0:00:02 > 0:00:05Once, except for the birds, our skies were empty.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Now, they're a crowded place.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16It's like chaos, but it's controlled chaos.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Every day, 6,000 planes...
0:00:19 > 0:00:20My pride and joy.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22There's nothing we can't transport.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27..and 600,000 people are in the skies above Britain.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Ah, yes!
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Guiding every plane is a hidden army of controllers...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38So, we've got no option right now but to stop arrivals into Gatwick.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41..performing one of the world's greatest juggling acts.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Unlike a computer game, you can't hit pause. They're coming.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49A place of adventure... HE LAUGHS
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Well, that was fantastic.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53..wonder...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55When you're up there, nothing else matters.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57..and danger.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00The less you know what's in front of you, the better.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02It gives you a sense of space and freedom
0:01:02 > 0:01:05and a feeling that you're part of something bigger.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06Every boy's little dream.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19United 96, Runway 27 left, cleared for takeoff.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20Line up Runway 27 left, behind.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26The skies above Britain's airports are the most congested in the world.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Inside the tower, air traffic controllers face the monumental task
0:01:33 > 0:01:36of shepherding all flights safely on and off the runway.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42We are sitting beneath the busiest patch of sky on the planet.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47We're handling 3,500 flights in this very, very small
0:01:47 > 0:01:50patch of sky every day.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Air Portugal 363, behind the departing
0:01:52 > 0:01:56British Airways Airbus 320, line up Runway 27 left, behind.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01In air traffic control, we're trying to avoid the aeroplanes
0:02:01 > 0:02:03hitting each other, which is kind of the goal.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Turkish 3 Romeo Alpha, contact landing control, 120.525.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Altitude 1,500 feet, QNH 1-0-1-9er.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Once a flight departs,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27it's handed over to Britain's air traffic control centre, NATS,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29where a 200-strong team of controllers
0:02:29 > 0:02:33direct commercial aircraft through the complex network of highways
0:02:33 > 0:02:35in the skies above 10,000 feet.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41But away from controlled airspace, it's a different story.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Everything from small light aircraft
0:02:51 > 0:02:53to hot-air balloons and skydivers
0:02:53 > 0:02:56are free to roam in what's known as uncontrolled airspace.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01This chaotic layer of the sky
0:03:01 > 0:03:04is filled with the widest variety of aircraft
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and is overseen by just one desk at NATS -
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Flight Information Services.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11..06.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14'I mean, it probably doesn't look as hi-tech,'
0:03:14 > 0:03:15writing on paper strips.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17We've got a map with pins stuck in it,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20but it's the best way that we found to work
0:03:20 > 0:03:23as quickly as we can and efficiently as we can.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26But there is one type of aircraft
0:03:26 > 0:03:29which has always been difficult to keep track of.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32Hot-air balloons,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34they can move very fast
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and they're very unpredictable as to where they're going to go.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41Under the rules of the air,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44everything has to give way to balloons.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48There we go.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Welcome to my coffee hub!
0:03:56 > 0:04:00You know, in general aviation through the 20th century,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03the use of aeroplanes for mass transport,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06suddenly flying's lost its allure.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Hot-air balloons have been Pete Dalby's obsession
0:04:09 > 0:04:10for nearly 30 years.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15You've got to put up with airports
0:04:15 > 0:04:17and all the shepherding about and all the security.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Whereas ballooning has still got
0:04:22 > 0:04:27that romantic sort of slightly out of the ordinary,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30almost a home-made way of going flying.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Very nice conditions.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39The first time I flew in a balloon,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41I was just staggered, I was blown away by it.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I thought, "Why doesn't everyone do this all the time?"
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Because it was just so amazing.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55It's the sort of sense of freedom that you get.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57It's so...peaceful.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01And it's almost like you're still
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and the Earth is just rolling beneath you.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09I just love that idea of being in this amazing position
0:05:09 > 0:05:12of being able to look down on everything.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15It's totally serene, isn't it?
