0:00:02 > 0:00:05Once, except for the birds, our skies were empty.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Now, they're a crowded place.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16It's like chaos, but it's controlled chaos.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Every day, 6,000 planes...
0:00:18 > 0:00:20My pride and joy.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22There's nothing we can't transport.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25..and 600,000 people are in the skies above Britain.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Guiding every plane is a hidden army of controllers...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37So we've got no option right now but to stop arrivals into Gatwick.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..performing one of the world's greatest juggling acts.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Unlike a computer game, you can't hit pause.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44They're coming.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47A place of adventure....
0:00:47 > 0:00:49HE LAUGHS
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Well, that was fantastic!
0:00:51 > 0:00:52..wonder...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55When you're up there, nothing else matters.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56..and danger.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Unless you know what's in front of you, think better of it.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01It gives you a sense of space and freedom
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and a feeling that you're part of something bigger.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Every boy's little dream.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20'167.'
0:01:20 > 0:01:23'2571 Golf to land on a 335.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:25There's something about the sky.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Something adventurous and escapist.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38The skies over Britain are used by scores of different people
0:01:38 > 0:01:40who all want different things out of them.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43There are private pilots who fly, there are drones,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45there are hot air balloonists, there are gliders,
0:01:45 > 0:01:46there's the military.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49There's any number of people who all want to use the airspace.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And trying to make all of that work safely and well
0:01:53 > 0:01:54is the most important thing for us.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57But you never quite know what's going to happen.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02At the National Air Traffic Control Centre - NATS -
0:02:02 > 0:02:04a team of controllers thread thousands of planes
0:02:04 > 0:02:06through our skies each day.
0:02:06 > 0:02:0986 Papa, reduce speed to 220 knots.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13158, Roger, continue on the heading, flight number 110.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17But there are always unexpected challenges.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19BLEEPING
0:02:19 > 0:02:21He's lost his number one hydraulic system.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25He's got no fluid left in it, no noticeable steering.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Shortly after taking off, a passenger jet is reporting a fault.
0:02:29 > 0:02:3293 Uniform is a Pam with a hydraulic failure.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34One system is completely drained.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39So we've got a British Airways aircraft that had left Heathrow
0:02:39 > 0:02:42about... probably half an hour ago now.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45They got about ten minutes into the flight and discovered it had
0:02:45 > 0:02:47a hydraulic leak, and decided the best course of action
0:02:47 > 0:02:51was not to continue to Gibraltar but to come back to Heathrow.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Unfortunately, the aircraft's too heavy to land,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57and the risk if they land too heavy is they might burst the tyres,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59the brakes might fail or lock,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and they might damage the aircraft by doing that.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04So in order to get to the correct weight to land,
0:03:04 > 0:03:05he needs to burn off fuel.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09It's a waiting game, really, for us.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10Cheers.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Controllers direct the jet to a clear patch of airspace,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17where it can use up fuel by circling overhead.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22So there he is. He's over the Channel at 13,000 feet.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29After 25 minutes, the plane has burned off enough fuel to land.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34But the hydraulic fault means it may not be able to steer
0:03:34 > 0:03:35once its wheels hit the tarmac.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40The gap behind him would normally be three to four miles.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43We're putting a ten-mile gap in just to give us that little bit more room
0:03:43 > 0:03:46in case anything does happen, and that allows us to take the aircraft
0:03:46 > 0:03:49behind and send it around, if anything does.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52BLEEPING
0:03:52 > 0:03:55He's on this line here - it's known as the extended centre line.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57So he's landing on 27 right.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01He's got to be off by now.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12OK, so he's disappeared off the radar now,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15which means that very shortly, his wheels will be hitting the tarmac.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24BLEEPING
0:04:24 > 0:04:25Yes, airports?
0:04:27 > 0:04:28OK, thank you.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31He's vacated the runway,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34they're waiting for the runway to be inspected and handed back.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36The runway's back, it's all clear.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Problem finished.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48The demands placed on NATS go far beyond commercial traffic.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Right next to Heathrow,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54the British leg of the International Red Bull Air Race is taking place
0:04:54 > 0:04:56at Ascot Racecourse.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01PLANE ENGINE ROARS
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Enabling people to operate an air race
0:05:07 > 0:05:12in one of the busiest air traffic control zones in the world
0:05:12 > 0:05:14is bonkers.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17If you said, "Oh, look, let's have a massive air race
0:05:17 > 0:05:20"next to this incredibly busy international airport",
0:05:20 > 0:05:22you probably wouldn't do it.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25So we've said to them, not above 1,500 feet.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28And that enables us to then jump over the top of them
0:05:28 > 0:05:30with our outbound traffic.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31Touch wood,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34they manage to keep in their own little part of the airspace.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38They keep to their bit, we keep to our bit, and everybody's happy.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54One of the pilots competing for the top prize is Paul Bonhomme.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Paul first piloted a plane when he was just 12 years old,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and has been flying ever since.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12You know, if you're in an aerobatic aeroplane
0:06:12 > 0:06:14in a beautiful summer's afternoon,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18blue sky, no airspace issues, you've turned the radio off,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21fly around and twist and turn and roll and loop.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23And it's just... It's great fun.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Paul's day job is flying passenger jets for BA.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32But he is also a two-time Red Bull Air Race champion,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and this year is going for a record third win.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37I hate losing.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I've never understood the phrase,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43"It's not the winning that matters, it's the taking part that counts."
0:06:43 > 0:06:46On the other side of the coin, it's the winning that counts.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50It's Practice Day at Ascot,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53where the 14 competing pilots have a chance
0:06:53 > 0:06:56to work out the quickest route around a three-mile course.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59The real fun starts when we get to a corner,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02cos the aeroplane disappears off round the corner that way.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Your body wants to keep going in the original direction.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09So that is effectively squashing you into the seat,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13and that feels like a load of weight.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16You know, your arms suddenly weigh ten times their normal weight.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21You know, your neck muscles are straining to keep your head upright.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Under that pressure, your blood will want to travel this way as well.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27The blood pressure to your eyes will reduce,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30you will just see this grey shadow coming in,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and ultimately, you can have a complete grey-out,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34where you just see everything grey.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Added to the physical challenge of the race is risk.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Pilots must fly extremely close to the ground
0:07:44 > 0:07:47at speeds of over 200 mph.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Six years ago, during a race, a Red Bull plane faltered.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02The pilot was lucky to crash into water.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Since then, new safety measures have been introduced,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13but the course is still designed
0:08:13 > 0:08:15to push pilots to their absolute limits.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24Jump out.
