAG,

SOME MORE SO
THAN OTHERS,

UM, BUT IT'S RELATIVELY
POORLY UNDERSTOOD

BECAUSE IT'S MORE
DIFFICULT TO TELL

IF A HORSE IS JET-LAGGED
OR JUST SIMPLY TIRED.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE

WHEN THE HORSES
GET IN THE STABLES

THEY ALL START EATING
AND DRINKING STRAIGHTAWAY.

DEHYDRATION
AND TRAVEL SICKNESS

ARE THE MAIN THINGS
WE'RE LOOKING FOR,

AND THE SIGN OF THAT

IS A HORSE THAT
ISN'T EATING,
ISN'T DRINKING,

AND LOOKING MISERABLE.

NARRATOR: IN TWO HOURS FLAT,
EVERY LAST HORSE

HAS BEEN WHISKED AWAY
TO ITS STABLE.

SIDLOW: THEY GET
A DAY OFF TOMORROW,

AND AFTER THAT,
IT'S--IT'S BACK TO WORK,

SO, UM, IT'S--IT'S
NOT AN EASY LIFE FOR THEM.

IT'S, UH--IT'S A TOUGH--
IT'S A TOUGH GAME.

NARRATOR: WHETHER
IT'S HORSES, FRUIT, OR YOU,

EVERYTHING TRANSPORTED BY AIR

HAS TO REACH
ITS DESTINATION SAFELY.

TO MAKE SURE OF THAT,

A PLANE HAS TO SURVIVE

EXTRAORDINARILY PUNISHING
STRESSES AND STRAINS.

IT'S NO MEAN FEAT TO KEEP 92,000
POUNDS OF AIRPLANE ALOFT,

NOT TO MENTION ANOTHER
59,000 POUNDS

OF PASSENGERS, FUEL, AND CARGO.

SO HOW DOES A JET WITH WALLS
ONLY A FRACTION OF AN INCH THIN

COPE WITH THE EXTREME FORCES
IT ENCOUNTERS IN THE SKY?

PARTLY IT'S DOWN TO THE
MATERIALS OF WHICH IT'S MADE,

AND IF YOU'RE TRAVELING
ON A PLANE

MANUFACTURED IN
THE LAST FEW YEARS,

IT MIGHT BE BUILT LARGELY OF
A RADICAL NEW KIND OF MATERIAL,

A MATERIAL WITH SOME
EXTRAORDINARY PROPERTIES.

IT'S LED TO THE BIGGEST CHANGE
IN AVIATION DESIGN

SINCE ALUMINUM REPLACED
WOODEN PLANES BACK IN THE 1920s.

AND IT'S ENABLING
THE CONSTRUCTION

OF A NEW GENERATION OF JETS.

ONE OF THE FIRST WAS THE BOEING
787, AKA THE DREAMLINER.

WITH THIS AIRCRAFT,
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE SIZE.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WEIGHT.

AND THE MATERIAL THAT'S MADE IT
POSSIBLE IS CARBON COMPOSITE,

AN INGENIOUS BLEND OF CARBON
FIBER AND PLASTIC.

KIM PASTEGA IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR DREAMLINER PRODUCTION

AND KNOWS WHAT A REVOLUTION
IT REPRESENTS.

WELL, I'VE GOT A PIECE

OF ALUMINUM HERE,

WHICH IS, OF COURSE,

WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY

HAVE MANUFACTURED

AIRPLANES WITH,

AND A PIECE OF OUR

COMPOSITE STRUCTURE HERE.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
ONE OF THE HUGE DIFFERENCES

YOU'D BE ABLE TO FEEL
IF YOU WERE HOLDING THEM

IS JUST THE WEIGHT
BETWEEN THE TWO.

IT'S A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE
IN TERMS OF

HOW THE AIRPLANE
PERFORMS WITH FUEL.

UM, MAYBE TO GIVE YOU
SOME IDEA,

UH, WE'VE GOT NOW OVER 300
AIRPLANES FLYING IN SERVICE.

WE'VE BEEN IN SERVICE
SINCE THE END OF 2011,

AND IN JUST THOSE SHORT,
YOU KNOW, 3 1/2, 4 YEARS,

WE'VE ALREADY SAVED
OVER 5 BILLION POUNDS
OF FUEL

WITH OUR 787 FLEET.