0:05:16 > 0:05:19I suggest we go over these first, these little cots. Yes.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24I think a lot of us are showmen.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26We've got this big, beautiful aircraft and, you know,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28you're in charge of it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34And so, there is that element of being a bit of a show-off,
0:05:34 > 0:05:35a bit of a showman.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37"Look at me in my beautiful, big balloon!"
0:05:39 > 0:05:41All righty, brilliant.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Balloons first took off in 1783.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Today, 1,500 of them are in our skies.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Bend your knees!
0:05:52 > 0:05:56The most dangerous part of flight in any aircraft is landing.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57Boom!
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Are we stopping or not? We are stopping.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02Good. Hey! Sorry.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07That's it, we're down.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09We're down.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13We're away. We are off! Easy as that.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23There are nearly 20,000 aircraft
0:06:23 > 0:06:26registered to fly in uncontrolled British airspace.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Unlike commercial planes, they are not bound by law
0:06:29 > 0:06:31to contact NATS,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34but pilots performing risky manoeuvres are advised to call in.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Today, pilot Sam Jones is taking his friend for a spin
0:06:41 > 0:06:42in a Slingsby Firefly.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Good afternoon, pass your message.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51What is your intended routing this afternoon?
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Roger that, squawk 1177, Mode Charlie, A6 Ellis.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14With the freedom of uncontrolled airspace comes added risk.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16HE LAUGHS
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Problems with commercial aircraft, very, very rare.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26But with light aircraft, it is more common.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33There's a schedule of maintenance
0:07:33 > 0:07:34for the commercial airliners.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36And although the privately
0:07:36 > 0:07:38owned ones, they have to keep
0:07:38 > 0:07:41their certificate of air worthiness, like an MOT,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43faults aren't picked up in the same way.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Light aircraft are often single-engined with just one pilot,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56so there's no backup if anything goes wrong.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Would you fly in a light aircraft?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Absolutely not, no chance.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Goodness me, some of these aircraft are so small,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11they look like they should be flown with a remote control.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Shouldn't have somebody inside actually flying the thing.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Al and Willie have spent five years as The Wildcats,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28flying Pitts Specials in aerobatic displays.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I'm really chilled and he's a grumpy old man,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34that's really how it boils down to.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Absolutely right, he's grumpy and I'm really chilled. Oh, that's...!
0:08:39 > 0:08:42They have just two more displays left to perform in a season
0:08:42 > 0:08:44fraught with tragedy,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46with two fatal accidents at British air shows.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50OK, nose-to-tail, he's clean.
0:08:50 > 0:08:51And he's off.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57I guess my real buzz with aerobatics started flying in the Air Force.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Air Force is very much about flying fighter aeroplanes in a dynamic way,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08not just keeping them flying straight and level
0:09:08 > 0:09:10to go from A to B, like you might do in an airliner.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13And that feeling of being able to move in all three dimensions,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16complete freedom in the sky, is amazing.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26Clear.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30We maintain the aeroplanes ourselves to make sure that everything
0:09:30 > 0:09:31that we want done is done.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33It's checking the oil, it's checking the brakes,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36it's checking that there's nothing loose on the aeroplane.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38We take this incredibly seriously.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41You know, reliance is...
0:09:41 > 0:09:43My reliance on Willie is the most reliance I've had
0:09:43 > 0:09:45on any other person in my whole life.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Today, Willie and Al are performing at Snetterton race track.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Designed in 1944 specifically for aerobatic use,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12their Pitts Special biplanes are constructed around
0:10:12 > 0:10:15a lightweight metal frame with wood and fabric-covered wings.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32With a 260 horsepower engine,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35they are fast, highly manoeuvrable aircraft.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I don't like fear and that's why I don't do parachuting.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42The thought of jumping out an aeroplane terrifies me.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46So, I have no inclination to go and do things that are scary.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48I don't even like watching scary films,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50so I'm not going to put myself in that position.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Throughout their ten-minute routine, it takes razor-sharp concentration
0:10:58 > 0:11:02to fly upside down, pulling up to 5G within six feet of one another.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Ah, yes!
