0:00:06 > 0:00:08There are now around a million people
0:00:08 > 0:00:09airborne at any one time.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15A city in the sky.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20A city straddling, not just countries...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23..but continents.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28It's built out of the 100,000 flights
0:00:28 > 0:00:30that crisscross the planet every day.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37I'm Dallas Campbell, a science broadcaster.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Aviation's a big part of my family story.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44I'm going to try and remember how to fly a 737.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47I'm Dr Hannah Fry,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50a lecturer in the mathematics of cities.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54So these are all of the planes across America right now?
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Right now.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Wow!
0:00:57 > 0:00:59We're just passing Mount Everest now.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02We're going to be travelling the world,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06uncovering the global networks and complex logistics
0:01:06 > 0:01:08that make this city possible.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10It takes the most incredible technology there is
0:01:10 > 0:01:12to make it all happen.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15It's a city that few could have even imagined a generation ago.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18- COMPUTER VOICE:- Pull up. Pull up.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21We'll be heading to some of the most extreme...
0:01:22 > 0:01:24..and remote corners of the planet.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Looking at the incredible engineering and technology
0:01:30 > 0:01:32that's reshaping aviation.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Oh, my God, look at this!
0:01:34 > 0:01:36And meeting the army of people
0:01:36 > 0:01:40who bring us safely back down to earth.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42It's not just about a plane or piece of metal.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44It's hundreds of lives that are at stake.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47The city in the sky is predicted to double in size
0:01:47 > 0:01:50in the next two decades.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54And running it is testing our ingenuity to its absolute limits.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09What goes up, must come down.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13In the world of aviation,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16landing is the most challenging part of the flight.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22And I'm heading for one of the most dangerous places to land,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25anywhere in the world.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27It's Paro airport in Bhutan.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33'That's the highest point on earth, Mount Everest.'
0:02:33 > 0:02:35There you go. The captain's just announced
0:02:35 > 0:02:37we're just passing Mount Everest now.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I've got to say, in the ranking of window seat views,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42that, probably number one.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43I reckon.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46The entire Himalayan region
0:02:46 > 0:02:50is a huge jumble of jagged mountains and deep valleys.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53The question is,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55how on earth do you get a plane this size
0:02:55 > 0:02:57down safely on the ground,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59when your airport is essentially
0:02:59 > 0:03:02in the biggest mountain range in the world?
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Paro is one of the only places in the high Himalayas
0:03:10 > 0:03:12you can land a medium-sized jet.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17It's nestled in a narrow valley,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20surrounded by towering 18,000-foot peaks.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25The approach and landing is legendary.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Apparently it's utterly hair-raising.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30So it's a good job I'm not a nervous flyer.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34And luckily, the captain has invited me upfront for a better view.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Captain Kinga Tshering is one of only 26 pilots in the world
0:03:38 > 0:03:40qualified to make this landing.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Hi, there. I'm Dallas.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Lovely to meet you. Thank you very, very much
0:03:47 > 0:03:50for letting us come up front and get a bit of a better view
0:03:56 > 0:03:58I mean, are you nervous doing this?
0:03:58 > 0:04:00This is my 45th landing at Paro, so I'm OK.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01- How many, 45?- Yeah.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03OK, you're fine. You're fine.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06But Paro is, you know, it gives you that
0:04:06 > 0:04:08rush of adrenaline every time.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12OK, this is going to be interesting. This is going to be an adventure.
0:04:18 > 0:04:2220 miles out, Captain Tshering's descended to 15,000 feet
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and he's now preparing for his approach.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27BEEPING
0:04:27 > 0:04:29So that, that beeping is the autopilot going off? OK.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35So they're flying manually, using the side stick.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40This airport doesn't have radar to guide planes in.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So he's got no option other than to land manually.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Are you flying just using visual points?
0:04:47 > 0:04:49- Yes, all visual this.- OK.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54The final approach is through a long, narrow valley.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59And just 500 metres before the airport, there's a high ridge.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Until the plane passes it, pilots can't see the runway at all.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Once the plane makes its turn around the ridge,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11it's got to be perfectly lined up with the runway,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13at just the right height.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18It should then be 100 feet off the ground
0:05:18 > 0:05:20and seconds away from touchdown.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27At least, that's the theory.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Time for the real thing...
0:05:29 > 0:05:31I don't want to distract him now.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I don't want to distract the pilot at this point.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Captain Tshering is now taking us down into the valley,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40flying alarmingly close to the mountainside.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- COMPUTER VOICE:- Terrain ahead.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Terrain ahead.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49This is seat-of-your-pants stuff.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- COMPUTER VOICE.- Terrain ahead. Pull up. Avoid terrain.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57God, we're so bloody close!
0:05:59 > 0:06:02We're losing height fast
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and there's still no sign of the airport.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Only 15 seconds from landing,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14as Captain Tshering makes his tricky turn around the ridge,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16the runway finally comes into view.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28We're at 500 feet.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Now I can see the runway.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32That is crazy.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41- COMPUTER VOICE:- 50.
0:06:41 > 0:06:4340.
0:06:43 > 0:06:4430. 20.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Retard. Retard.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Got to put the brakes on, as well. It's a really, really short runway.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58And...
0:06:58 > 0:07:00that is...
0:07:01 > 0:07:03That is pretty spectacular.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05That runway is short.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07I had no idea how short that is.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09You don't want to make any mistakes, do you?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12The minimum required runway to land is 45 metres.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14But here, we have only 30 metres.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18- I mean, you can only see the runway at the very, very last minute.- Yes.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20So if you make any mistakes, in terms of corrections,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22there's no real room for error, is there?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25There's very little room for error. No room for error at all.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31Welcome to Bhutan.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44This has got to be up there
0:07:44 > 0:07:47as one of the most spectacular airports on the planet.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49It really is flying by the seat of your pants coming in.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51You can see how the whole place
0:07:51 > 0:07:54is just surrounded by these high mountains.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58And that short runway really is...pretty spectacular.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Aviation is opening up more and more remote corners of the planet...