THAT'S 20% TO 25%
MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT

THAN THE AIRPLANES
THAT IT'S REPLACING.

NARRATOR: BUT LIGHTER COMPOSITES
DON'T JUST SAVE FUEL.

THEY ALSO GIVE THE AIRCRAFT
SOME ENTIRELY NEW PROPERTIES.

AT MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY'S
COMPOSITES TESTING FACILITY

IN THE UNITED KINGDOM,
PROFESSOR ANDREW WALKER

IS PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY MATERIAL.

TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND
ITS STRANGE PROPERTIES,

FIRST YOU NEED TO KNOW
HOW IT'S MADE.

AT FACILITIES LIKE THIS,
CARBON FIBERS ARE WOVEN

INTO LAYERS ALMOST
LIKE A FABRIC,

WHICH THEN GETS HARDENED
WITH PLASTIC RESIN.

IT'S BEYOND DOUBT THAT IT'S
LIGHTER THAN ALUMINUM.

BUT CAN A PLANE
MADE OF COMPOSITE

REALLY BE AS STRONG
AS ONE MADE OF METAL?

TO PUT IT TO THE TEST,
PROFESSOR WALKER IS USING

AN INSTRON MACHINE,
A DEVICE THAT MEASURES

A MATERIAL'S BREAKING POINT.

FIRST UP, THE ALUMINUM.

YOU CAN'T SEE
THE MACHINE MOVING,

BUT THE TWO PLATENS ARE
ACTUALLY MOVING APART

VERY SLOWLY NOW.

IT'S ABOUT 650 KILOGRAMS.

THAT'S ABOUT, UH, 6 OR 7
PEOPLE OR A SMALL MOTORCAR.

THE STRETCH AT THE MOMENT,
IT'S ABOUT 6 MILLIMETERS--

WE CAN SEE THIS
ON THE COMPUTER--

AND THE LOAD APPLIED
IS ABOUT 700 KILOGRAMS.

AND WE SHOULD SEE IT
BEGIN TO FAIL.

THERE WE GO.

NARRATOR: WHEN LOADED
WITH THE WEIGHT

OF AROUND ONE AND A HALF
THOUSAND POUNDS,

THE ALUMINUM STRETCHES
AROUND 1/4 OF AN INCH

BEFORE SNAPPING.

NOW FOR THE CARBON COMPOSITE.

WALKER: YOU CAN HEAR PINGS,

AND THOSE ARE CARBON FIBERS
BREAKING IN THE SAMPLE.

IT'S ABOUT 7 TIMES THE FAILURE
LOAD OF THE ALUMINUM.

NARRATOR: NOT ONLY
IS THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL

ABLE TO RESIST
A FAR GREATER FORCE,

IT'S HARDLY STRETCHING AT ALL.

IT'S NOW SUPPORTING
10 TIMES THE WEIGHT

THAT TOOK THE ALUMINUM
TO ITS BREAKING POINT.

WALKER: THERE WE ARE.

NARRATOR: WHERE
THE ALUMINUM BROKE

WHEN LOADED WITH THE WEIGHT
OF 10 PEOPLE,

THE CARBON COMPOSITE CAN TAKE
THE WEIGHT OF A SCHOOL BUS.

SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER
AND STIFFER

THAN EXISTING
ALUMINUM ALLOYS.

NARRATOR: THE STRENGTH
AND STIFFNESS OF COMPOSITES

HAVE RADICALLY CHANGED
HOW AIRCRAFT ARE DESIGNED,

IN SOME UNEXPECTED WAYS.

WHEN COMPOSITES FIRST
BECAME AVAILABLE,

BOEING SOUGHT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THEIR UNIQUE PROPERTIES

TO TRANSFORM
THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE,

A CHALLENGE PASSED DOWN TO
AIRPLANE INTERIORS DESIGN GURU

BLAKE EMERY.

EMERY: SO, WHAT WE'RE SEEING
HERE IS WHAT WE CALL

OUR--OUR FULL DOME AT ENTRY.

IT REALLY PROVIDES
AN INCREDIBLE TRANSITION

BETWEEN THE JETWAY,

WHICH CAN KIND OF
COMPRESS YOU PSYCHOLOGICALLY,

TO THIS: THIS SENSATION
OF NOTHING ABOVE YOU,

SO IT REALLY KIND OF PROVIDES
A PSYCHOLOGICAL RELIEF.