0:11:17 > 0:11:18And go!
0:11:25 > 0:11:28If I make one slight mistake, the chances are
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Willie will bang into me and we'll both be dead.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33If we die, the chances are someone on the ground will die,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35so we have to get this right, there's no room for error here.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Bam!
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Yeah!
0:11:49 > 0:11:50Yee-ha!
0:11:52 > 0:11:54It's more dangerous than, probably,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57going out to play golf or fishing, I guess,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59but it doesn't feel dangerous.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Nothing we do, we're not going up there
0:12:02 > 0:12:04thrill-seeking in that way at all.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15While some feel most alive airborne,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17others are happiest watching from below.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Beautiful!
0:12:24 > 0:12:26How is that not ballet? It is.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Just look at it. I am looking at it.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Marius is a devoted plane-spotter who lives in Essex.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35Oh!
0:12:35 > 0:12:39He's slowly ticking off a long list of aircraft.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Yellow tail. Voila.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Beautiful, that noise.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Right, MD. Come on, come on, please next!
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Mustang coming in, Germanwings.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Is it? Yeah.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55I'm a taxi driver.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58I only work nights,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02which gives me more time in the afternoon for my spotting.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06I love meeting people, especially if they make the foolish mistake
0:13:06 > 0:13:09of asking me, you know, what my hobby is.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12If we get that far into a conversation,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14I can go on for years.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18If I didn't have plane spotting in my life, I don't know,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I can't really think of...
0:13:23 > 0:13:25..of a life without aviation in it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Marius has been fascinated by planes since he was 13 years old.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Well, this is my room. That's where I keep most of my collection.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42A 400-scale miniature airport.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Even with ground support equipment,
0:13:44 > 0:13:49all the small tugs and baggage carriers.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I will need a bigger one, so this is just temporary.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55In this room at the moment,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58everything you see in these boxes is well over ?10,000.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04You could get a kit on eBay, for instance, for ?4, ?3.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06It's cheaper than a pack of cigarettes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09And that's how I think about the stuff I buy.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14I always go, "Wait a minute, if I'm dumb enough to pay ?6
0:14:14 > 0:14:17"for a pack of cigarettes, what's ?5 for a model?"
0:14:17 > 0:14:20At least I can keep the model but the cigarettes will me kill me.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I am addicted, I am hooked on it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28I mean, sometimes just laying them out on the mat, that's my drug.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I love to see them, I love to add to my collection.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37If I had one million different models in my collection,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I would still go online and try to buy number 1,000,001.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Being in control of the real thing
0:14:49 > 0:14:52is what drives air traffic controller Ady Dolan.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57I remember talking to the first aeroplane that I've spoken to
0:14:57 > 0:14:59at Heathrow Airport and I thought it was amazing.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Air Jamaica 1, clear to land, Runway 27 right.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05That was it and that was the first transmission.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I even printed out the little strip and took it home.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11It was an Air Jamaica flight from Montego Bay at Heathrow.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16After 15 years of early starts,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19the first red-eye arrival still holds a thrill for Ady.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Heathrow's rush hour starts at six o'clock in the morning
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and finishes at about 11pm.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27It's nonstop.
0:15:27 > 0:15:315 to 6, plug in, sit there, don't say anything for a bit.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Then suddenly in the murk,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37you see those first pair of lights coming down the approach.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39And then at bang-on six o'clock,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42both approaches are filled with aircrafts.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46And the thing is, unlike a computer game, you can't hit pause.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49They're coming regardless of whether you stop them or not,
0:15:49 > 0:15:50they're landing.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52American 730, left turn, follow the greens.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Contact ground, 121.7.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57'6 till 7 o'clock, it's all heavy traffic.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01'It's 747s, A380s, big heavy jets,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04'and they're landing constantly for an hour.'