0:08:08 > 0:08:11..connecting us all in a way never before imagined.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Although, only five flights a day
0:08:15 > 0:08:18make the roller-coaster ride into Paro.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27That's a tiny fraction of the 100,000 flights
0:08:27 > 0:08:31that circumnavigate the earth every 24 hours,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34many of them on their way to mega airports.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- HANNAH:- This is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44To land here,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47you've got to navigate some of the world's busiest airspace.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Here, just like most airports,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56air traffic controllers in the tower
0:08:56 > 0:08:59take charge of guiding planes in to land from five miles out.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Today, they've got their work cut out.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I'm having to speak really quietly,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13because the guys behind me
0:09:13 > 0:09:18have got the lives of thousands of people in their hands.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22And the concentration is pretty intense.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26And this time of year, in the build-up to Thanksgiving,
0:09:26 > 0:09:27is the busiest time of all,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29with almost everybody in America
0:09:29 > 0:09:32trying to get home to their families.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36If these guys make just a tiny mistake,
0:09:36 > 0:09:37you can imagine the consequences.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40No pressure, then(!)
0:09:46 > 0:09:491,300 planes land at Atlanta every day.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55That's one aircraft to get down on the ground every 30 seconds.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00During Thanksgiving week,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04passenger numbers push the airport's capacity to the absolute limit.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Brian Kellman is one of the controllers guiding the planes in.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I caught up with him on his break.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18We have to keep this very efficient cos, as soon as we slow down,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21it could slow up the whole national air space system.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Atlanta is only able to handle the sheer volume
0:10:28 > 0:10:33of Thanksgiving air traffic thanks to its unique runway layout.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The airport has five runways, all running parallel,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42allowing three planes to land simultaneously.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47On top of that, planes can also take off from the other two runways,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49all at the same time.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- BRIAN:- I consider this airport to be a racetrack of aircraft.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58We move planes in and out very efficiently.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02and I call it the speedway of air traffic right here.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09At many airports, hold ups occur
0:11:09 > 0:11:12as planes wait to cross an active runway
0:11:12 > 0:11:15on their way to or from the terminal.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Not a problem here.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22This...is Atlanta's secret weapon.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Codenamed Taxiway Victor.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31And it looks like a fairly unremarkable piece of tarmac.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35This plane here is taxiing down the slope and around
0:11:35 > 0:11:37to avoid crossing the runway over there,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39where planes are still taking off.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42OK, so what?
0:11:42 > 0:11:47Until you realise that there are hardly any airports in the world
0:11:47 > 0:11:49which have this kind of a system.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Fortunately, Atlanta had the space
0:11:56 > 0:11:58to upgrade its taxiways as it grew,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02helping it retain the crown of world's busiest airport.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15But for all this state-of-the-art design,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18this whole place would come to a standstill
0:12:18 > 0:12:21without an eagle-eyed team of runway inspectors.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Op-six would like to inspect the full length of one-zero
0:12:26 > 0:12:28and I'll remain off all runways,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30give way to all aircraft and all critical areas.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37So right now, we're doing the runway inspection.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40We're looking at any type of debris,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44metal, any types of bolts, screws, even plastic.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52John Ryan is responsible for foreign object debris collection.
0:12:53 > 0:12:59I'm helping him scour every inch of Atlanta's tarmac.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02This runway safety inspection
0:13:02 > 0:13:04involves looking for any pieces of debris
0:13:04 > 0:13:06that might have fallen onto the ground
0:13:06 > 0:13:08from a plane or airport vehicle.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Sounds straightforward enough,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15but there's just a 45-second window between landings
0:13:15 > 0:13:18to check an entire runway.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24And we're being chased by a 65-tonne passenger plane.
0:13:26 > 0:13:33We were taking that runway, I think, at some speed...
0:13:33 > 0:13:34and only just got off it in time
0:13:34 > 0:13:37for another plane to come in to land.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39And this is the quiet period.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41This is the quiet period, yeah.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46John's looking out for even the tiniest objects
0:13:46 > 0:13:48that might have been left behind.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51A screw.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- Oh, really?- Actually, it's a nut.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55A nut?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- So probably off a bag cart.- Oh, OK.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59- It's quite warped, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- Is that dangerous?- Yes, definitely, it's a dangerous item.- Yeah?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05So you're driving along at 30 miles an hour
0:14:05 > 0:14:08and that's enough to spot things like tiny bits of metal...?
0:14:08 > 0:14:09Correct. Yeah.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13- You've got skills.- Yeah. - THEY BOTH LAUGH
0:14:21 > 0:14:24But a little bit of metal on the runway,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26how much of an impact could that have?
0:14:26 > 0:14:29It could have a catastrophic effect.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Even fragments as small as this
0:14:34 > 0:14:35have the potential to wreak havoc.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39They could puncture a tyre,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42or be flicked up and turned into a projectile,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44damaging an aircraft's fuselage.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Sucked into an engine,
0:14:48 > 0:14:49a fragment could hit fan blades
0:14:49 > 0:14:53spinning at 10,000 revolutions a minute,
0:14:53 > 0:14:54causing serious damage.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01As a passenger, when you're coming in to land,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05it just doesn't occur to you that there's a team of people like you
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- looking out for things as small as this...- Correct.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10..that could have that dramatic an impact.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- I know.- Have a catastrophic failure for the plane.- Yep.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16It's not just that airplane or a piece of metal,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19it's hundreds of lives that are at stake.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24So, you know, we are at, you know, the highest level of perception
0:15:24 > 0:15:26for any type of debris out there.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38When you see just how efficiently these guys
0:15:38 > 0:15:42deal with the massive numbers of planes that are coming in to land,
0:15:42 > 0:15:47it does make you wonder how much capacity there is to expand.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52And with global aviation set to double in the next 20 years,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56you do kind of wonder how airports are going to cope.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02It's not just airports.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05With passenger numbers increasing all the time,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09we'll need a lot of new pilots in the years ahead.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12According to some predictions,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14over half a million by 2034.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20But it can take as long as ten years to become a fully qualified captain
0:16:20 > 0:16:22on the largest passenger jets.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27So, no time like the present to join the ranks.
