The Aviators (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Aviators is a new weekly magazine-style TV series featuring interesting people, the latest aircraft, current technology and fly-in destinations. The show's site describes subject matter as follows: "We will take you behind the scenes to show you how airline pilots train, how planes are built, and how ATC works. We will profile aviation businesses and showcase aviation products. We will provide safety tips for private and recreational pilots and career tips for professional pilots."
The Aviators premiered on the Global Television Network
on Saturday, September 4, 2010. It could also be seen on CHEK-TV
in Canada and is distributed to all 356 Public Broadcasting Stations in the United States for broadcast in numerous markets starting in September of 2010. On September 1, 2010 the producers announced that a deal had been signed with Discovery Channel Asia that saw the series broadcast overseas in the spring of 2011.
In the first six months after its premiere, the show aired almost 8,000 times across North America - an average of over 40 times a day. The Aviators launched on Hulu
in February of 2011 and was viewed over 32,000 times in just two weeks. In March of 2011 producers announced some changes for season two including the addition of country music singer (and pilot) George Canyon
to the cast. The season two premiere is set for September 12, 2011.
The Aviators premiered on the Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
on Saturday, September 4, 2010. It could also be seen on CHEK-TV
CHEK-TV
CHEK-DT, channel 6.1, is a television station based in Victoria, British Columbia and broadcasting to all of southwestern BC...
in Canada and is distributed to all 356 Public Broadcasting Stations in the United States for broadcast in numerous markets starting in September of 2010. On September 1, 2010 the producers announced that a deal had been signed with Discovery Channel Asia that saw the series broadcast overseas in the spring of 2011.
In the first six months after its premiere, the show aired almost 8,000 times across North America - an average of over 40 times a day. The Aviators launched on Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
in February of 2011 and was viewed over 32,000 times in just two weeks. In March of 2011 producers announced some changes for season two including the addition of country music singer (and pilot) George Canyon
George Canyon
George Canyon is a Canadian country music singer. He was runner up Nashville Star 2 in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, Nova Scotia before he moved west. He currently lives in High River, Alberta...
to the cast. The season two premiere is set for September 12, 2011.
Released Preview Segments (Season 1)
- EAA AirVenture – Sara Rependa visits AirVenture for the first time and sees such attractions as the Airbus A380Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
, the USAF C5M, and the VMS EveVMS EveVMS Eve is a carrier mothership for Virgin Galactic and launch platform for Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo-based Virgin SpaceShips....
. - Julie Clark – Kurtis Arnold interviews legendary airshow pilot and women's aviation pioneer Julie Clark.
- Russian MiG 15 – Jeff Lewis takes us for the ride of a lifetime on the most reproduced fighter jet ever made.
- Flat spin – Neil Spooner describes how he survived an unsurvivable flat spin.
Episode guide (Season 1)
13 x 30 HD M&E- 1.01: EAA AirVenture: America's largest aviation celebration, The US Air Force's C5M Supergalaxy, The Tiger Moth biplane, Miracle on the Hudson hero Jeff Skiles, Flat spin survivor
- 1.02: Chartright corporate charters, Cross Canada Century Flight, Air show pilot Julie Clark, Affordable helicopters
- 1.03: Legacy of the CessnaCessnaThe Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
brand, Float training, How to land an airliner, Aerobatic champion Patty WagstaffPatty WagstaffPatty Wagstaff is an aerobatic pilot from the United States. Wagstaff traveled all over the world as a child: her father was a pilot for Japan Airlines, and Wagstaff would travel to Southeast Asia, Australia and Alaska to prepare for her own career as a pilot...
, Russian MiG 15 - 1.04: Sun 'n FunSun 'n FunSun 'n Fun is a "Fly-in" and airshow held annually at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, usually during the second or third week of April....
special from Lakeland, FL - 1.05: Can a private pilot land an airliner?, Delfin L-29 fighter jet, Aircraft annual inspection, Airbus A380Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
- 1.06: Can a non-pilot land an airliner?, Zaon collision avoidance PCASPortable Collision Avoidance SystemPortable Collision Avoidance System is an aircraft collision avoidance system similar in function to traffic collision avoidance system...
, Women in Aviation, Light sport aviation - 1.07: Air Traffic Control Tower, Walkaround checks, Quesnel air show, Pilot profile: John Lovelace
- 1.08: Aerobatic pilot Rick Volker, Homebuilt industry, Cessna Caravan, Mid-Continent instruments
- 1.09: Air Traffic Control: En route control, Boundary Bay air show, Beechcraft StaggerwingBeechcraft StaggerwingThe Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is an American biplane with an atypical negative stagger , that first flew in 1932.-Development:...
, Aircraft Owners and Pilots AssociationAircraft Owners and Pilots AssociationThe Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is a Frederick, Maryland-based non-profit political organization. Incorporated on 15 May 1939, AOPA's membership consists mainly of general aviation pilots in the United States...
(AOPA) - 1.10: Aircraft auction, Ultralight flying, Aviation destination: Wichita
- 1.11: Mikey McBryan of TV’s ‘Ice Pilots NWTIce Pilots NWTIce Pilots NWT is a reality television documentary series broadcast on History Television that portrays Buffalo Airways, an airline based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Buffalo flies WWII-era propeller planes year-round in the Canadian North. It premiered on November 18, 2009...