0:16:04 > 0:16:08There's one there, one there, one there. Every three miles.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10But it looks absolutely fabulous
0:16:10 > 0:16:14and it still gives me a buzz about coming to work, it's great.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20KLM 1001, turn left, follow the greens, contact ground, 121.7.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Speedbird 246, vacate left,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25follow the greens and contact ground, 121.850.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Scandinavian 523, vacate left, follow the greens,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30contact ground at 121.90.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Below the more tranquil skies of Bristol,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Peter's planning to revolutionise hot-air ballooning.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48He intends to do away with propane burners and instead,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50use just the heat of the sun
0:16:50 > 0:16:53to power the world's first-ever solar hybrid balloon.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56That's quite exciting, isn't it? It is.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02A team of expert machinists have stitched together the balloon
0:17:02 > 0:17:05from 1,600 square metres of fabric,
0:17:05 > 0:17:10which by absorbing the sun's heat, should generate lift.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's the first time Pete and fellow balloonist Clive
0:17:13 > 0:17:15have seen inside their creation.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Balloons have only ever been powered by propane,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20which is obviously carbon heavy.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23So, the idea is that we can try and prove
0:17:23 > 0:17:28that even a carbon-heavy industry like ballooning
0:17:28 > 0:17:30can become far more sustainable.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33This has been a year in the making.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36It's always a bit nerve-racking when they first come out
0:17:36 > 0:17:40but more, it's excitement to get it out and fly it. Yeah, it is.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42We want to do this, basically.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46The balloon needs to be tested before being unveiled
0:17:46 > 0:17:50in a few weeks' time at Europe's biggest ballooning event,
0:17:50 > 0:17:51the Bristol Balloon Fiesta.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57So, it's completely weak now when you go. Yes, believe so.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00It'll be fine.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Well, we'll find out on test flight, won't we? Yeah, yeah.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07For their maiden voyage, they need sun.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Thursday morning, clear sunshine, yeah.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Friday looks like we've got showers from...
0:18:12 > 0:18:13Yeah. Oh, well.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16..from word go, so Thursday morning it's got to be, hasn't it?
0:18:16 > 0:18:18On the first test flight,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21we're going to hold each other's hands. Like this!
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Quaking in our boots.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28If it works, the solar balloon will be the first of its kind
0:18:28 > 0:18:30to fly in uncontrolled airspace.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46Oh!
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Oh, my God!
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Wildcats Al and Willie have first-hand experience
0:18:55 > 0:18:57of the risks of recreational flying.
0:19:05 > 0:19:102013, 2014 seasons, we displayed as a three-ship display team
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and our third pilot was a chap called David Jenkins,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14who was an amazing aerobatic pilot.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17He was the British Advanced Aerobatic Champion
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and he flew a completely different aeroplane to ours.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Ours are the old-fashioned biplanes, he flew a carbon-fibre Edge,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28the sort of stuff you see in the Red Bull air-racing aeroplanes.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33And we were flying an event, a remote air show here.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37And Al and I were on the ground parked right here, actually.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40David arrived about 20 minutes, half an hour after us,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44and arrived and put on a few aerobatic manoeuvres.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48It helped out with... The media were here, TV crews and press here.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52And unfortunately, one of the manoeuvres, he didn't recover from
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and he crashed in the field just over there.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01I came rushing outside and saw Willie 100 yards ahead of me
0:20:01 > 0:20:02running towards the accident.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05There was the smoke and the flames.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08I chased him and we lost a dear friend.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Our greatest concern then was getting in touch
0:20:14 > 0:20:18with David's wife, Elaine, and being able to go and talk to her.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22And that took a little bit of time to make happen and then really,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25it was the emotional rollercoaster of everything around that.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28And I suppose, then, for me, it was two or three days
0:20:28 > 0:20:31of almost numbness about that,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34trying to come to terms with what had really happened.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36And it's not because it was an unusual occurrence for us.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41Both Al and I had been flying for long enough now to have lost
0:20:41 > 0:20:45double figures numbers of friends through aviation accidents.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48You hope there's never going to be another one,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50but each one is equally hard to deal with.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I lost my best friend and mission partner eight years ago
0:20:53 > 0:20:56doing something very similar and what did I feel?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I thought, "How has this happened again?"
