Air Aces

Season

2012

USA

8.1

Ambitious, spectacular, and supercharged with thrilling action, Air Aces profiles the most harrowing airborne combat missions ever, many of which were recently declassified. Combining CGI and real-life aerial reenactments featuring actual historic aircraft, Air Aces provides a comprehensive look at these dynamic dogfights and the pilots who survived. Despite often facing insurmountable odds, the pilots profiled in this action-packed series exemplified bravery as they squared off with enemies over hot spots across the globe.

Episode List

S1 • E1

Douglas Bader

In July 1940, Britain's most celebrated air ace, Douglas Bader, and his ragtag squadron of Canadian fighter pilots, go into battle against Hitler's mighty Luftwaffe. The outcome of the Battle of Britain will determine the future of the free world. But Bader is also fighting his own personal battle. Just eight years earlier a catastrophic accident cost him both his legs.

S1 • E2

George Beurling

Canadian George Beurling broke every rule in the book yet became one of the greatest fighter pilots of World War II. A loner and a social misfit, Beurling's disdain for protocol branded him an outcast. Regardless, during the Battle of Malta no Allied pilot shot down more enemy planes. Against staggering odds, Beurling's eagle-eye marksmanship and extraordinary command of his Spitfire helped win a crucial victory against the fascist powers.

S1 • E3

Wingwalker

Like all the Allied bombers of World War II, the crew of the Lancaster ME669 had one of the most dangerous jobs in the Air Force: to dodge deadly enemy fire and drop mega-tonnes of high-powered explosives over Nazi Germany. Without them, Hitler may have emerged victorious. But the tactic called "total war", a controversial strategy that turned cities into legitimate targets, overshadowed their legacy. Yet, for the more than one hundred thousand volunteers - half of who would not return - there was no other option.

S1 • E4

The Tuskegee Airmen

They were young, gifted, and black but the US Army refused them key positions. Until intense pressure from African-American activist groups pushed President Roosevelt to initiate a Blacks-only fighter pilot training program in Tuskegee, Alabama. What began as a revolutionary experiment gave birth to a potent fighting force that would help take Nazi Germany out of the skies and, in the process, change the course of American history.

S1 • E5

Robin Olds

In July 1966, North Vietnam's fleet of MiG-21s is hammering the US Air Force, and the embattled men of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing need a hero to whip them into shape. Enter Colonel Robin Olds, a WWII veteran airman, who charges in and commands respect. With the help of his pilots, Olds masterminds Operation BOLO; a death-defying bait-and-switch tactic that he hopes will whip out the MiGs once and for all. Then on January 2, 1967, Olds and his men provoke a ferocious dogfight and attempt to change the course of the Vietnam War.

S1 • E6

'Gabby' Gabreski

During WWII, American pilots race to down the most enemy planes and be crowned the countries' top flying ace. US Air Force Pilot Francis Gabby Gabreski, the child of Polish immigrants, makes his mission personal, seeking to avenge his families' devastating losses during the war. But despite his passion, the young wannabe is accident prone and incompetent behind the controls. Sticking to his guns, the rookie pilot never gives up, ascends through the ranks, and becomes the best that ever flew.