0:08:24 > 0:08:30There's something about humans that make us want to fly.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I think it just represents freedom when you're up there.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Like, you can breathe. It's just...
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Everything is just beneath you now, and you're just away from it.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45With tens of thousands of people in Britain now owning a drone,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48the skies are opening up to more and more of us.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51You're not supposed to be there, you know that.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53'We are YouTubers, full-time YouTubers.'
0:08:53 > 0:08:56So we basically film our lives as parents
0:08:56 > 0:08:59for a weekly show that we put out every Sunday.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02No! No, no, no! Not that lens, not the lens!
0:09:02 > 0:09:03'So we just film everything we do.'
0:09:03 > 0:09:07We film ourselves trying to raise a child.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12As soon as he bought his drone, online filmmaker Stefan Michalak
0:09:12 > 0:09:15started pushing the boundaries of where he could fly it.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18One day we decided to go down to the Natural History Museum,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21which is this incredibly beautiful building in London.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26And it was just dying to have a drone fly all around it and over it.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28So I was a bit audacious -
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I kind of put my drone down probably about ten metres away
0:09:31 > 0:09:33from the building, and then just launched it.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36And before I even had it, like, six foot in the sky,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38I had lots of hi-vis jacket people around me
0:09:38 > 0:09:40telling me to, like, land this thing now.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- I don't think I was allowed to get that shot.- Put that away, please.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46I've got to put this away, so I'll speak to you in a minute.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Maybe from prison, I don't know, we'll see.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51They let me out. I'm not arrested, so that's good.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Apparently you need a license to fly a drone.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56My plan was to get the drone shot outside,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00and then take the drone inside, and film the drone around here,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and fly the drone up into this.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05And they said they probably would have shot me if I'd done that,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- so I'm glad I didn't. - Did they say that?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09The fact that you could just buy these in any shop,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I was thinking, "Well, they can't be that illegal."
0:10:12 > 0:10:16In terms of how illegal things are, you've got murder,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18you've got, like, I don't know, going 35mph,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20I thought it might be towards the bottom of that spectrum.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22So I was like, if it IS illegal,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24then it's probably not going to be a big deal anyway.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26I'll just be told not to do it again.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29It's a bit of a reckless attitude, I suppose.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Even larger drones designed for aerial filming
0:10:35 > 0:10:38are too small to be detected by radars.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Yesterday we had an aircraft out of Heathrow
0:10:43 > 0:10:47report a close encounter with a drone.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49He estimated it 20 foot away,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and suggested it was in the region of about six foot.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56So we're not talking a little pathetic helicopter
0:10:56 > 0:10:59you might get down the gadget shop, we're talking a big, proper drone
0:10:59 > 0:11:02up there at 10,000 feet.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Another aircraft reported seeing it a little higher.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07If you're going to hit something at 260mph,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09it's going to do some damage, isn't it?
0:11:12 > 0:11:14I'm no judge, jury and executioner,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16but if I ruled the world, they should be...
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Well, lock and key job, because, again,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20it's endangerment of aircraft.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26This is Barry just arriving.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29This is the guy who's going to help me try and pass my drone test.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32He's already done the test, so he's well-placed to know what I'm supposed to do.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36For the misuse of his drone, Stef got off with a warning,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40but now he can't use it for filming unless he gets an official licence.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46In here is all you need to do a flight assessment safely.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49OK, so you need to put one of those on, OK?
0:11:51 > 0:11:55This thing here just does a scan of the frequencies locally.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58So you need to warn people you're going to be flying in the area.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01You need to check the wind to make sure it's not too windy.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03You need a fire extinguisher.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05First aid kit.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08To have traffic cones out, and signs...
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and pretty much hard hats...
0:12:10 > 0:12:11I mean, there's no other way
0:12:11 > 0:12:13that I'm going to get the shots I want to get
0:12:13 > 0:12:15unless I can jump through all these hoops.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17So...I know it's essential,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20but it does strip the romance out of flying the drone completely.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23I have to carry traffic cones around with me!
0:12:23 > 0:12:25I might just steal them off the A3 or something!
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Go to 20 metres.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Go to 20 metres high.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35The regulations state Stef must keep his drone below 400 feet.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37- Oh, great.- Here we are, 20 metres.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Just bring it down a minute. They do know we're flying, so...
0:12:40 > 0:12:42He used to fly close to 1,000.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51OK, so if you just go 20 metres forward and then hover,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and then fly back, and as I say, turn the drone round.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58If I pass my test, I'll be one of, like,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01five legal drone pilots allowed to fly in London
0:13:01 > 0:13:02with the CAA, which is crazy.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05How does that work? How do you mean, what you just said there?
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Because I'm applying to fly in London, central London,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- with the CAA. - It's not going to be that easy.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Sorry. What you've just said isn't going to be very easy,
0:13:13 > 0:13:14- to fly in London.- Yeah, I... Yeah.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16You need to do all sorts of advanced tests,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18and have thousands of hours of flying time.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21But if I did go to Regent's Park and fly it and somebody said,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24"What are you doing?" I could say I'm a fully qualified pilot.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- You... - HE SIGHS
0:13:26 > 0:13:27You... You can't do that.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30The only way you'd to be able to fly in Regent's Park
0:13:30 > 0:13:31is if you close an area of Regent's Park
0:13:31 > 0:13:34that doesn't allow people to go within 50 metres of you.
0:13:34 > 0:13:35It's that difficult.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39There's one guy in the UK who can fly to within 10 metres of people,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and he's an ex-army guy
0:13:41 > 0:13:44who's had many, many years of flying these things.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46So, yeah, it's not as simple as you think.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50I feel like my heart's broken a little bit.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53If I'd known at the very start of buying a drone that all of this was going to come,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56there's no way I'd have picked up that drone and bought it. No way.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57But now I'm overcommitted.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01I may as well see this through, because I'm so far down the road.
