The Century of Flight — Season 1, Episode 21: Anyone can fly
Documentary • 50 min • 1 season, 26 episodes
Episode synopsis
Private flying in all its forms. Light aircraft in flight. Theme of freedom of the air compared to the ground. Learning to fly - flying schools, both fixed and rotary wing, and how to qualify for a pilot’s licence. Aircraft as a way of life - housing estates for aircraft owners, commuting to work by aircraft, the mega-rich and their private airliners. Gliding - recreation and competition. Hang-gliding - the cheapest form of flying. Microlight aircraft. Ballooning - the art, international balloon meets, high altitude ballooning, crossing the Atlantic by balloon and attempts to circumnavigate the globe.
About The Century of Flight
This definitive history of manned flight has been compiled into 26 hour episodes, with access to some of the rarest archive film ever taken. Unprecedented co-operation has been extended by the world's leading aircraft manufacturers and leading archive libraries. Included in the footage are shots of rare prototype accidents and failures which contributed to the inevitable achievement and success of man in the air. Since Charles Lindbergh became the first lone aviator to cross the Atlantic in 1927, air transport has greatly accelerated , revolutionised by the giant Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet - and what might we see in the 21st century?