0:20:59 > 0:21:02We got together pretty quickly afterwards,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05probably within two days and sat down and said, "Do we carry on?
0:21:05 > 0:21:07"What are we doing?"
0:21:07 > 0:21:10There was no reason for his accident to impact on us,
0:21:10 > 0:21:11it wasn't the same kind of aeroplane,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13it wasn't doing the same sort of manoeuvres.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16So, there was no real link to that.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20We decided the best thing was to go on and we spoke to Elaine
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and she was very clear that that's what he would have wanted.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31David's crash was a shock to Willie's whole family.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Even to this day, there is not a day that goes past
0:21:35 > 0:21:37that I don't think about David and...
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And it's sad because, of course,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Elaine is in the same position as I am.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Elaine was a wife of a pilot
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and for that to happen to another friend...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Yeah, it was very tough.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57I don't think I would ever dare ask Willie to stop flying, ever.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Because I know what the answer would be.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01He wouldn't, he wouldn't ever stop flying.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05And because it's a passion of his, I wouldn't ask him to stop it.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09I think Willie will know when he's ready to stop flying
0:22:09 > 0:22:10and it's not now.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I think there may come a point when he's in his 80s
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and I'm begging him to stop flying,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20but I think he won't stop until he's ready.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Golf Zulu Zulu, roger, squawk 1177
0:22:26 > 0:22:28with Mode Charlie, basic service.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33There were nine light aircraft crashes in 2015,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35with 16 fatalities on board.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40NATS controllers are often the last person
0:22:40 > 0:22:41a pilot in trouble will talk to.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Last year, there was a crash
0:22:45 > 0:22:49and it was an aircraft that we used to speak to almost daily.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Because he used to fly from the Norfolk area
0:22:54 > 0:22:56over to Ireland and back.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00And he'd do that every evening and it would be, you know...
0:23:00 > 0:23:03We don't know the pilots, but you get used to
0:23:03 > 0:23:07particular call signs and, you know...
0:23:07 > 0:23:10"Oh, hello, how are you?" Sort of thing, if it's quiet.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15But he crashed and everybody was like, "Oh.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17"That's, you know..."
0:23:19 > 0:23:23We didn't know the people, so it's not sort of sad that way.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26But it's sad in that we used to talk to him almost every day.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Regardless of the risks, for some,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35the freedom of uncontrolled airspace is unbeatable.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I've done that slot, that slot and that slot.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46For Julia, that freedom comes not from piloting a plane
0:23:46 > 0:23:47but from jumping out of one.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54How long have I been skydiving for now? 24, 25 years.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57I started when I was 16.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01At Hibaldstow Airfield near Scunthorpe,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04ex-British and World Skydiving Champion Julia
0:24:04 > 0:24:07is training in an attempt to win a new title.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I don't think people really understand truly
0:24:11 > 0:24:12what happens up there.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I think they think it's more of a daredevil act.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18We just jump out of an aeroplane.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20But for us, it's a sport.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Most people think it's like a fairground ride,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41where their stomach goes away and they don't really have control
0:24:41 > 0:24:45of the feelings inside their body and it's nothing like that at all.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53When you're up there, you don't think about anything else.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Nothing else matters, really.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56You're in the moment.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Everything that you have on the ground,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02the "manicness" of life is parked for a moment
0:25:02 > 0:25:04while you're in free fall.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Julia has just joined the newly formed team, The Ex-Presidents,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15after taking a break from the sport to have her first child, Chloe.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I had to stay on the ground for a year. It was hard.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24When I turned up at the nationals last year,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26I was three months pregnant.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28And the moment I set foot on the drop zone,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I felt a lump in my throat
0:25:30 > 0:25:32because I saw all this activity and I wasn't part of it.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Good jump? Yeah, it was all right.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39You all right?