0:14:05 > 0:14:0956 Charlie. Speed 20 knots. Ascend, flight level 120.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Flight level 220...
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Every day, air traffic controllers guide a relentless flow of planes
0:14:17 > 0:14:18through their patch of sky.
0:14:19 > 0:14:225060 Zulu. Speed of 180 knots.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Second by second, they must plot safe routes,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27keeping all planes perfectly separated.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32You could have 10, 12 different aircraft all under your control,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and we have to rely on all the information there.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36We're not just looking at our radar picture.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38The papers computer-generate strips
0:14:38 > 0:14:41that tell us the course of the aircraft, where it's going,
0:14:41 > 0:14:42what level it's going to be at.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43We use, we formulate this plan,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46so it is like a 3D picture in our heads.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49RyanAir, 8-0, golf, Charlie, heading two, niner, five.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52A controller needs to be calm under pressure. Also a perfectionist.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55You want to do everything you can do to the best of your ability,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57to the optimum level.
0:14:57 > 0:15:0089, 003, turn left onto 115 degrees.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Climb to altitude of 6,000 feet.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03Controllers are a nightmare to live with.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05I feel so sorry for the other halves.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07We are all very similar people.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10We are OCD - most controllers have the tidiest,
0:15:10 > 0:15:11immaculate houses you'll ever see.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13We are control freaks.
0:15:14 > 0:15:170-9-5 degrees.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19And much as they strive to impose order,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22controllers must always be ready for the unexpected.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24You get all kinds of things.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Cracked windscreens, pressurisation problems, bird strikes,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32medical emergencies, pilots will report they've had a laser shone at them.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34The one thing you don't want is fire.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Smoke in the cockpit or any kind of fire,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38that's the one thing you do need to land with straightaway.
0:15:38 > 0:15:401-0-6-0...
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Contact now. 1-2-3. Goodbye.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Perfect analogy is a computer game that you can't lose.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I think if you sat there and thought, "That's 200 people,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50"that's 300 people," I think you'd probably go crazy.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Climb now. Altitude 5,000 feet.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58The only time it ever hits me is if you go to a big airport...
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Shamrock 911. Continue present heading.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02'Then the reality is you go, "Goodness me."
0:16:02 > 0:16:04How many lives you've got on your hands, ultimately,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07day-to-day, sitting in front of the radar. It really hits then.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Statistically, travelling by air is the safest form of transport.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17But more than one in four of us has a fear of flying.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Lynne hasn't been on board a plane for 17 years.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28My main fear is it...
0:16:28 > 0:16:32grips you so badly that you just,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36I want to scream and I want to just shout, "Get me off!
0:16:36 > 0:16:41"Get me off!" I feel so sick, I feel my heart...
0:16:41 > 0:16:47It's not just palpitations, it beats so, so strongly.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53But now, Lynne needs to take a trip to the other side of the world.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58My mum came from Australia, and when she passed away she wanted her ashes
0:16:58 > 0:17:00sprinkled on St Kilda beach.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03And it's something that I have to do, I've got to do it.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The Malaysia Airlines flight for the two seats
0:17:10 > 0:17:13comes out at £1,798.60.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16The Malaysia Airline is the one that went missing.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It did, yes. I mean, that was just an unfortunate situation.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24- Yes, yes.- If you're not comfortable what that particular airline, we can
0:17:24 > 0:17:27probably look at Cathay Pacific or Singapore Airlines.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29My mum's driving me forward, saying, "You've got to do it."
0:17:29 > 0:17:31She's on your shoulder saying, "You've got to do it."
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- Thank you very much.- You're welcome. Thank you.- Thanks for coming in.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Bye-bye.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Oh, I want to go.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40I've got to get... I've got to do it.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I want to do it, I want to do it for my mum,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46I want to put that to bed and I want to be able to move forward.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47I can't move forward...
0:17:47 > 0:17:51with the grieving process, I can't move forward until I've done it.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Lynne is planning to take a two-day fear-of-flying course.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01The aim is that by the second day
0:18:01 > 0:18:05she will be sufficiently confident to be able to take a short flight.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I don't think I can go in.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13As a first step to conquering her fears,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16her best friend has suggested she attempts a trip
0:18:16 > 0:18:17on London's cable car.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20They look a bit scary to me.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I'll go have a look. The problem is, if I get in it,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25I can't get off again until the other end,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27and I don't know if I can do it.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29They don't get stuck.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30- These things...- Yes, they do.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32I've seen them. I've seen them get stuck.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- What, this one?- Look, if that one got stuck in the middle, OK,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37then that's it. You're up there
0:18:37 > 0:18:39till they can get you back down again. And I couldn't do that.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42You could say that about anything, couldn't you?
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Anything you go on could get stuck.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I can't...
0:18:48 > 0:18:51No, I can't go on it. I don't want to go on that.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54I know I will scream to get off.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56- You're not going to scream.- I will!
0:19:03 > 0:19:04No.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Oh, I don't want to go.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Oh, no.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12Look at it.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13SHE SNIFFS
0:19:17 > 0:19:21I'm scared. Um... But I want to do it.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32Do you just go on it?
0:19:32 > 0:19:34INAUDIBLE
0:19:36 > 0:19:38I don't want to go on it.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41There you go.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42SHE SOBS
0:19:49 > 0:19:53The cable car travels at 6mph at 300 feet.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- It's not that bad.- It isn't, is it?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04It's really slow.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Lynne may have conquered her fear of the cable car,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16but her next challenge will be 10,000 feet in the air,
0:20:16 > 0:20:17in a real plane.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Hello, and welcome to Ascot, Berkshire,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34in the heart of the English countryside.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37At Ascot, the air race is about to begin.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41'You can feel the excitement, the tension is building...'
0:20:44 > 0:20:46This is high-risk, high danger.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I mean, that's why we come and see it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50You don't go to see someone throwing paper aeroplanes, do you?