0:16:32 > 0:16:39OK, now I've got to try and remember how to fly a 737, OK, Boeing.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41OK, I've got, that.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Flaps, gear.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46OK, I'm ready. How hard can it be?
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- Here we go, if you're ready.- Yeah.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56V-one, rotate.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01That's absolutely perfect there.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- Good.- It's funny.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05It's like anything when you do it for the first time,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07like driving a car, it's very...
0:17:07 > 0:17:09You know, it feels very complicated.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- Speed is good at the moment.- Yeah.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16All right, as you put the nose down,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19remember that's going to have an effect on your speed,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22so you may need to adjust the thrust slightly.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27'Mercifully, I'm not responsible
0:17:27 > 0:17:29'for bringing hundreds of innocent passengers
0:17:29 > 0:17:30'safely down to the ground.'
0:17:32 > 0:17:35This is a flight simulator.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Oh, my God, it's so realistic, it's so realistic.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Captain Nick Coates is a top training pilot
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and today he's bravely offered to let me try a landing.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53So you're going to ease it across to the left.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Left a bit, left a bit.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Oh, sorry, left a bit, the other left.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Just look inside occasionally, check your speed,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02which is not too bad,
0:18:02 > 0:18:03and your rate of descent, as well.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06We're looking for about 750 feet a minute on final.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08So you just need to ease that nose down a bit more.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13This is where it's possible that you start to shy away from the landing
0:18:13 > 0:18:15and maybe you'll reduce your rate of descent
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and just pull the nose up a bit.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- So try and keep the aircraft coming down.- Yeah.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20That's good.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25'Landing is one of the most testing phases of any flight.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29'In here, Nick can make it even trickier
0:18:29 > 0:18:33'by changing weather conditions.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34'For my touchdown attempt,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37'he's kindly thrown in some crosswinds.'
0:18:39 > 0:18:41That's it, you're correcting nicely.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Keep the aircraft coming down.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Don't increase rate of descent too much.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50All right, little bit off to the side of the runway.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51- OK, I have control.- OK.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53BLEEP!
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- I have control.- BLEEP, sorry.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Yep, positive rate, gear up, thank you.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03That was awful. I'm really sorry.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Why did I hit it down so hard?
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Because I felt absolutely bang on
0:19:07 > 0:19:09and just that very last minute...kerchunk!
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Yeah, a bit of a gust right at the last minute
0:19:11 > 0:19:13can cause that kind of a harder landing.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18So the concentration then required, in those kind of conditions,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21is quite a lot harder.
0:19:23 > 0:19:29'Sitting here, you soon realise why it takes years to train.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31'In fact, globally, around half of fatal accidents
0:19:31 > 0:19:33'occur during approach and landing.'
0:19:39 > 0:19:41But if things do go wrong
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and a pilot has to make an emergency landing,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47there's a reassuringly large number of places
0:19:47 > 0:19:50dotted around the world to put down.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02- HANNAH:- Bangor, Maine, on the north-east coast of America.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06With a population of around 33,000,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09this is Smallville, USA.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Yet this place has an unusual claim to fame.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24A sprawling, fully-equipped international airport.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29With a two-mile long runway,
0:20:29 > 0:20:34that can accommodate the biggest planes in the world.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41It's capable of processing thousands of passengers.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48But most of the time,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52this huge airport handles just 20 flights a day.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I think this is the quietest international airport
0:20:58 > 0:21:00I've ever been in.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01I've been here all morning
0:21:01 > 0:21:04and, believe it or not, this is their rush hour.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08But actually, that's how you want things to be because,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11apart from a few local planes pootling around,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15a big passenger jet only lands here when they're in serious trouble.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Bangor is a designated airport for emergency landings...
0:21:23 > 0:21:25..and there's a simple reason why.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32It's the first bit of American soil many transatlantic flights reach
0:21:32 > 0:21:35after crossing 2,500 miles of ocean.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41If anything goes wrong during that time
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and they can avoid ditching in the sea,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Bangor's their best bet.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50In the last decade, around 2,000 planes
0:21:50 > 0:21:52have made unscheduled stops here.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00So the support team on the ground are kept on their toes 24-7.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05They've got to be ready for any kind of emergency.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16You want to try and get this piece underneath.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- This one? - Yeah, and then close it up.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32This is just a simulation, but it feels very real.
0:22:35 > 0:22:41'I'm joining the airport fire crew's regular training drill.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43'Planes making emergency landings at Bangor
0:22:43 > 0:22:48'can be laden with up to a 100,000 litres of jet fuel.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50'Highly flammable jet fuel.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- There's your nozzle.- Thank you.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59'Today, the team are simulating a fuel fire with casualties onboard.'
0:23:02 > 0:23:03Pull that back.
0:23:05 > 0:23:06Now, move it back and forth.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08My God!
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The response time of you guys is just extraordinary.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15So, what? A couple of minutes?
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Yeah, we have three minutes
0:23:17 > 0:23:20to have the first vehicle on scene discharging agent
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and then, all the rest have to be there within the four minutes.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- Within four minutes?- Yeah.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27So it's always water that you use?