0:25:39 > 0:25:42'The day that the new champions won the trophy,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44'I said, "I'm going to get that trophy back next year."'
0:25:44 > 0:25:48So, it gave me a motivation to get back in the air anyway.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Five months after having a Caesarean,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Julia is back to full fitness,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58but late to start training with her team.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06The National Eight-Way Championships are in just two days' time.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14How are you feeling? What was Chloe, your daughter, like last night?
0:26:14 > 0:26:19Normal. Woke up at four in the morning. Not too bad, I guess.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22At times, she'll wake up maybe two or three times in the night,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24but she only woke up once last night,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27so I feel all refreshed and ready to go.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29As I'm going to be anyway.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36She quickly fed her, so now we can disappear for a couple of hours,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38get some jobs done!
0:26:38 > 0:26:39Hopefully get her to sleep.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46I'd be lying if the first time, I think, after Chloe was born,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49I guess it does cross your mind, "Ooh, wife!"
0:26:49 > 0:26:50But that was it,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52after the first flight, yeah,
0:26:52 > 0:26:53it was just normal again.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Otherwise, we'd never get on with doing the stuff we enjoy doing.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Skydivers follow a set pattern of jumps,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08but the team need their movements to become synchronised.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Plummeting to Earth at 115mph in formation
0:27:14 > 0:27:17requires skill and concentration.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24How did it go? Yeah, not bad.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It's going to take a couple of jumps to bed in, really.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31It's all so new for us all, jumping together,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35so it doesn't quite feel like we're there yet.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42The team must exit the plane at exactly the same time,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44holding on to one another.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Then as quickly as possible, begin their planned routine of manoeuvres.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52You're using your arms and legs to deflect the air.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Depending on how you deflect the air, you can move forwards,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59backwards, sideways, you can do turns, you can go up and down.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The aim is to complete as many formations as possible
0:28:04 > 0:28:06during 50 seconds of free fall.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17Excellent! Fall rate is a little inconsistent throughout.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Half the formation is up here and half down there,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23so something we need to work on.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24It's cold up there!
0:28:26 > 0:28:30Nine hours and ten practice jumps later, Julia heads home.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Really enjoyed it. Go and be a mum. More tomorrow. Yes!
0:28:39 > 0:28:42When I'm not skydiving or coaching,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46she'll go in this here and I'll be exercising here.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49I've got my weights here. And she'll just watch me, really.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53It's as important for me to be exercising
0:28:53 > 0:28:59and for her to see me as fit as I can be, really.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02And it was difficult for me to do at first cos I thought,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06"No, I should be spending my time with her and not exercising myself."
0:29:06 > 0:29:09But then I thought, "Well, actually, if I stay fit,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12"there's going to be a benefit to her."
0:29:12 > 0:29:15I think some people, when they become mums
0:29:15 > 0:29:17or they see mums skydiving,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20they do wonder, "Why are they doing that?
0:29:20 > 0:29:22"It's dangerous," et cetera, et cetera.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25It's weird how people don't think that about dads,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27but they do tend to think that about mums.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33Want to do some sit-ups? You ready? Three, two, one.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Up. Good girl!
0:29:41 > 0:29:43American 353, you're clear to stand 340.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Daily dedication to precision is critical for Ady.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51It took two and a half years of training for him to become
0:29:51 > 0:29:54an air traffic controller.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Continue on taxi via Alpha, hold short of Echo.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00'Aeroplanes still excite me now,'
0:30:00 > 0:30:02just as they did when I was a kid.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07And seeing the aeroplanes flying around is fantastic.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09It's almost like a choreographed dance where the aircraft
0:30:09 > 0:30:14come in beautifully together and it all just kind of works.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Speedbird 604, turn left on Taxiway Yankee,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19left on link 52 and Alpha,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21hold short of Echo.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25'It's kind of like a plane on a massive kids' play set.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28'You've got all of these aircraft, which actually look tiny.'