0:20:50 > 0:20:53You want to go see someone doing the backflips. They've got
0:20:53 > 0:20:55these big hurdles, slaloms. You want to see some action.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Danger is one of the things that makes it
0:20:59 > 0:21:01absolutely amazing, you know? It adds that extra factor to it.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05For starters, I can tell you for a fact that Paul's going to win!
0:21:05 > 0:21:06Go on, Paul!
0:21:06 > 0:21:07CHEERING
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Well, the quintessential English gentleman, Paul Bonhomme, very calm,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15very cool, very calculated,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19and that describes his flying style as well as his personality.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Paul is aiming to repeat last year's victory,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25before retiring at the end of the season.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29'I generally don't like race-day morning.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30'I'm a bundle of nerves.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37'That's nerves, firstly of not doing very well,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41'cos nobody wants to lose in a race but, equally, the danger side.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43'You don't want to put yourself in any danger.'
0:21:43 > 0:21:45And this one too, please.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49'It's a really fine balancing act.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53'You want to keep the fans happy, but at the same time I am not here
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'to keep them happy by doing selfies and, you know,
0:21:57 > 0:21:58'pictures and signings.'
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I'm here to keep them happy by winning a race.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Sorry. We've got... We've got to go.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Paul!
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Sorry, guys, we've got to dash.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10'I'd love to be the Stig of air racing.'
0:22:10 > 0:22:12I'd love to just turn up, hide out the back,
0:22:12 > 0:22:17go racing, and then just disappear. Sadly, that's never going to happen.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19'The media spotlight and the sponsors.'
0:22:19 > 0:22:22But it would be so nice just to race.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25We kick-start the race action for the weekend with the qualifying.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28So important for the pilots to fly well here.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Each pilot must try to set the fastest time.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43The quickest can get round the course in just over a minute,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45but there's a time penalty for any mistakes.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Behind the scenes, Paul prepares for his turn.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01A lot of racing is down to observation.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05You know, have you noticed the fact that the wind at gate four is swirling
0:23:05 > 0:23:08around a bit? And then if you've noticed it,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10do you know what to do about it,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and if you know what to do about it, do you know WHEN to do that?
0:23:23 > 0:23:27When you close the canopy, I like the solitude of it.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29I love being alone in an aeroplane.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30So...it's just heaven.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43But after just one flight, Paul's plane has a major fault.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47What happened?
0:23:51 > 0:23:55If he doesn't get back up in the air within 30 minutes, he'll miss his
0:23:55 > 0:23:59second qualifying run, which could stop them getting through to the next round.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16It's got that funny feeling that it's going to fail at any moment, so
0:24:16 > 0:24:18hence the change.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Two screws and four little ones.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24'Any distraction is bad.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28'It's a frustration that something is, in my mind,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31'conspiring against me winning.'
0:24:31 > 0:24:35The screw that goes on the firewall is on the firewall.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38'The rehearsal of going through the track, every single movement,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42'is absolutely key because it's probably hundreds and hundreds of movements
0:24:42 > 0:24:43'in one minute.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46'And you have to rehearse that in your head.'
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Is everybody happy about...?
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Yep, we've had a look.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Do we think that was the problem?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I mean, it's our best bet for now.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06I hope it works.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Yeah, I hope it works too.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14The rapid repair gets Paul airborne again, just in time.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18The light goes from red to green, by over a quarter of a second!
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Through Champion's Corner,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23the British fans on their feet once again as Paul Bonhomme...
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Two from two in qualifying!
0:25:26 > 0:25:30Bonhomme sets himself up as the hot favourite.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Oh, the crowd are on their feet.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35The fans are loving it.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Paul makes it through to the knockout stage of the race.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44I have to say, that's what you call a...
0:25:44 > 0:25:46mental challenge.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Forget the flying, that was the mental challenge of all mental challenges.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54But, you know, we overcame that and here we are. It's thanks
0:25:54 > 0:25:57to the team. If I hadn't got a brilliant team, I wouldn't be here.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Descent altitude of 4,000 feet.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07INDISTINCT
0:26:07 > 0:26:12'Mayday, mayday, mayday, November 1-1-0...'
0:26:12 > 0:26:16When emergencies happen, it is vital that air traffic controllers
0:26:16 > 0:26:18- respond quickly. - Tell me anything you need.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22'We're just over the French coast at this time.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25'We have an explosive decompression on board.'
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Each year, there are tested to see if they can handle unpredictable and
0:26:29 > 0:26:32time-critical situations.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34We just want to get down to 100, over.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40From another room, an ex-pilot simulates a range of real-life scenarios.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42'We'd like to make a slight turn to the left.'
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Then a slight turn to the right, to make sure my aircraft,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50the integrity of the aircraft is normal.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54There potentially could be two or three emergencies a day,
0:26:54 > 0:26:59but they could be anything from a sick passenger to something seriously wrong with an aircraft.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02That's good. We'll start again and do something else.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I tried to make it as realistic as possible
0:27:04 > 0:27:07by using an American aircraft and using an American accent.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- IN DUTCH ACCENT:- Well, if I was a KLM pilot, I would put on my Dutch accent,
0:27:11 > 0:27:12of course. We fly to Newcastle and have a landing.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- IN SOUTH AFRICAN ACCENT:- If I was a South African pilot,
0:27:15 > 0:27:16then I'd be going down to Durban
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and I would fly from Heathrow down to Durban at about 40,000 feet.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Contact London. 1-2-0...
0:27:22 > 0:27:26One of the rarest situations they may have to deal with is a pilot losing
0:27:26 > 0:27:29consciousness through lack of oxygen.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Let's say, for example, as happened some years ago in the States,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35there was a business jet,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and it developed a very tiny hole or crack in the windscreen
0:27:38 > 0:27:43and so air coming in, but so quietly that the pilot didn't hear it.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46He started slurring his words, taking wrong turns,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50the aircraft went over a large body of water, and unfortunately
0:27:50 > 0:27:52there was nothing anybody could do.
0:27:52 > 0:27:542-0-6, turn left.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Heading 0-5-0 degrees.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58Should we do a French accent?
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- If you wish.- OK, let's do that.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06London, Bravo, Romeo, Sierra, 4-6-3-9.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09..Bravo, Romeo, Sierra, 4-6-3-9. Pass a message.