0:23:27 > 0:23:32No, usually it's a mix of water and foam concentrate
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and it creates a film on top of the fuel that seals the vapours off.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39OK, you can go ahead and shut if off, if you want.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43That was good, yeah.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- Would you hire me as a firefighter?- Certainly!
0:23:48 > 0:23:49That was quite a bit of fun for me,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52but this is something much more serious for these guys,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56because they have to be on hand and ready
0:23:56 > 0:23:58at any time of day,
0:23:58 > 0:24:0024 hours a day, every day of the year.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04I can't imagine how terrifying it is
0:24:04 > 0:24:07when you really have to deal with an emergency.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16'Over the years, this airport has seen its fair share of incidents.'
0:24:18 > 0:24:20What kind of things have happened here before, then?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Well, we've had mechanical issues,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24hijacks, bomb threats,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26things of that nature.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28So those are some of the emergency calls that we get.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31What mechanical issues, then? What kind of mechanical issues?
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Some of the mechanical issues that we've seen in the past,
0:24:34 > 0:24:35we've had planes come in
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- with fuel leaking inside of the aircraft.- Oh, my gosh.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42I understand you get quite a lot of refuelling issues here, as well.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Yeah, the weather actually plays a huge role
0:24:44 > 0:24:47in aircraft coming across the ocean.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Generally, they cover enough fuel to get to their destination.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53If they're facing headwinds, it could be an issue,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56where they burn more fuel than they thought.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59So one day, there were storms around the New York area
0:24:59 > 0:25:03and I think we had 17 or 20 heavy aircraft that were lined up...
0:25:03 > 0:25:0420?!
0:25:04 > 0:25:07..across the ramps taking fuel that day.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08- So...- Wow.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12So have all of these planes landed here, then?
0:25:12 > 0:25:15All of these have come, except for that Lego plane over there.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19That Lego plane! I don't know, I think it'd be quite cool
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- to see that come in and land on the runway.- It would.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25The set-up here is all very impressive.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Sometimes, though, when things go drastically wrong,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32pilots don't have the luxury of a landing on a runway.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40In one of the most famous incidents of recent years,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44one pilot had to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46in the middle of New York.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- NEWSREADER:- 'US Airways Airbus 320 plane has crashed into the river,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54'in New York...'
0:25:54 > 0:25:58His engines had failed shortly after take off.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02'A bird strike affected this Airbus plane, bringing it down.'
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Thanks to the skill of the pilot, all the 150 passengers
0:26:06 > 0:26:10were able to clamber onto the wings and were taken to safety.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15In the years since,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19the Hudson River incident's had a lasting impact on pilot training.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26DALLAS: Today, at the simulator training facility at Stansted,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I'm joining two pilots practising for a similar engine failure.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Captain Oliver Walker and Senior First Officer Colm Purcell,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41have both been flying for eight years.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44So cabin crew aware. Air traffic control aware.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46But like all pilots,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49they're still required to spend time in the simulator.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57In this exercise, the plane's engines are about to fail,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59thanks to a bird strike.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04The exact same thing that caused the Hudson River crash.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05Cabin crew released.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08LOUD THUMP
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Birds on the left-hand side.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11BEEPING
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Settling on engine number two.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Loss of thrust on both engines, heading back towards Dublin.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21Ryanair 202,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24dual engine failure,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27attempting to return to runway 28 in Dublin.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29So they've got a multiple engine failure.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31There's absolutely no power.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33So there is no way back from this situation, pretty much.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35They have to get it on the runway.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37It's a bit tight - 4,000 feet in ten miles.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39But I think we can just about make it.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Captain Nick Coates is once again
0:27:41 > 0:27:43overseeing the training exercise.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Nick, in terms of worst-case scenarios, how bad is this?
0:27:49 > 0:27:51This is as bad as it gets.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53That is a 737 glider
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and they've got one shot to get that on the ground.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Without engines, the aircraft is now effectively a glider
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and it's steadily drifting back to earth.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Make the brace call, make the brace call.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Brace, brace.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11So we're coming in very steeply.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13- COMPUTER VOICE:- Pull up. Pull up.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Pull up.
0:28:16 > 0:28:1720, ten...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- Brakes off.- Brakes off.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23- Maximum braking. - Thrusters closed. Auto brake disarm.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27100 knots.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29I've got to say, that was pretty smooth.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32They've done well, they've got it down on the ground.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36It looked amazing. You know, we're in a simulator,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38but just sitting there, I was, like, wired.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40No matter how many times you get into the simulator,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42the pulse rate is always slightly elevated
0:28:42 > 0:28:43when you step through the door.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45When the double engine failure happens,
0:28:45 > 0:28:46your pulse rate definitely goes up.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49You think fast, you talk fast, it's hard work.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52I don't think you'd be as prepared for it, when it does happen,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55without the help of the simulator.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57I've got to say, you know, that was pretty smooth.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Not a spilt gin and tonic in the back, as well.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02We do our best for our passengers!
0:29:02 > 0:29:03That was...
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Yeah, that was impressive.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Thanks, in part, to training like this,
0:29:11 > 0:29:15fatal aircraft accidents have fallen today to an all-time low,
0:29:15 > 0:29:19even as the number of flights we take is soaring.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22- HANNAH:- Based on fatalities per mile travelled,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25flying is the safest form of transport there is.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27According to some estimates,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31up to 53 times safer than driving.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39But the industry's not stopping there.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42New technology is helping them go even further.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Developments in data monitoring and communications
0:29:47 > 0:29:50are behind a present-day safety revolution.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54New networks now stretch around the globe,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56tracking the health of your flight.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09The edge of the Derbyshire countryside
0:30:09 > 0:30:12might not seem like the most obvious place for a hi-tech hub.