NARRATOR: INTERIOR DESIGN
IS ONE THING,

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING INVISIBLE
THAT HAS A BIGGER IMPACT

ON PASSENGERS: THE UNPLEASANT
FEELING WE LOOSELY REFER TO

AS JET LAG.

AND SOME OF THE SENSATIONS
WE ASSOCIATE WITH IT

COULD BE DUE TO NOT HAVING
QUITE ENOUGH OXYGEN TO BREATHE

WHEN WE'RE IN FLIGHT.

OUTSIDE THE WINDOW OF A PLANE
AT 30,000 FEET,

THE AIR IS SO THIN,
IF YOU WERE EXPOSED TO IT,

YOU WOULD BECOME
UNCONSCIOUS IN SECONDS.

SO TO STOP US DYING
FROM LACK OF OXYGEN,

AIRPLANE CABINS ARE PUMPED
FULL OF AIR.

BUT IT'S CONSIDERABLY LESS AIR
THAN AT GROUND LEVEL.

THERE'S A VERY GOOD REASON
WHY MORE AIR CAN'T BE PUMPED IN.

EVERY TIME THE CABIN
IS PRESSURIZED,

THE ALUMINUM HULL OF
A TRADITIONAL PLANE

STRETCHES A TINY BIT...

PULLING AGAINST
RIVETS AND JOINS.

SO TO REDUCE STRAIN
ON THE FUSELAGE,

MOST PLANES ARE PUMPED UP

WITH THE MINIMUM AMOUNT
OF AIR REQUIRED

TO KEEP US COMFORTABLE.

BUT COMPOSITE PLANES
HARDLY STRETCH AT ALL,

SO YOU CAN PUMP IN MORE AIR
WITHOUT DAMAGING THEM.

SOME RESEARCH NOW SUGGESTS
THAT HAVING MORE AIR TO BREATHE

MIGHT REDUCE SOME SYMPTOMS
WE ASSOCIATE WITH JET LAG.

EMERY: WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS,

MUCH FEWER SYMPTOMS AND FEWER
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS

ON THE DREAMLINER
THAN ON OTHER AIRPLANES.

IF YOU ARE A PASSENGER
THAT EXPERIENCES

THE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED
WITH HIGH ALTITUDE,

YOU EITHER ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE
THOSE SYMPTOMS AT ALL,

OR IF YOU DO HAVE
THOSE SYMPTOMS,

THEY'RE GOING TO BE
MUCH LESS SEVERE--

SYMPTOMS LIKE HEADACHE,
MUSCLE ACHE.

SOME PEOPLE EXPERIENCE
A--A COLDNESS

IN THEIR FINGERTIPS
OR THEIR FEET.

THINGS LIKE THAT.

NARRATOR: THE JURY'S STILL OUT
ON EXACTLY HOW AIR PRESSURE

AFFECTS JET LAG, BUT THANKS TO
THE SHIFT TO COMPOSITE PLANES,

FEELING ROUGH AFTER A LONG
FLIGHT COULD SOON BE

A THING OF THE PAST.

IT MAY NOW BE POSSIBLE

TO KEEP PASSENGERS
COMFORTABLE IN THE AIR.

BUT WITH 100,000 FLIGHTS
CROSSING OUR SKIES EVERY DAY,

ENSURING THE PHYSICAL WELL-BEING
OF THE AIRCRAFT THEMSELVES

REMAINS A HUGE CHALLENGE.

[THUNDER]

EVERY DAY, PLANES ENTER THE MOST
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT IMAGINABLE.

FLYING HIGHER
THAN MOUNT EVEREST,

BATTERED BY WINDS OF
HUNDREDS OF MILES AN HOUR,

WE JUST EXPECT THEM
TO FUNCTION PERFECTLY,

FLIGHT AFTER FLIGHT.

BUT AS THEY RACK UP AIR MILES,
THERE'S ONE EXTREME HAZARD

ALL AIRCRAFT WILL
INVARIABLY RUN INTO...

[THUNDER]

LIGHTNING...

BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS,
POWERFUL FORCE OF NATURE

YOUR PLANE IS EVER
LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER.

DOWN ON THE GROUND,
GETTING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

IS A RARE EVENT.

NOT SO UP IN THE AIR.

IN FACT, EVERY PLANE GETS
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

ONCE A YEAR ON AVERAGE.