0:28:09 > 0:28:15The air traffic controllers have no idea what they will be faced with.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18I am not feeling very well.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Descend now. Flight level 1-3-0.
0:28:22 > 0:28:243-1-0?
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Flight level 1-3-0.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31He's just doing his own thing.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32He's just dropping in there.
0:28:32 > 0:28:38And I'm still going to simulate turning the aircraft to the right.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Because I'm really not in control of this aeroplane.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46I think he sounds as if he's got a bit of a lack of oxygen.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48He doesn't know where he is or what he's doing.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50He sounds very incoherent.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54I need to land as soon as possible.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Romeo, Sierra 4-6-3-9, that is understood.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59It will be best to land at Gatwick.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03The controller guides the pilot down to a safe height.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09Because of the fresh air I've introduced into the cockpit then I'm gradually
0:29:09 > 0:29:13getting all my faculties back, and there we are.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15It should be a happy landing, hopefully.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19This training is massively important because it gives them the ability in
0:29:19 > 0:29:23the simulator in a safe environment to practise the skills that they've
0:29:23 > 0:29:28learned. It helps everybody to refocus on what they could have done, and could have done better.
0:29:28 > 0:29:296-3 X-ray...
0:29:29 > 0:29:34Bravo, reduce speed. 165 knots. Maintaining for four miles.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Air traffic controllers never know when their training will be put to the test.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Thank you, number two. Contact tower now...
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Goodbye.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Amanda is in charge of flights in and out of Stansted.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48BEEPING
0:29:58 > 0:30:01An unidentified flying object, an infringer,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04has been spotted close to the Stansted flight path.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07That's the airport there, that square.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12And this is the return there, which is quite faint.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16But there's some doubt as to whether that's an aeroplane or not.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19I can hear the controller speaking to the tower controller to see whether
0:30:19 > 0:30:23or not that is, you know, an actual return of an aeroplane or not.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29If the object is real, there is a risk of collision.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53The mystery infringer remains unresponsive.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06As she's not sure she's taken the safest option,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09there will be no more departures from Stansted until this contact
0:31:09 > 0:31:12either disappears off radar or we establish that it is an aircraft
0:31:12 > 0:31:14and get it out the way.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24It vanished. It vanished about a mile west of the airfield
0:31:24 > 0:31:25and never reappeared.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30It's a judgment call. If there's any part of you that thinks it could be
0:31:30 > 0:31:32real, stop your traffic.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Because you don't want to be the one person responsible the day it is real.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Whether a light aircraft or just a flock of birds,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41air traffic control will never know.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Today, Stef aims to become an officially licensed drone pilot.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Oh, God.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00I'm feeling - oh, my God -
0:32:00 > 0:32:03like a disaster, basically!
0:32:03 > 0:32:05If I pass, it's going to be a miracle.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- Right.- OK, Stef. Welcome to the showground, where you're going to do your flight assessment.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15Obviously this is the flying area, the field we can see.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Let me get my sexy hi-vis on.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Ooh!
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Stef must show he can identify every safety risk.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Considering we're in a big field and there's nothing around us,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34I think an emergency landing is going to be fairly safe around here.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37I can see some sheep over there too.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39I've warned the farmer.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Once he's assessed the area, he can attempt to take off.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51No. No, no, no!
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Why?
0:32:54 > 0:32:55Why?
0:33:11 > 0:33:13- OK, I'm just going to... - Forget about
0:33:13 > 0:33:16this as a flight assessment and it is important to you -
0:33:16 > 0:33:21is it safe to fly this aircraft, given the things you're experiencing at the moment?
0:33:26 > 0:33:28The call is yours, Stefan, ultimately.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Because you, as the pilot, have got to make the safe call.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37OK. In a more complicated flying environment, with more elements against me,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39then I would not take the fight.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42- OK.- On the basis of it being in a field, I feel I can do it.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43OK, then, we'll carry on.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48I'd like you to fly to the centre location, which is the small cone.
0:33:50 > 0:33:51God, Stef. Man up!
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Come on. I've never been this scared in my life.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Either clockwise or anticlockwise.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Lower the aircraft through 180 degrees.
0:33:59 > 0:34:00Initiate your fail-safe.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Bring it back to the centre for me, please.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07What I'd like you to do now is land your aircraft for me, please.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13OK. And as the sun's come out...
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- Congratulations, Stef.- No way! - You've passed your flight assessment.- Oh, my God!
0:34:17 > 0:34:18No way! Are you serious?
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- Yep.- Can I cuddle you, please? I know you're a military man but...
0:34:21 > 0:34:24- Couple of...- Yes!
0:34:26 > 0:34:29I can't even explain
0:34:29 > 0:34:31how good this feels right now.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34To hear him say I passed now is just...
0:34:34 > 0:34:36It's opened up this to me.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38It's finally opened up the skies.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41It sounds cheesy, but the sky is no longer going to be the limit.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52It's an 18,000 strong crowd here in Ascot.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56It's the first knockout round at Ascot.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Paul is ranked favourite,
0:35:01 > 0:35:06but due to the race format, he's now up against his biggest rival,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08who he didn't expect to meet until the final.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13- I'm furious.- Oh, really? Why?- Well, this stupid format.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- Because you're up against...? - Yeah, I'm up against Hannes. So well done, Paul(!)
0:35:16 > 0:35:19- Love the format(!)- OK, then.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22- But in terms of your performance? - Great. Loved it. Absolutely loved it.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24A great day's flying.
0:35:24 > 0:35:25The format sucks.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Thank you.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29'Any distraction is bad,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32'let alone one that raises your blood pressure
0:35:32 > 0:35:34'and gets your temper going.'
0:35:34 > 0:35:37It's part and parcel of the competition. You know, I'm there to win and
0:35:37 > 0:35:43it's a frustration that something is, in my mind, conspiring against
0:35:43 > 0:35:45me winning.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50Paul's rival, Austrian pilot Hannes Arch, is first to fly.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Up he goes! This is the fastest,
0:36:03 > 0:36:08cleanest run we've seen from the former world champion all week long
0:36:08 > 0:36:13as he heads for home and stops the clock with a scintillating time.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Paul needs to be faster than 1 minute 6.2 seconds.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25He said it himself, Mike. The pressure is on.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33And out of Champion's Corner.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34It's not looking that good.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Red light, no green.