0:30:12 > 0:30:13But it is.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Because these guys make over half
0:30:16 > 0:30:18of the new big passenger jet engines in the world.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20And the team in this building
0:30:20 > 0:30:23can tell you exactly what's happening
0:30:23 > 0:30:26with every single one of those engines, right now,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28wherever they are on earth.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36The engine is the beating heart of the aeroplane.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40The component we hope will never, ever go wrong.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46If a jet engine fails just once during its very long lifetime,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49the results are potentially catastrophic.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51So from this control room,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Rolls-Royce keep a very beady eye
0:30:54 > 0:30:57on the health and wellbeing of their creations.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07What's going on here, then, Matt?
0:31:07 > 0:31:12So in front of us here, we can see the entire civil large engine fleet
0:31:12 > 0:31:14as it's currently flying.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16So we've got literally hundreds and hundreds of aircraft
0:31:16 > 0:31:18quietly making their way to their destination.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21And this is where each one of them is in the world right now?
0:31:21 > 0:31:23That's right, right now, this is their actual position,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26as close as we can represent it.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28So each one of these aircraft is transmitting data
0:31:28 > 0:31:31that's being analysed all at the time, looking for those symptoms
0:31:31 > 0:31:33that might be indicative of a potential problem
0:31:33 > 0:31:35that we can do something about.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Around the world,
0:31:39 > 0:31:44the company has 4,500 large passenger jet engines in operation.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Every one of them is in wireless communication
0:31:47 > 0:31:50with the Derby control room.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Tiny sensors inside each engine
0:31:52 > 0:31:56monitor everything from operating temperatures to fuel pressure.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Anything out of the ordinary gets flagged.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05The team are looking for warning signs
0:32:05 > 0:32:07of any potential technical issues.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Are all of these ones behaving themselves at the moment, then?
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Yeah, right now, we've got a well-behaved fleet in front of us,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16as you can see, which is how we like it to be.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18You guys can take the rest of the day off, then - no problems.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Well, it would be nice if that would be the case,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23but things do go wrong from time to time
0:32:23 > 0:32:26and that's what the team here is about.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29With one of their jet engines taking off or landing
0:32:29 > 0:32:33somewhere in the world every 16 seconds,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36the team have to be ready for an alert at any moment.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40And despite all the hi-tech monitoring,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44this time, the cause is something rather low-tech.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46What's going on with that one there, then?
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Unfortunately, with this one, one of the baggage carts
0:32:49 > 0:32:51actually drove into the side of one of our engines.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53It does happen.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56So 200 or 300 people, that were hoping to board a flight,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59they're pretty disappointed right now that they can't do that,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02because of the damage that happened to that particular engine.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05I love the idea that all of the precision that's going on here,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07everybody being so careful to ensure
0:33:07 > 0:33:09there's no problems with aviation at all,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12somebody goes and drives a baggage cart into the back of an engine.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Unfortunately, they did a pretty good job with the...
0:33:15 > 0:33:17- Smashing it up.- Yeah, so there were a couple of components
0:33:17 > 0:33:19that we're going to have to replace.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Monitoring systems are now used
0:33:23 > 0:33:26by all the biggest jet engine manufacturers.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29As soon as a problem's spotted,
0:33:29 > 0:33:31they'll dispatch engineers to fix it,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34wherever in the world a stricken plane might be.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39It's not just engines that need checking.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42Nothing is left to chance
0:33:42 > 0:33:45in trying to bring nine million passengers a day
0:33:45 > 0:33:47safely back to earth.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50To make sure that happens,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54international regulations aim to control all aspects of air safety.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00And one of the most crucial is aircraft servicing.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17DALLAS: Dubai Airport.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21It's a major crossroads in the global aviation system.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26More international passengers come through here than any other hub.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33So perhaps it's no surprise that this place is the base
0:34:33 > 0:34:35for the world's biggest fleet of A380s.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40This is one of the largest, most sophisticated,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43complex machines ever built by humans.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47In the thousands of hours that this is going to spend in the air,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49if anything were to go wrong even once,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52then the results could be catastrophic.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56So in this place, their job is to make sure that never happens.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02In the eight years since the first
0:35:02 > 0:35:04of these massive planes came into service,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07100 million people have flown on them.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Remarkably, in all that time,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15not a single life has been lost in one due to malfunction.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19It is an extraordinary achievement.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21These machines have to work every day
0:35:21 > 0:35:25in the most extreme environment on the planet.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28They're being hammered by 100 mile an hour winds,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31at temperatures below minus 50.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33This is engineering at the limits.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40'But nothing lasts forever.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43'Some of the A380s based here
0:35:43 > 0:35:46'have now been operating for around six years.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50'After 13 million air miles,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53'they're being called in for a major aircraft MOT.'
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Oh, my God, look at this!
0:36:01 > 0:36:05The entire cockpit's just completely stripped away.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08This isn't just an oil change and a quick once-over,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11this is how deep they go, in terms of stripping it back.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13God, look at that!
0:36:13 > 0:36:16All the seats are completely stripped out.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19And if you look, you can actually see all the floorboards
0:36:19 > 0:36:22have been removed from the upper deck, there's great gaps.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25And you can see the whole structure, all the wiring, all the mechanics,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27all the hydraulics.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31This is the strip down.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37A380s are made up of around four million individual components
0:36:37 > 0:36:39and over an eight-week period,
0:36:39 > 0:36:43engineers will carefully remove 1,600 key parts.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48Then they'll pore over every inch of the empty shell.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Inside each of these huge hollow wings
0:36:55 > 0:36:57are 49 horizontal ribs
0:36:57 > 0:37:00that maintain the shape and structural integrity of it.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02And each one of those ribs
0:37:02 > 0:37:04is supported by lots and lots of brackets.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07And if I just grab this light and climb inside,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09you might be able to see them.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12In fact, there's one that's been removed and is being supported.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15So that one's... There was obviously something wrong with it
0:37:15 > 0:37:16and it's being replaced.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18But they look at these brackets to make sure
0:37:18 > 0:37:21that there's no cracks in them at all or any flaws in them.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28The idea is to find a micro crack before it can spread
0:37:28 > 0:37:30and become a serious problem.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Left unattended, even the tiniest flaw
0:37:35 > 0:37:38could eventually bring down a giant plane.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Sometimes, you might get cracks
0:37:41 > 0:37:43that are too small to actually see with the naked eye,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45so they've got this little device here.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46It's an electronic flaw detector.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49And this is one of the brackets here,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51which I'm just going to have a little look at.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53If I just put this wand, connect it to the metal...