THAT MEANS ACROSS A TYPICAL
JET'S LIFETIME,

IT'LL GET ZAPPED
AN ASTONISHING 25 TIMES.

SO WHY AREN'T PASSENGERS

REGULARLY GETTING
ELECTROCUTED IN FLIGHT?

IT'S THANKS IN PART TO THE KIND
OF RESEARCH THEY DO HERE

IN DARMSTADT, GERMANY.

[SPEAKS GERMAN]

AT DARMSTADT UNIVERSITY'S
HIGH VOLTAGE LAB,

PROFESSOR VOLKER HINRICHSEN
AND HIS TEAM

STUDY LIGHTNING PROTECTION.

A CAR OFFERS YOU MUCH THE SAME
PROTECTION AS A PLANE.

THEY'RE BOTH METAL BOXES
WITH PEOPLE INSIDE.

THE LAB'S LIGHTNING GENERATOR
IS DESIGNED TO BUILD UP

ENOUGH ELECTRICAL CHARGE
TO FIRE A TWO MILLION VOLT

BOLT OF ELECTRICITY.

THAT'S A SMALL BUT VERY
REALISTIC LIGHTNING STRIKE...

MORE THAN ENOUGH ELECTRICITY

TO TURN VOLKER
INTO A SMOKING HEAP.

HINRICHSEN: SO I HAVE
JUST TO WAIT.

THEY ARE CHARGING
THE GENERATOR NOW,

AND VERY SUDDENLY,
IT WILL BE DISCHARGED.

MAN: FUNF, VIER,
DREI, ZWEI, EINS,

SCHUSS.

WOW. THAT WAS--HA!

SO WE HAVE NOW THE DISCHARGE,

AND YOU SEE,
NOTHING HAPPENED TO ME.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY
SAFE IN THE CAR.

SCHUSS.
[CRACK OF ELECTRICITY]

SCHUSS.

YOU SEE I AM STILL ALIVE.

NARRATOR: A SINGLE BOLT IS TOO
QUICK TO SEE IN DETAIL,

BUT THE LAB CAN GENERATE
A SLOWER ELECTRIC PULSE

TO HELP SHOW WHAT HAPPENS

WHEN LIGHTNING HITS
A METAL ENCLOSURE.

THIS CAR MAY BE ON THE GROUND,

BUT ELECTRICITY FLOWS
THROUGH A PLANE IN THE AIR

IN A VERY SIMILAR WAY.

HINRICHSEN: IT'S A QUITE
SIMPLE PRINCIPLE

IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.

SO THIS--THAT IS WHAT WE
NAME THE FARADAY CAGE.

THAT MEANS THE STRIKE
TERMINATES ON THE CAR,

UH, IT DISCHARGES ON THE CAR,

THE CHARGE FLOWS OVER THE
METALLIC SURFACE OF THE CAR,

BYPASSES ME, DOESN'T
FLOW THROUGH MY BODY,

AND THAT IS WHY I AM
SURVIVING THAT.

NARRATOR: IT'S THANKS TO
THE FARADAY EFFECT

THAT WE ARE KEPT SAFE

WHEN A METAL PLANE GETS
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

[CRACK OF ELECTRICITY]

THAT'S ALL VERY WELL

FOR PASSENGER PLANES
STILL MADE OF METAL,

BUT IT POSES A PROBLEM FOR THE
NEW BREED OF COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT.

COMPOSITE DOESN'T
DISPERSE ELECTRICITY

IN THE SAME WAY AS METAL,
SO WITHOUT PROTECTION,

THESE PLANES
AND THEIR PASSENGERS

WOULD BE IN REAL DANGER.

HERE IN A NONDESCRIPT INDUSTRIAL
ZONE IN SOUTH WALES,

A RESEARCH TEAM IS STUDYING

HOW COMPOSITE PLANES ARE
AFFECTED BY LIGHTNING.

TO HELP ILLUSTRATE WHAT HAPPENS

WHEN A NONMETALLIC
PLANE COMPONENT

FAILS TO DISPERSE
A LIGHTNING STRIKE,

THEY'VE OFFERED TO DEMONSTRATE
ON THIS RATHER CHARMING

NONMETALLIC GARDEN ORNAMENT.

THE ONLY WAY TO CAPTURE
THE MOMENT OF IMPACT

IS BY USING
AN ULTRA-HIGH-SPEED CAMERA

INSULATED IN A BLAST-PROOF BOX.