0:36:36 > 0:36:37Four-tenths off the pace.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40230mph.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Has Bonhomme been beaten by Arch? Watch the clock!
0:36:43 > 0:36:44Oh, he's missed it!
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Arch has beaten Paul Bonhomme.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Paul is nearly a whole second slower than his rival.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Paul Bonhomme is beaten out on the Ascot racetrack.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03I absolutely detest it when I don't do well.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Maybe it's just in my, you know, in my make-up.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12I did horrendously in the first batch of school exams I did when I was 16,
0:37:12 > 0:37:17and that dreadful feeling of opening your exam sheet
0:37:17 > 0:37:21to see that you'd failed eight out of nine exams.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23For me, that was heartbreaking.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Bonhomme will go through as the fastest loser!
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Bonhomme is still in the competition.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36It will all come down to who can fly fastest in the final round.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47Every year, thousands of people in Britain begin the journey towards
0:37:47 > 0:37:49becoming a pilot.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55INDISTINCT
0:38:01 > 0:38:03That's pretty cool, isn't it?
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Just kind of eager to get up there now.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11When he was a boy, Ross Proctor was told that because he had restricted
0:38:11 > 0:38:12growth in his legs,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16he would never achieve his dream of becoming a pilot.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18These seats are a nice height.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21The pedals are still miles away but, you know... I bet that's fun,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23pushing them all forward.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31I bet it's nice being right up, like, 32,000 feet in one of these.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Like, above the clouds and everything.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37I bet it's nice.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Do you want me to lift this thing up?
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Now, age 31,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45Ross finally has a chance to learn to fly a specially adapted plane.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48It's like the World's Strongest Man, isn't it?
0:38:48 > 0:38:50It's not actually difficult.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53The aeroplane is only going to do what he makes it do.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55The same as it will do for you or for me.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58He's got to be able to do it.
0:38:58 > 0:38:59Bloody hell. Right, OK.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03The usual foot pedals are replaced by an extra hand control.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07'He's got to operate the brakes, the rudder,'
0:39:07 > 0:39:10the throttle and the flaps with one hand.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Want to add anything onto that?
0:39:15 > 0:39:17I think that's an achievement if he can do that.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20So you now need to be able to work that one, that one and that one.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22If you're an octopus, it's easy.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24It's a sort of a strange feeling.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27It's... Yeah, it's a little bit nerve-racking, isn't it?
0:39:27 > 0:39:29But, no, it's great. It's cool.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37'You're in this machine that, really, you think, how does this thing fly?
0:39:37 > 0:39:40'The excitement and the adrenaline of pushing the throttle forward and
0:39:40 > 0:39:42'revving it up.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47'I think if most of us could pick a superpower, we'd pick to fly.'
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Before he can take flight,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Ross must master manoeuvring the aircraft on the ground.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Whoa, whoa, whoa...
0:40:29 > 0:40:30Right, yeah.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Once he's familiar with the controls, Ross can attempt takeoff.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Whoa-a-a!
0:41:51 > 0:41:55'I think the world looks different from up in the air.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59'You know, it gives you a sense of space and freedom and a feeling that you're
0:41:59 > 0:42:00'part of something bigger.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05'Maybe it gives you a little bit of faith back in yourself when you do it.
0:42:05 > 0:42:06'Maybe you think, "You know what?
0:42:06 > 0:42:09' "I believe in myself and I know my talents, I know my abilities.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13' "Can I fly an aeroplane? Can I do it? Yes, I can!" '
0:42:18 > 0:42:22..Three Foxtrot, on 3-3-0 degrees.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26So... # Thunderstorm and lightning, very, very frightening...
0:42:26 > 0:42:27# Galileo! #
0:42:28 > 0:42:33Today, severe thunderstorms are forecast to hit the crowded airspace
0:42:33 > 0:42:34around the south of England.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39The weather is the real killer today for us.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43We're going to see bad weather hitting Gatwick probably in the next hour,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45and then moving its way up to Heathrow, and then...
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Stansted and Luton, of course. Because we deal with all those airports here.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Thunderstorms make life very difficult for NATS,
0:42:53 > 0:42:57as pilots can swerve suddenly off their flight paths to avoid flying
0:42:57 > 0:43:00- though storm clouds. - So, the calm before the storm...
0:43:00 > 0:43:03- Yeah.- Pretty much.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07To make matters worse, during bad weather, fewer planes can land,
0:43:07 > 0:43:10which means a traffic jam can build up in the sky.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15My concern is, it's going to get worse, we're going to get multiple weather avoidance,
0:43:15 > 0:43:19so I think the rate needs to come down, otherwise we're going to end up with carnage everywhere.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20To limit potential disruption,
0:43:20 > 0:43:24Steve decides to reduce the number of flights allowed into London's
0:43:24 > 0:43:29airspace. But this will lead to delays and cancellations all over Europe.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32I'm the one who holds the accountability for the safety of the operation
0:43:32 > 0:43:37in this ops room. So I'm the only person that can make the decision on the traffic numbers in.
0:43:37 > 0:43:38I've got lots of sources of information,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42but ultimately, if it's wrong, it's my fault.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45I've just decreased the Heathrow rate.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47When the weather hits in the next hour-and-a-half,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49we don't end up with planes all over the place.
0:43:50 > 0:43:55No-one knows exactly when the storm will hit, or how long it will last.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59So, Steve has to constantly re-evaluate his decision as updates come in.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02Is there any way you could shorten the timeframe, do you think?
0:44:02 > 0:44:05But this is battening down the hatches before it all hits.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07If you think it's the right decision, then fine.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09I think it feels the right decision for now.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12- That's no worries, but I'm just warning you that...- Yeah, OK.
0:44:15 > 0:44:20That band that's coming through, it's due to hit in the next half-hour.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22There's Heathrow, there's a nice big cell.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26There's the bad weather, as it has drifted up to the north, to Luton, Stansted.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32He won't know if he's made the right call until the storm arrives.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Thunderstorm and hail warnings for all around the TMA.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41I've got Biggin Hill, London City, Farnborough, Luton and Stansted.
