Discovery takes flight with two new specials

discovery

From a media release:

Move over stars and socialites of TIFF – the superstars this September are Hercules and Jumbo! Discovery buckles up for a Sunday night in-flight extravaganza with back-to-back original Canadian specials 747: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE and MIGHTY PLANES: HEROIC HERCULES. Premiering Sunday, Sept. 28 beginning at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT, the first hour tells the definitive story of the planet’s most iconic plane – the plane that has shaped the world of travel more than any other – the 747 or Jumbo Jet. Then at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT, a special two-hour installment of hit series MIGHTY PLANES takes viewers on a journey with the most flexible airlifter in the world – the C130J Hercules – fresh off the Lockheed Martin production line.

Descriptions of 747: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE and MIGHTY PLANES: HEROIC HERCULES as follows:

747: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
Sunday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
It’s the most famous passenger airplane ever to take to the skies: the Boeing 747 or Jumbo Jet. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access, never-before-seen archival footage, super life-like CGI and gripping dramatic reconstructions – this one-hour special reveals just what makes the 747 one of the most ground-breaking and awesome aircraft in the sky, a jet that has carried the equivalent of 80% of the world’s population. Travelling to Boeing’s Seattle HQ, the biggest building in the world – 747: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE reveals the mind-blowing technical effort that goes into putting together a 747 – millions of parts, six storeys high, and wings the size of a parking lot. Then, meet Colonel Mark Tillman, the pilot who flew Air Force One for President George W. Bush on the morning of 9/11.

MIGHTY PLANES: HEROIC HERCULES
Sunday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
The Hercules is the most flexible airlifter in the world. With more than 70 variants, the C130J or “Super” Herc is the newest model in the longest continuous production run of any plane in aircraft history. This medium-range bird is the tactical cargo and personnel transporter for the U.S. Air Force, and serves multi-mission capabilities. Its many jobs include: special operations; search and rescue; aerial refueling; medevac; natural disaster relief missions; fire fighter; maritime surveillance; and hurricane hunter. In this two-hour special, MIGHTY PLANES takes flight with the delivery of a brand-new C130J fresh off the Lockheed Martin production to the Little Rock Air Force base in Arkansas. Then, meet Tim Nguyen, a Lockheed Martin Aviation Engineer who has dedicated his life to protecting the mighty Hercules from attack. He journeys to Little Rock to visit the very Herc that saved his life 40 years ago during the fall of Saigon.

747: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE is produced by Handel Productions in co-production with Arrow Media U.K. Canadian Screen Award-winners Alan Handel and Tom Brisley are executive producers.

MIGHTY PLANES: HEROIC HERCULES is produced by Exploration Production Inc. Gemini-Winner Kathryn Oughtred is Executive Producer.

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