About this season
A chronicle of the daily challenges of the airport staff who manage to keep the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) open, freight flowing, and passengers flying, all despite weather that regularly dips to -38 Fahrenheit and wind speeds that typically exceed 100 mph.
Episodes (10)
1. Arctic Guardians
Aired 8 October 2023 • 44 min
A suspected toxic leak grounds a 737 at Anchorage International, engine trouble endangers the mid-air refueling of the USAF's most advanced fighter jet in Alaska, and a discovery at airport customs busts a potential smuggling.
2. Arctic Survival
Aired 15 October 2023 • 44 min
Crews at Alaska's biggest airport race to repair a broken snowblower in advance of a major winter storm, and a group of Air Force pilots learn how to survive in extreme Arctic conditions.
3. Crisis At Crooked Creek
Aired 22 October 2023 • 44 min
A family-run airline flies emergency supplies to a remote village hit by water pollution. Alaska's biggest cargo airline loads high explosives on a busy runway, and Anchorage's elite pilots come to the rescue of a holiday party.
4. Snow Bomb
Aired 29 October 2023 • 44 min
Record-breaking snow in Anchorage could shut the airport. A novice pilot tests his nerve landing on a frozen lake. USAF aircrews battle the toughest Arctic survival training and a unique aircraft workshop Alaska-proofs a vintag.
5. Ice Warriors
Aired 5 November 2023 • 44 min
NOAA Hurricane Hunters prepare to fly into the heart of a storm, harsh weather threatens vital combat training for U.S. Air Force pilots, and a vintage plane makes an extraordinary journey.
6. Wild Ice
Aired 12 November 2023 • 44 min
Travelers from Anchorage get stranded halfway to an island in the Bering Sea, extreme skaters fly into the wilderness in search of Wild Ice, and Alaska's premium cargo airline fights to deliver a team of huskies.
7. Snow, Sweat and Gears
Aired 19 November 2023 • 44 min
Alaska's aviators fly into the wild for the world's toughest snowmobile race, Anchorage mechanics wrestle with a damaged 737's jet engine, and scientists take to the air to fight back against floods devastating remote communities.
8. On Thin Ice
Aired 3 December 2023 • 44 min
A bush plane resupply mission nearly ends in disaster, veterinarians brave winter storms to bring canine care to a remote village, and U.S. Air Force personnel train over the Alaskan tundra.
9. Runway Mayday
Aired 10 December 2023 • 44 min
A 747 mayday triggers an emergency, a young Indigenous student pilot practices challenging landing techniques, and an extreme surfer flies high to find waves at America's coolest surf spot.
10. Thawed Out
Aired 17 December 2023 • 44 min
A bar owner takes flight on an Alaskan beer run, engineers work to clear a cargo plane of corrosion, a retired 727 finds a new home, and mechanics rid a bush plane's wing of a rat's nest.