0:44:41 > 0:44:42Yeah - what time?
0:44:44 > 0:44:48We've all been on planes where... "I'm sorry for the late departure, this flight is air traffic..."
0:44:48 > 0:44:50It's never air traffic just cos we're being miserable.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52There's only so much concrete in the south-east of the country,
0:44:52 > 0:44:55and an awful lot of aeroplanes that want to land on those bits of
0:44:55 > 0:44:58concrete. And physically, you can only get so many down.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00So, sometimes, when the demand is really high,
0:45:00 > 0:45:02or like we have when there's bad weather,
0:45:02 > 0:45:04you have to reduce the amount coming in.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12The weather front has reached London's airspace.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14So, it looks like it's dissipating, doesn't it?
0:45:19 > 0:45:21But the storms have eased.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26It's not been as bad as it was forecast.
0:45:26 > 0:45:33So, what we've done is obviously lifted the regulations as soon as we can,
0:45:33 > 0:45:36we've made sure that as few delays as possible have been incurred by
0:45:36 > 0:45:38everyone along the way. Weather is so unpredictable.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41We even had the Met Office forecaster here with us today,
0:45:41 > 0:45:46but even THEY can't be 100% accurate with the ferocity, if you like,
0:45:46 > 0:45:48of the thunderstorm-type activity.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51If we'd hit bad weather, we've got all those planes -
0:45:51 > 0:45:54potentially 25 planes in the sky - that we'd need to divert.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57And it's just not a pretty place to be at all.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02I still stand by all the decisions that we've made so far.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Sainsbury's, here I come. Cheerio. Ta-da.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15When I came away from the cable cars, I was very encouraged,
0:46:15 > 0:46:17and I thought, "Yep, that's good."
0:46:17 > 0:46:20But I woke up this morning, and
0:46:20 > 0:46:23my heart keeps going up and down, up and down,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25because I know this is it now. It's real.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28Tens of thousands of British people have taken
0:46:28 > 0:46:32one of the fear-of-flying courses run by the major airlines.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Now, Lynne is joining them.
0:46:36 > 0:46:37- Goodbye.- Goodbye!
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Good luck!
0:46:39 > 0:46:43The two-day course aims to get aviophobes ready to fly.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47If Lynne makes it through, it will be her first flight for 17 years.
0:46:47 > 0:46:52What I'm about to teach you will make the impossible possible...
0:46:54 > 0:46:58..and totally within your grasp.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03It begins by putting the risks of flying in perspective...
0:47:03 > 0:47:06All right, which one of these is the odd one out?
0:47:06 > 0:47:09You're absolutely correct!
0:47:09 > 0:47:15You're more likely to get killed by being kicked by a donkey than any of
0:47:15 > 0:47:18the other disasters put together.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23..then uses a range of psychological techniques aimed at removing fear.
0:47:23 > 0:47:24Whatever your fear is,
0:47:24 > 0:47:28you're going to play that negative mind movie in your head,
0:47:28 > 0:47:30freeze the frame in your mind.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Three, two, one...
0:47:33 > 0:47:36And scratch!
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Bad movie just rips and splits into two,
0:47:39 > 0:47:43and now what's really important is that you create
0:47:43 > 0:47:46the GOOD movie. Now, this is so important.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50This is the movie telling the brain, "This is what I want."
0:47:50 > 0:47:58Whatever that is for you, make that bright, colourful, three-dimensional,
0:47:58 > 0:47:59powerful.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02That's good.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04I have this fear!
0:48:04 > 0:48:06I know...
0:48:06 > 0:48:07Bigger - here we go!
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Even though I have this...
0:48:10 > 0:48:12I know...
0:48:12 > 0:48:15Top of the head, top of the head, top of the head!
0:48:15 > 0:48:18Eyebrow point - eyebrow, eyebrow, side of the eye.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Underneath the eye. Remember,
0:48:20 > 0:48:23these are just mind games that you were playing inside of your head.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26But you know what? The game is over.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30What worked for me was that picture.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32I have a picture in my head.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36And I've broken it and I've got a picture of what I want to do.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38And that's what's going to work for me.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49After dark, a skeleton staff are still at NATS...
0:48:50 > 0:48:54..keeping watch over the remaining planes and passengers in the skies.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59Hello, good morning, it's the TC ops supervisor here.
0:48:59 > 0:49:017-9-2 inbound to yourself...
0:49:03 > 0:49:06Er, he would like some policemen to meet him on arrival. He's got
0:49:06 > 0:49:10a disruptive passenger on board. I know no more details yet. I'll get back to you when I do.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14He's out of Spain, so it looks like a bucket-and-spade flight coming back,
0:49:14 > 0:49:16erm, with holiday-makers on board.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20So, entirely possible that someone's been drinking all day long,
0:49:20 > 0:49:21and just getting a bit lairy.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Or it could be something entirely different.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26..heavily intoxicated.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29At the moment, he's calm and relaxed, and situation under control.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Heavily intoxicated - air-traffic speak for "pissed as a fart".
0:49:35 > 0:49:39At night, one danger to pilots and passengers is at its greatest.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45Laser pointers are tech toys that can be bought for a few pounds
0:49:45 > 0:49:46on any high street.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50Two hours into the shift, it's a lovely, clear evening,
0:49:50 > 0:49:55and we've had four reports of laser attacks on aircraft.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59Obviously, the pilots deal with that, make sure they're flying the aeroplane safely,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02and they'll let us know that they've been targeted by a laser,
0:50:02 > 0:50:04and we'll contact the local police.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07The danger is fairly significant.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11Clearly, the immediate danger to the pilots' eyes.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14You know, you sense something flashing here,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16the natural human instinct must be to look at it.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20Police have tracked down some of the culprits.