0:37:53 > 0:37:55MACHINE BEEPS There we go.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57You can hear that beep and there's big spike on the screen.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00MACHINE BEEPS Right there is a tiny, tiny crack.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02MACHINE BEEPS
0:38:02 > 0:38:05And it's this incredible attention to detail that is so important
0:38:05 > 0:38:07in terms of keeping these enormous things
0:38:07 > 0:38:09in the air and everybody safe.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Once they've put it back together, this aircraft could
0:38:15 > 0:38:19fly for a further six years before needing another major overhaul.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Thanks, in part, to this level of safety checking, its chances of
0:38:24 > 0:38:28a fatal crash caused by mechanical failure should be close to zero.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33While major accidents can still happen,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35they're now vanishingly rare.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44But there is still one type of mishap that occurs
0:38:44 > 0:38:46with monotonous regularity.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Turning up at baggage reclaim to find your suitcase missing.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Around three and a half billion suitcases
0:39:05 > 0:39:08fly around the world alongside us every year.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14The technology in place to get them to their destination is
0:39:14 > 0:39:18becoming ever more sophisticated, but despite all of this,
0:39:18 > 0:39:24around seven bags per 1,000 passengers still go astray.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Most bags catch up with their owners within a day or two.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35But not all of them.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42An estimated 1.4 million cases stay permanently lost.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48Some airports and airlines destroy lost luggage,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50others give it to charity.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53And others sell it off.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58That's exactly what this auction in Buhl, Germany, is all about.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02This one, has it actually got a tag on?
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Because I don't even...
0:40:04 > 0:40:06How do they get lost?
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Why are these suitcases here? What is the story behind them?
0:40:09 > 0:40:14- Each one of these has got an owner that's hugely disappointed.- Yeah!
0:40:14 > 0:40:17This is a blind auction.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21You're not allowed to see inside the bag before bidding on it.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- Here's a lovely one... - A YSL bag!- Oh, look at this!
0:40:24 > 0:40:26And you're not even allowed to touch it.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28THEY LAUGH EXCITEDLY
0:40:28 > 0:40:30This is like the best day ever.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Any one of the bags on sale today
0:40:34 > 0:40:38could potentially contain rich pickings.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41So Dallas and I are each going to bid for one.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47We've set ourselves a limit of 200 euros per bag,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49so we'll have to pick our targets carefully.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52Already I can see what the techniques are.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55It's going to be things like go for the smaller bag,
0:40:55 > 0:40:56cos that's where you put your valuables.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58That's where you put your watch, your laptop.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00You know, if it's a big duffle bag,
0:41:00 > 0:41:01- it's just going to have...- Pants!
0:41:09 > 0:41:14Auction organiser Mark Zoor's been working here for three years.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16How often do you have this auction here, then, Mark?
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- Twice a month.- Every two weeks?
0:41:19 > 0:41:20Do you have this many bags here?
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Always about 400 pieces.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24- 400 bags every two weeks.- Yes.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26How much do they tend to go for?
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Normally, about 100 euro.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32OK, so when I'm doing the auction, give me tips,
0:41:32 > 0:41:33what should I look out for?
0:41:33 > 0:41:37- For expensive bags. - Expensive bags, yeah, check.
0:41:37 > 0:41:43- Something extraordinary. - Ooh, like a pink fluffy case?
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Like a pink fluffy case. Yes.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52HE SINGS IN GERMAN
0:41:55 > 0:41:57It's so wonderfully weird.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01HE SPEAKS IN GERMAN
0:42:01 > 0:42:04They've got 400 cases to flog off by the end of the day.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08So they don't hang about.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11HE SPEAKS QUICKLY IN GERMAN
0:42:11 > 0:42:12It's quite popular.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20After a couple of hours' frenzied bidding,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23it's time for lot 223.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26So the bag that I'm going to bid on is up next.
0:42:30 > 0:42:3330, 30, 30. Put it up, put it up.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37What's he saying, what number?
0:42:37 > 0:42:39130. 150.
0:42:44 > 0:42:45I now own a case.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48A very expensive one, mind you.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50236 euros.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Way over budget.
0:42:54 > 0:42:55Now it's my turn.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57And I know what I'm going for.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01HE SPEAKS GERMAN
0:43:01 > 0:43:03He's making some jokes that I don't understand.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08You can.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Why is everyone bidding for this one?
0:43:13 > 0:43:1590!
0:43:18 > 0:43:20120!
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Hooray!
0:43:27 > 0:43:30'That's 188 euros for me.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34'48 euros less than Dallas paid. Result!
0:43:35 > 0:43:38'But the proof is in the pudding.'
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Mine's not even long enough, Dallas.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44I can't even hold on to it comfortably.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48- THEY GASP - That's so satisfying.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50So nice. OK.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53Oh, oh, oh, oh.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Here we have some brand-new...