[BEEPING]

THE GNOME DIDN'T FARE TOO WELL.

IT'S THE JOB OF
PROFESSOR MANU HADDAD

TO MAKE SURE THE DESTRUCTIVE
POWER OF LIGHTNING

NEVER HAS THIS IMPACT
ON A PLANE,

AND NONMETALLIC COMPOSITE PARTS
GAVE HIM A REAL HEADACHE.

HADDAD: THE REASON WHY
WE DO THIS RESEARCH

IS THAT YOU NEED TO
MAKE SURE

THAT ANY MATERIAL THAT
YOU USE IN AIRCRAFT

IS ACTUALLY SAFE WHEN
IT'S HIT BY LIGHTNING.

IF, UM, THERE WAS NO
LIGHTNING PROTECTION
DESIGN,

YOU WOULD HAVE
A VERY DISASTROUS
EFFECT, UM,

DUE TO A LIGHTNING
STRIKE.

NARRATOR: SO, WHAT HAPPENS
TO UNPROTECTED COMPOSITE

WHEN IT'S ZAPPED BY AN
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTNING BOLT?

3, 2, 1.

NARRATOR: WHEN THIS ORDINARY
CARBON COMPOSITE

IS HIT BY LIGHTNING,
STRIPS OF CARBON FIBER

ARE BLASTED OFF THE SURFACE.

YOU REALLY WOULDN'T WANT
THAT TO HAPPEN

TO YOUR AIRCRAFT'S HULL
AT 10,000 FEET.

IT WAS A HUGE CHALLENGE
TO FIND A WAY OF PROTECTING

THE NEW GENERATION OF COMPOSITE
PLANES FROM THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE.

AFTER DECADES WITH NO LARGE JETS
LOST TO LIGHTNING STRIKES,

NOBODY WANTED TO SEE
THIS THREAT RE-EMERGE.

SO ENGINEERS CAME UP WITH
A BRILLIANTLY SIMPLE PLAN.

HADDAD: FORTUNATELY WE
HAVE A VERY GOOD SOLUTION,

AND THIS IS USING
A COPPER MESH,

A VERY THIN COPPER MESH,
THAT YOU WOULD PUT

ON TOP OF THE CARBON
COMPOSITE,

AND THAT WILL ALLOW, THEN,
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE CURRENT

UNIFORMLY ON THE SURFACE

AND AVOID THE DAMAGE
THAT YOU SEE HERE.

AND THIS IS THE PROTECTED SIDE,
WHICH HAS THE MESH.

NARRATOR: THE DELICATE LAYER
OF COPPER WEBBING

EMBEDDED ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE PLATE

SHOULD, IN THEORY, PROTECT
A COMPOSITE PLANE.

HADDAD: AS YOU CAN SEE,
THERE IS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE

ON THE SURFACE OF
THE PANEL THIS TIME.

UH, WHAT THE PROTECTION, OR
THE MESH THAT WE PUT HERE, DID--

IT GUARANTEED THAT THE CURRENT

IS ACTUALLY
DISTRIBUTED UNIFORMLY,

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS
A VERY GOOD DEMONSTRATION

ON HOW LIGHTNING PROTECTION
OF CARBON COMPOSITES WORKS.

NARRATOR: SO EVERY NEW PLANE
MADE WITH CARBON COMPOSITE

NOW ROLLS OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE

WITH A FINE
PROTECTIVE COPPER MESH

BENEATH THE PAINTWORK,

AN INNOVATION KEEPING YOU,
THE PASSENGER, SAFE

FROM A 100 MILLION VOLT
LIGHTNING STRIKE.

HADDAD: WITHOUT THIS,

THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS,

BOTH FOR THE PLANE
AND FOR PEOPLE.

OF COURSE IT'S VERY SATISFACTORY
TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS,

THAT THE PROTECTION
IS WORKING AS DESIGNED

AND IT'S DOING ITS JOB
EFFECTIVELY.

NARRATOR: WHETHER YOUR PLANE IS
MADE OF COMPOSITE OR ALUMINUM,

WHAT'S CERTAIN IS
IT'S GOT TO WORK.

IT'S GOT TO KEEP YOU SAFE,
KEEP YOU IN THE AIR,

AND IT'S GOT TO DO IT OVER
AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN,

AND THAT ISN'T EASY.