0:50:21 > 0:50:27Over 150 people in the UK have been prosecuted for directing lasers at aircraft.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33Yesterday, we had a Virgin Atlantic aircraft leave Heathrow,
0:50:33 > 0:50:37and it was attacked - I think is probably the right word -
0:50:37 > 0:50:41by a laser, which got one of the pilots in the eye.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43The crew decided that they weren't prepared to continue
0:50:43 > 0:50:46with one of them having potential damage to their eyes,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49and so the aircraft turned back and came back into Heathrow.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51It's a very serious thing.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54Laser strikes at aircraft are pretty much idiots on the ground firing
0:50:54 > 0:50:57these things about. I guess they may think it's a jokey, fun thing to do.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Well, it certainly isn't - it's very, very dangerous.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03And it's illegal as well, and you can be charged, prosecuted and thrown into jail.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24At Stansted, it's the morning of Lynne's flight.
0:51:25 > 0:51:30Along with the 96 other passengers, she's due to board a plane...
0:51:30 > 0:51:33- Thank you so much.- ..and find out if she's cured of her fear.
0:51:40 > 0:51:45- I can't lie, I'm very nervous right now.- What are you nervous of?
0:51:45 > 0:51:47That.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53- Tell me how you're feeling. - Really anxious, and my heart... I can't stop beating.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55It's going, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Oh...
0:51:59 > 0:52:04- Hello.- There's crew in the middle as well to help you get settled.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08In a few moments we'll be taking you through the safety features
0:52:08 > 0:52:12of our Airbus 390, and we would kindly ask for your full attention.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16'Ladies and gentlemen - a safety card is in your seat pocket,
0:52:16 > 0:52:20'showing the exit routes, oxygen masks, life jackets,
0:52:20 > 0:52:24'and brace position that you must adopt if you hear "brace, brace".
0:52:26 > 0:52:29'We wish you a pleasant flight on easyJet.'
0:52:29 > 0:52:30I just... I go... I've got to see...
0:52:30 > 0:52:34I've got to get the... the image in my head.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37And I'm just sticking on to that.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39That's it. That's very powerful -
0:52:39 > 0:52:42the photograph I've got is a really powerful one.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50It's the beach where my mum grew up, and...
0:52:51 > 0:52:56She has... She wants her ashes sprinkled there.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59And that's the reason I'm doing this, so that I can do that.
0:52:59 > 0:53:05Erm, and yesterday, when we, er, were doing that image, erm,
0:53:05 > 0:53:08two or three times, I was...
0:53:08 > 0:53:10I found myself standing on the beach.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13And right at the end of it, I could see a picture of my mum.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16That's what I'm going with - I'm going with that.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21That's going to get me there - up there - and ultimately to Australia.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35'..But they've also got that visual indicator as well, so, a slight crosswind.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37'The wind is out of the south.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41'And now, of course, the engines' thrust is increasing,
0:53:41 > 0:53:45- 'the volume is increasing...' - Oh, no!
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Oh, no!
0:54:05 > 0:54:09LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
0:54:31 > 0:54:35At Ascot, it's the final of the air race.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37Are you ticklish?
0:54:37 > 0:54:39With retirement looming,
0:54:39 > 0:54:43this year is Paul's last chance to win an unprecedented third
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Red Bull championship.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48He was born just a few miles up the road, here in Berkshire.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50There is a lot of Paul Bonhomme fans here,
0:54:50 > 0:54:53people he's drunk many pints in Berkshire with.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57Well, today, I'm looking for Paul to win, of course.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00I mean, you can't ask for any more than that.
0:55:00 > 0:55:01Ah, he's just the best.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05- He's just the best.- He's a British Airways captain...
0:55:05 > 0:55:07He didn't do these sort of manoeuvres in a jumbo.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09- No!- But he should have done.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Paul is up against three other pilots.
0:55:15 > 0:55:16And here comes Matt Hall.
0:55:16 > 0:55:21A two-second penalty for Matt Hall through gate ten!
0:55:21 > 0:55:22Oh!
0:55:24 > 0:55:28The time to beat is one minute and nine seconds.
0:55:28 > 0:55:34There is one pilot left to fly - the current world championship leader,
0:55:34 > 0:55:4017 wins, 42 podiums, but most importantly to the British fans
0:55:40 > 0:55:41here today,
0:55:41 > 0:55:48it must be penalty-free, it must be faster than 1:09.024.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:55:55 > 0:56:00Over 20,000 people applauding, on their feet.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07Here comes Bonhomme, here comes Bonhomme, looking to bring
0:56:07 > 0:56:10a British success at Royal Ascot.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21'The great thing about an experience of flying an aeroplane on the limit
0:56:21 > 0:56:24'is doing it knowing you're in control of that.'
0:56:24 > 0:56:27And I think what is great is the ability to...
0:56:27 > 0:56:31to plan well enough so that you can go right up to the limit,
0:56:31 > 0:56:33and then stop there.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39You know, I think for me, that's a great challenge.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44Hall ground-affected... Needs a good line-up here.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47146 is a good speed for gate number one.
0:56:47 > 0:56:48Nice and straight.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54Psychologists would probably tell you what it's all about,
0:56:54 > 0:56:58but I quite like the idea of being on the top of the hill, and I quite like the view.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01And I quite like the view from an aeroplane.
0:57:01 > 0:57:02Yeah, it is just the ultimate.
0:57:17 > 0:57:18Here he comes, Mike. This is the tricky
0:57:18 > 0:57:21gate, this is where Matt Hall had problems.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23He's into gate ten. No worries for Bonhomme -
0:57:23 > 0:57:25just bobs over the oak tree!
0:57:25 > 0:57:28Now he's in Champion's Corner, and he's looking like the champion!
0:57:28 > 0:57:33In Champion's Corner, into the penultimate gate, gets those wings level.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37Here comes Bonhomme! Come on, Bonhomme!
0:57:40 > 0:57:42And it is there.
0:57:42 > 0:57:461:06.416!
0:58:02 > 0:58:03Whoo!
0:58:13 > 0:58:16- Next time...- Look at me in my beautiful big balloon.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19..the skies beneath the clouds.
0:58:19 > 0:58:20Ah, ha-ha!
0:58:22 > 0:58:23Hello, sick bag!
0:58:25 > 0:58:28When you're up there, you don't think about anything else.
0:58:28 > 0:58:30Nothing else matters.
0:58:33 > 0:58:38If I make one slight mistake, the chances are Willie will bang into me, and we'll both be dead.