0:43:55 > 0:43:57- cotton- T-shirts. T-shirts.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00- Anyone?- A stylish guy, that's for sure.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04- You have got pants there, you have got pants.- Yes! I knew it.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06They've surely got a resale value.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12That's a decent sort of Nike running top.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15"The healthy ball as cultural gift of China."
0:44:18 > 0:44:21- Oh, they're very pretty. - Cultural balls.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23These are like stress balls, aren't they?
0:44:23 > 0:44:25Where you do like this thing with them.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27- They're yours, you can have those. - Thanks.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34I've got quite low expectations with this.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37I think I may have got a bit carried away with myself
0:44:37 > 0:44:39and went for the hot tip.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Oh, OK, OK.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46I think this might actually be a 14-year-old girl's suitcase.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49- That, for example, would look lovely on anyone.- It's nice.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52Oh, they're Russian.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54That's quite nice. I like the idea that you can...
0:44:54 > 0:44:58- You can imagine what they look like. - I think it's not your size.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01It's probably just not really me, is it?
0:45:01 > 0:45:03That's probably the best thing so far.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05But you know what, actually, looking through it,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08I feel a little bit sad for the person who lost all of this stuff.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11I mean, there's a person on the other end of this bag,
0:45:11 > 0:45:16who's missing, you know, their, like, favourite skirt and stuff.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18It's a bit of a weird experience.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21I think the overall conclusion, though, Dallas,
0:45:21 > 0:45:23is that we probably shouldn't go to auctions.
0:45:25 > 0:45:30Since 2011, they've auctioned off over 20,000 bags here.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35If these hadn't been sold, they might have ended up as landfill.
0:45:36 > 0:45:43Globally, that could mean 22,000 tonnes of extra rubbish a year.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01The city in the sky is certainly not the only
0:46:01 > 0:46:04metropolis to dump huge quantities of waste.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10'But you don't find full-size passenger planes
0:46:10 > 0:46:13'on the average scrapheap.'
0:46:13 > 0:46:16Right after 9/11, a lot of people became nervous about flying,
0:46:16 > 0:46:18particularly in America,
0:46:18 > 0:46:21and they'd take fewer journeys or they might drive instead.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25And it also meant there was a lot of half-empty aeroplanes in the sky,
0:46:25 > 0:46:29and when that happens, when you get a drop in demand for whatever
0:46:29 > 0:46:32reason, it can make a lot more financial sense to actually
0:46:32 > 0:46:36take the planes out of the sky and keep them on the ground.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43So where do you park up a few dozen spare jets?
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54I've driven 90 miles south of Phoenix, Arizona,
0:46:54 > 0:46:56deep into the desert.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01I absolutely love it here - it's the perfect place
0:47:01 > 0:47:04to escape the British weather.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06350 days a year of blue skies.
0:47:06 > 0:47:11It's big, it's hot and, crucially, it's bone dry.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20The average rainfall here is just seven inches a year.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27Making this place very useful to the aviation industry.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34It is pretty much the perfect spot to mothball your aeroplane.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37It's warm, even in the middle of winter.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41It can just sit here, baking away in the sunshine in a kind
0:47:41 > 0:47:44of suspended animation until it's needed again.
0:47:52 > 0:47:58This sprawling 400-acre site is currently home to 150 aircraft.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12It's absolutely beautiful out here.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15And quite eerie and alien seeing all these incredible shapes
0:48:15 > 0:48:19in the desert sky, but, actually, the thing that really strikes you
0:48:19 > 0:48:23being here is just the stillness and the quiet.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26We're so used to thinking about aviation and being about
0:48:26 > 0:48:30frenetic movement and noise and being out here is rather lovely.
0:48:40 > 0:48:45For now, these planes may be resting quietly, but at any moment,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48an airline might call up
0:48:48 > 0:48:52and order one of their sleeping giants back into the sky.
0:48:55 > 0:48:56Let's have a little look.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Is there a theoretical time limit
0:48:58 > 0:49:03about how long you can keep a plane sitting here in the desert for?
0:49:03 > 0:49:05You can keep them in the desert indefinitely
0:49:05 > 0:49:08as long as they're on an active storage programme
0:49:08 > 0:49:12because daily, weekly, every two weeks, monthly,
0:49:12 > 0:49:15there's some activity going on the aircraft like, for instance,
0:49:15 > 0:49:18we checked the tyre pressures on this aircraft today.
0:49:18 > 0:49:19Let's have a look.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22That is exactly 140.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26I quite like doing that - it's reassuringly familiar.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31It can be a long hibernation.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35But aircraft storage manager Ed Meyer and his team of technicians
0:49:35 > 0:49:37keep them primed for a sudden re-awakening.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43The idea is to do as little maintenance as possible
0:49:43 > 0:49:45to get it ready to fly.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47In this condition, all the systems are kept active,
0:49:47 > 0:49:51kept operational, so, theoretically, all you would have to do is
0:49:51 > 0:49:56basically unwrap the aircraft, check out a couple of systems and fly it.
0:49:56 > 0:49:57Brilliant.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59Starting on a Monday,
0:49:59 > 0:50:03we could have the aircraft ready to fly that Friday.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07But this isn't just a place where planes
0:50:07 > 0:50:09come for a holiday in the sun.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14The time comes for every workhorse of the sky
0:50:14 > 0:50:16to be put out to pasture.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24There's no long and leisurely retirement in store.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26This is where some planes...
0:50:26 > 0:50:27come to die.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32This is a McDonnell-Douglas DC9.
0:50:32 > 0:50:39It's 36 years old, it's done 77,854 flight hours,
0:50:39 > 0:50:41and this is its very last day on earth.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48You guys have got the best job ever. What do you have to do?
0:50:48 > 0:50:50You're just pulling all this stuff off?
