Documentaries: Sinking A the Destroyer

Canadian and United States Navy forces converge for live fire exercise in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The goal: sink the HMCS Huron, a Tribal-class destroyer. Parallax Film Productions profiles the ship’s ultimate engineering, this high-octane operation, and the fierce competition to deliver the ship’s fatal blow.

CF-18 Hornets. The HMCS Algonquin. HMC Ships Saskatoon, Ottawa and Regina. United States Ships Shoup, Ingraham and Curts. This documentary follows these vessels and their crews in an unprecedented operation to defy naval military engineering. In the past retired warships were generally sold for scrap or sunk as artificial reefs. This time the Navy decides to use the Huron for ultra-sensitive target practice in this large-scale exercise. The goal: provide invaluable operational training for sailors and pilots – the most realistic training possible in peacetime – in the West Coast Firing Area, about 100 km off the coast of Vancouver Island, in 2,000 metres of water.

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Documentaries: The Anatomy of an F18

This high-energy one-hour special takes a look into the revolutionary capabilities of the carrier-based strike fighter and the experience of the pilots who fly it. At California’s Naval Air Station Lemoore, the Navy’s most advanced F/A-18 training facility, viewers will learn what it takes to become a strike fighter pilot, from the rigors of the centrifuge to the thrill of dogfight training. The program also takes viewers on deployment with an actual Carrier Air Group and shows the intense world of naval aviation for which these trainees are preparing. Combining high-definition footage, animated 3-D graphics and thrilling air-to-air material, ANATOMY OF AN F/A-18 is an exciting, high-tech hour of television about the most versatile jet in active service.pilot.

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Documentaries: The Magic of Flight

Experience the thrill of a Blue Angels air show while learning of the science and history of flight. Featuring cutting edge aerial photography, this is the story of human potential and the importance of training and performance. 

In The Magic of Flight, we are inspired by a bird’s innate ease to take flight and review early flight attempts, as well as the ultimate successful flight of the Wright Brothers in 1903. The variety and versatility of today’s flying machines are also displayed throughout the film. We learn how the Harrier jet mimics a bird’s landing and take-off. The jet can be delicately maneuvered at slow speeds yet capable of moving over 500 mph. We also witness naval aviators, with the ability to fly up to 1,300 mph, precisely land on an aircraft carrier, the most difficult maneuver in all of aviation.

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Documentaries: Army Strong

Journey into a secret world where aeronautical dreams become military reality. Particle ray beam weapons, quiet supersonic flight, magnetic levitation and hyper-speed engines are all part of the technology that promises cutting-edge aircraft for 21st century combat. Learn how UCAVs - Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles - are poised to take the preeminent role in future air combat with their ability to undertake missions too dangerous for human pilots, striking land and air targets with robotic precision. Without the burden of designing for a human pilot, engineers of these robot planes - like Northrop's radical X-47 - are able to achieve some truly space-age designs. 

Witness the latest applications of stealth technology in aircraft like the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Boeing's out-of-this-world "Bird of Prey." Like the Klingon ship that inspired its name, this experimental plane is completely invisible to detection and truly looks years ahead of its time. But while stealth planes have been around for some time, stealth helicopters are the emerging stars of the air force. Watch as the new Comanche explodes onto the scene, flexing its muscles as the military's newest and deadliest tank killer. Then, climb into the cockpit for an exclusive, first-time tour of the Comanche to see the amazing abilities of this state-of-the-art attack chopper.

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The World at War

 The World at War (1973–74) is a 26-episode British television documentary series chronicling the events of the Second World War. At the time of its completion in 1973 it was the most expensive series ever made, costing £900,000. It was produced by Jeremy Isaacs, narrated by Laurence Olivier and has a score composed by Carl Davis. A book, The World at War, was written by Mark Arnold-Forster to accompany it.

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