LARGE PASSENGER JETS ARE AMONG
THE MOST SOPHISTICATED

AND COMPLEX MACHINES EVER BUILT.

THIS AIRCRAFT HAS
AN INCREDIBLE 4 MILLION PARTS.

IF ANYTHING WERE TO GO SERIOUSLY
WRONG WITH ANY ONE OF THEM,

EVEN ONCE, THE RESULTS
COULD BE CATASTROPHIC.

IN ITS LIFETIME, IT MAY BE
REQUIRED TO FLY 2,000 TIMES

AROUND THE EARTH, EQUIVALENT TO

OVER 100 JOURNEYS
TO THE MOON AND BACK.

IN THE 8 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST
AIRBUS A380s CAME INTO SERVICE,

A HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE HAVE
FLOWN ON THEM.

REMARKABLY, IN ALL THAT TIME,

NOT A SINGLE LIFE HAS BEEN LOST
IN ONE DUE TO MALFUNCTION.

THAT'S THANKS IN PART TO SOME
AMAZING BEHIND-THE-SCENES WORK

THAT MOST OF US PASSENGERS
NEVER GET TO SEE.

HERE IN DUBAI, EMIRATES
AIRLINES' FLEET OF A380s

HAS REACHED A MAJOR MILESTONE.

SOME OF THESE PLANES

HAVE CLOCKED UP CLOSE TO
13 MILLION AIR MILES,

AND THAT HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL,
SO THEY'RE NOW BEING CALLED IN

FOR THE ULTIMATE SAFETY CHECK:
THE STRIP-DOWN.

TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT
FOR WEAR AND TEAR,

IT'S STRIPPED BACK
TO THE BARE BONES.

OVER AN 8-WEEK PERIOD,
ENGINEERS WILL CAREFULLY REMOVE

1,600 KEY PARTS.

THEN THEY'LL PORE OVER EVERY
INCH OF THE EMPTY SHELL.

ANIL VAZ IS
THE ENGINEER IN CHARGE.

NARRATOR: WHEN AN AIRCRAFT
IS IN FLIGHT,

THE WINGS HANDLE
PHENOMENAL STRESSES.

TINY CRACKS CAN FORM IN
THE WINGS' INTERNAL STRUCTURE.

IF JUST ONE WERE LEFT TO GROW
INTO A MAJOR FLAW,

IT COULD BRING DOWN A PLANE.

NARRATOR: THE STRIP-DOWN
IS ALL ABOUT

SPOTTING POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
BEFORE THEY BECOME SERIOUS.

AND ONCE THEY PUT IT
BACK TOGETHER,

THIS A380 SHOULD FLY
FOR ANOTHER 6 YEARS

BEFORE ITS NEXT MAJOR OVERHAUL.

THANKS IN PART TO THIS LEVEL
OF SAFETY CHECKING,

FLYING IS NOW SAFER
THAN EVER BEFORE.

NARRATOR: THE INCREDIBLE SAFETY
RECORD OF MODERN AIRCRAFT

IS LITTLE SHORT OF
AN ENGINEERING MIRACLE.

THIS ACHIEVEMENT HAS BEEN KEY TO
THE GROWTH OF AVIATION

INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY.

BUT KEEPING A MILLION PASSENGERS
CONSTANTLY IN THE AIR,

ALONGSIDE A PARALLEL
WORLD OF FLYING CARGO,

IS AN ASTONISHING FEAT THAT
MOST OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED.

NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE

WITHOUT AN INVISIBLE
ARMY OF PEOPLE

KEEPING YOU AND YOUR PLANE SAFE.

AND THANKS TO
THEIR SKILL AND CARE,

YOUR FLIGHT IS ABOUT TO
REACH ITS DESTINATION.

[TIRES SCREECH]

But what goes up must come down.

You're going to have to
do one crucial thing...

land.

It takes pilots who are ready
for anything.

Plane Alert: Terrain ahead.

Narrator: Specialists making
sure your route

is clear and safe.

Specialist: It's hundreds of
lives that are at stake.

Narrator: Engineers watching
over your plane

from the other side
of the globe.

Engineer: You wouldn't
even be aware

any of this was happening.

♪

ANNOUNCER: "CITY IN THE SKY"
IS AVAILABLE ON DVD.

TO ORDER, VISIT SHOPPBS.ORG

OR CALL 1-800-PLAY-PBS.