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Only... You have to get cutters.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55- We have to cut those. - I've always wanted to do this.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57Just like that.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59I tell you what, this is very satisfying.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03If you've ever been stuck in an airport
0:51:03 > 0:51:05and got cross with your airline...
0:51:06 > 0:51:09HE GROWLS
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Where's my gin and tonic?!
0:51:16 > 0:51:18At the end of a jet's working life,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20many of its components can be recycled.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26Its dismembered guts are packed with valuable materials.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30We have to recycle all the metal,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32the trash, like this plastic,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35everything's plastic, insulation, fibreglass.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37We have to go to the dumpster.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40Only we save the seats and wire
0:51:40 > 0:51:42and every little bit counts,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45- and you can re-use them. It's beautiful.- Brilliant.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47What about these?
0:51:47 > 0:51:49This is goes to trash.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51I might take one of these as a souvenir.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53No, this is going to the trash.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59Finally, they're left with a picked-over empty carcass.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Globally, aircraft are being scrapped on a vast scale.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Since the dawn of the jet age back in the 1950s,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13over 8,500 passenger planes
0:52:13 > 0:52:16have winged their way to the knacker's yard.
0:52:18 > 0:52:19Stacked nine-deep,
0:52:19 > 0:52:22they'd fill a scrapyard the size of Regent's Park.
0:52:28 > 0:52:33But for the scavengers feeding off their corpses, it's not over yet.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35Meet the crusher.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49That is extraordinary!
0:52:49 > 0:52:54It's such a dramatic and violent end of an aircraft's life.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57But all of that material, all that metal, all the aluminium,
0:52:57 > 0:52:58will be used again.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00It'll all be recycled.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02The plane can be reborn.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08Just the noise is extraordinary.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12In my imagination, it'd be a much slower kind of process.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17I thought they'd just gently take it apart, but it's so violent.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22Oh!
0:53:25 > 0:53:26It is quite tragic,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29it's like watching an animal being torn apart by another animal.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46The pile almost seems too small, doesn't it?
0:53:49 > 0:53:53It's hard to believe that this was a huge, great big aircraft
0:53:53 > 0:53:54and now it's...
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Well, it's just completely vanished.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01For this plane, it's all over.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05But as a result of the relentless growth of the city in the sky,
0:54:05 > 0:54:07new planes are being built far faster
0:54:07 > 0:54:10than old ones are being scrapped.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14In the decades ahead,
0:54:14 > 0:54:18there's one major issue that may yet threaten the city's survival -
0:54:18 > 0:54:19power.
0:54:22 > 0:54:23Oil won't last forever.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28Finding an environmentally friendly power source is
0:54:28 > 0:54:30the Holy Grail for the aviation industry.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37Millions of pounds are being pumped into research to find
0:54:37 > 0:54:40an alternative means of keeping the city airborne.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Just outside Bedford, one radical solution is taking shape.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53I am very, very excited today
0:54:53 > 0:54:57because I have come to see the world's biggest aircraft.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03What is inside these wonderful, wonderful hangars is next level.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16It's unbelievable, isn't it?
0:55:16 > 0:55:18It's like something from a sci-fi movie.
0:55:21 > 0:55:26Oh, my God, that is massive! Look at the size of it. Look at it.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29I actually think I might be in love.
0:55:29 > 0:55:34The biggest aircraft in the world isn't a fixed wing aeroplane at all.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36It is this, an airship.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41It's called the Airlander 10.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46This is the ultimate hybrid aircraft.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50It's based on traditional airship design,
0:55:50 > 0:55:54but it gets its lift from both the helium gas it's filled with
0:55:54 > 0:55:57and the unusual shape of its hull.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01Its engines allow it to hover in one place like a helicopter
0:56:01 > 0:56:03for days or even weeks.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14It's expected to carry 48 passengers when it launches later this year
0:56:14 > 0:56:16and it won't need an airport.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20It can take off and land on any open space the size of a football pitch.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24It's not exactly zippy.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28Its top speed is only 90mph,
0:56:28 > 0:56:32but it's got one huge advantage over conventional planes.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36Its designers claim it could use less than a third of the fuel
0:56:36 > 0:56:40a jet plane burns on a comparable journey.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43Can you imagine in a few years' time, perhaps,
0:56:43 > 0:56:46flying around the world in something like this?
0:56:50 > 0:56:53Other designers have even more radical visions
0:56:53 > 0:56:55of the shape of planes to come.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Airbus are developing electric passenger planes
0:57:00 > 0:57:02and, already, their prototype,
0:57:02 > 0:57:07the E-Fan, has become the first electric plane to cross the Channel.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12And two pioneering Swiss scientists recently made
0:57:12 > 0:57:16a record-breaking flight in their solar-powered plane.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21The Solar Impulse flew around 5,000 miles nonstop
0:57:21 > 0:57:23from Japan to Hawaii.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29These, or other new technologies, could totally reshape aviation
0:57:29 > 0:57:31in the decades ahead
0:57:31 > 0:57:34and make the city in the sky unrecognisable.
0:57:35 > 0:57:40100 years ago, nobody could have imagined an airborne metropolis
0:57:40 > 0:57:43that would become a global network,
0:57:43 > 0:57:46reaching into the most far-flung places.
0:57:46 > 0:57:51Or that it would carry around nine million passengers a day.
0:57:51 > 0:57:57All with a single language and its own universal systems.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00On current trends, the city is predicted to
0:58:00 > 0:58:02double in size in the next 20 years.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08Environmental issues could yet threaten its survival,
0:58:08 > 0:58:11but if we can find new ways to power the city,
0:58:11 > 0:58:15the sky is quite literally the limit.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20If you'd like to find out more about the design
0:58:20 > 0:58:22and engineering of this most incredible city in the sky,
0:58:22 > 0:58:24then go to the website below
0:58:24 > 0:58:27and follow the links to the Open University.