About this season
Tactical to Practical is a short-lived History Channel program that ran from 2003 to 2005. Each episode documents ways in which technologies utilized by the civilian public were originally developed to serve military purposes. The show is hosted by Hunter Ellis.
Episodes (21)
1. Humvee / Night Vision / GPS
Aired 9 September 2003 • 60 min
Former Navy fighter pilot and series host Hunter Ellis examines military solutions to problems that crossed over into civilian life. Hunter explores the Army's relationship with four-wheel drive--from WWII Jeeps to the Humvee. From off-road to the dark of night, he takes a glowing green look into night vision technology, now used in law enforcement and wildlife research. And, he shows how GPS (Global Positioning System) came into its own in Desert Storm and is about to make the compass obsolete!
2. Submarines / Miracle Materials / Radar
Aired 16 September 2003 • 60 min
3. Attack Planes / Animals at War / Inflatables
Aired 23 September 2003 • 60 min
4. Tanks / Satellites / Parachutes
Aired 30 September 2003 • 60 min
5. Navy SEALS Dive Gear / Food Tech / Robots
Aired 7 October 2003 • 60 min
6. Light Off-Road Vehicles / Battlefield ER / Drones
Aired 14 October 2003 • 60 min
Hunter teaches us about the offroad abilities of the desert patrol vehical.
7. Spy Gear / MedEvac Helicopters / Specialty Boats
Aired 28 October 2003 • 60 min
Included: MedEvac helicopters; specialty boats. Also: a tour of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Host: Hunter Ellis.
8. Hot Choppers / Lasers / Firefighting
Aired 4 November 2003 • 60 min
A look at submarine rescue operations; the history of dirigibles; and military snow gear. Also: treasure hunter Mel Fisher explores the wreckage of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, a Spanish ship that sank in 1622 off the coast of Florida. Host: Hunter Ellis.
9. Survival Training / People in Space / Explosives
Aired 25 November 2003 • 60 min
10. Boys' Toys
Aired 2 December 2003 • 60 min
11. Specialty Planes / Secrets of the MPs / Non-Lethal Weapons
Aired 23 December 2003 • 60 min
12. Wired Warfare / Need for Speed
Aired 30 December 2003 • 60 min
13. Super Ships / Armored Cars / Simulators
Aired 20 April 2004 • 60 min
A segment on ships adapted for civilian use which includes a retrospective on the ships of World Wars I and II; and tours of modern naval vessels. Also: armored vehicles and simulators. Host: Hunter Ellis.
14. Winter Warfare / Optics / Gliders
Aired 27 April 2004 • 60 min
A look at how winter warfare helped the winter-sports industry. Also: gun sights; gliders. Host: Hunter Ellis.
15. Special Duty Trucks / Ballistic Missile Defense / Weather
Aired 4 May 2004 • 60 min
16. Hybrid Vehicles / Camouflage / Scanning Technology
Aired 11 May 2004 • 60 min
17. Balloons / Army Engineers / Command Centers
Aired 18 May 2004 • 60 min
18. Deep Sea Exploration / Blimps and Dirigibles / Snow Gear
Aired 25 May 2004 • 60 min
A look at submarine rescue operations; the history of dirigibles; and military snow gear. Also: treasure hunter Mel Fisher explores the wreckage of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, a Spanish ship that sank in 1622 off the coast of Florida. Host: Hunter Ellis.
19. Search & Rescue Units / High Mobility Medicine / Secret Codes
Aired 8 June 2004 • 60 min
20. Crash Survival / ROVs / Video Surveillance
Aired 22 June 2004 • 60 min
21. The Cavalry / Cyberwar: Cyberterrorism and Cyberdefense / Biological and Chemical Defense
Aired 29 June 2004 • 60 min