’, Goodyear blimpGoodyear BlimpThe Goodyear Blimp is the collective name for a fleet of blimps operated by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for advertising purposes and for use as a television camera platform for aerial views of sporting events...
, Midnight Sun Challenge into the Yukon - 1.12: A day in the life of an airline pilot, Airline environmentalism, Airliner maintenance
- 1.13: Cross-border flying, Boreal forest, Flying a Cessna around the world, Splash-in: Float plane fly-in
Episode guide (Season 2)
13 x 30 HD M&E- 2.01: Aviation 101: An explanation of some of the very basics of aviation. Host profiles: A closer look at some of the hosts of The Aviators including Sara, Kurtis, Anthony, and new host, country music singer George Canyon.
- 2.02: ATC gibberish: Breaking down and simplifying all that complex sounding radio chatter. Water egress: Sara learns how to escape from a submerged aircraft. Condor Squadron: Taking to the air with a team of formation pilots flying WW2 era planes.
- 2.03: Can a kid land an airliner?: A follow up to some of the popular sim segments from season one, but this time with a 12 year old at the controls! Flight services: Kurtis shows us the many important functions of this often overlooked aspect of Air Traffic Control services. $100 hamburger: A pilot expression for an aviation food-run. Anthony and Raeleen dig in at Greenville, SC.
- 2.04: Private pilot emergency: Anthony closes the season 2 sim segments by having everything but the kitchen sink thrown at him. Can he do it? MCAS Miramar (formerly Top Gun): Spending the day with US Marine fighter pilots at their legendary base.
- 2.05: Day in the life of an air show (Part 1 of 2): We take you behind the scenes for an exclusive look at the inner workings of one of America’s biggest air shows.
- 2.06: Day in the life of an air show (Part 2 of 2): The exciting conclusion to the two-part special including an up-close look at the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
- 2.07: AOPA Summit: The annual event of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. LAPD: We take you inside the aerial unit of the Los Angeles Police Department to see how the world’s largest police fleet helps to catch bad guys. iPad in the cockpit: We get hands-on with the revolutionary tablet device to show some of the most popular aviation tools available.
- 2.08: Remote control aircraft: We visit the Joe Nall event, the “Oshkosh” of RC flying. Blue Angels – Fat Albert: All aboard Fat Albert Airlines, the Blue Angels’ incredible USMC C130T. Yak 52W: Sara meets Peyton McCool and takes a spin (literally) in his Soviet-era trainer.
- 2.09: Triple Tree Aerodrome: A look at one of the most meticulously maintained grass runways anywhere at what we discovered to be a pure haven for lovers of aviation and the outdoors. Aeroshell Aerobatic Team: Raeleen goes flying with these rock stars of the air show circuit. Dream flight of a lifetime: Twenty pilots attend a T33 Silverstar ground school but only one will win a chance to actually fly it.
- 2.10: Aircraft ownership: Kurtis exploring the varied costs and entry points of flying for everyone from the weekend warrior to the rich and famous. Airpark living: When your driveway is a runway, life is good… and as airparks go, this place is Heavenly! Pilot profile – Pete McLeod: Jeff talks to the Red Bull Air Racer about life as a high-adrenalin, competitive flyer.
- 2.11: Aircraft engines: Kurtis learns about aircraft power plants from Penn Yan Aero’s Bill Middlebrook, whose family has a long and rich history in American aviation. Lockheed Electra: Made famous by Amelia Earhart, Jeff takes us flying in this classic bird. Most female friendly airport: George celebrates women in aviation at the most female friendly airport in the world.
- 2.12: Buying a used aircraft: Anthony shows that buying The Aviators’ new 210 can be just as simple as buying a used car. And accessorizing it can be just as fun. Heli-tourism: We’ll show you how helicopters can give you a unique look at one of the great wonders of the world. Antonov AN-10: George explores the history of this four turbo-prop engine Soviet-era passenger plane and learns how it’s used today.
- 2.13: $100 Hamburger #2: Another flying excursion in search of great grub. Soaring: A form of flying where missing the roar of the engine is entirely the point! Warbirds: We take a walk back in time and get up close to a collection of historic aircraft that flew world-altering missions.
List of Hosts
- Anthony NalliAnthony NalliAnthony Nalli is a Canadian freelance writer and pilot who produces a column entitled Close Calls which is published monthly in several aviation magazines across North America including COPA Flight magazine, In Flight USA, Atlantic Flyer magazine, Canadian Aviation Journal, Cessna Pilot magazine,...
(Private IFR pilot) - Kurtis Arnold (Commercial IFR pilot, ATC)
- Sara Rependa (Commercial multi-engine pilot)
- Jeff Lewis (Airline and aerobatic pilot)
- Raeleen Ranger (Airline pilot)
- George CanyonGeorge CanyonGeorge Canyon is a Canadian country music singer. He was runner up Nashville Star 2 in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, Nova Scotia before he moved west. He currently lives in High River, Alberta...
(Ultralight pilot)