0:30:28 > 0:30:32We're talking about a 747 here, which is a huge, huge aeroplane,
0:30:32 > 0:30:34and it looks like a toy.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37And you feel like you can just pick the aircraft up and move them about.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46My girlfriend knows that I never told her not to touch anything
0:30:46 > 0:30:48but she can see that I'm very...
0:30:48 > 0:30:52I'm very against anyone touching this stuff.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54So, I am lucky.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58She is patient, she is lovely
0:30:58 > 0:31:03and I hope she puts up with me for a couple more years.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10I have an obsessed boyfriend. I just got a new job.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14I was volunteering it for a while and now I got the job
0:31:14 > 0:31:17as a part-time sales assistant for a charity shop.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20And he told me, "If you get any cool stuff
0:31:20 > 0:31:24"regarding aeroplanes, please bring it home. Buy it for me!"
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And I said, "I know, I know."
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Pictures, I've got thousands.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Well over 10,000 photographs. First aid covers.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38I paid about 6, ?7 for each one of these.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41That's ?6, ?6, ?6, ?6, ?6.
0:31:41 > 0:31:47So, I think it started as a hobby and now it's more than a hobby.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52These are the 500-scale miniature people.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55You need thousands of these. This is only a set of 32.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57I'm going to have to get more of these.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00I really love him for what he is.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01Erm...
0:32:01 > 0:32:06When I say his name, I just see aeroplanes. Marius, aeroplanes.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08You cannot, like,
0:32:08 > 0:32:09tear apart the image.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15You're the same with cats! We were talking about getting married.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Yes, and he has, like, a whole scenario for this.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Again, aeroplanes.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26And... No. What? OK.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27Should I know something?
0:32:27 > 0:32:29It should involve something with aviation, come on.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31It's my wedding too, you know.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35Aeroplane. Aeroplanes and cats, that would be the best!
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Listen, we'll definitely have a discussion about the cake
0:32:38 > 0:32:42being either shaped as a cat's head or an aeroplane.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45But I'm not going to show up to the wedding in a car, that's for sure.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47I'm either going to fly in with a helicopter
0:32:47 > 0:32:49or jump out of an aeroplane with a parachute.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Weather makes life very interesting for aeroplanes!
0:33:09 > 0:33:11There's a lot of fog around.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15We had somebody that was going to go via Bristol earlier,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19and the visibility in Bristol was 40 metres.
0:33:24 > 0:33:30We've had two reports of the wind at 4,000 - 214 at 3 knots, and 320.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35With no sign of sun in Bristol,
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Pete's test flight of the new solar balloon has been scuppered.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45I quite enjoy making bread because you get to the point
0:33:45 > 0:33:47where you get really aggressive with it.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50You know, when you're frustrated with the weather
0:33:50 > 0:33:54and you can't go flying, you can beat a load of dough about.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Would you say you're addicted to flying?
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Yeah, I think you're right. That's one good way of putting it.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11I used to say years ago,
0:34:11 > 0:34:16and I occasionally got told off for saying it, it's a bit like a drug.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Isn't particularly PC these days but, you know,
0:34:19 > 0:34:23that's the best way I can describe it.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26You know, once you've done it, you think,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28"Yeah, can't wait till I do that again."
0:34:30 > 0:34:32After weeks of overcast skies,
0:34:32 > 0:34:36the day of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta dawns
0:34:36 > 0:34:38and with it, a forecast of sun.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Sandbags. One and two.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43It's the first opportunity Pete's had
0:34:43 > 0:34:45to test his solar hybrid balloon.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48And he's doing it in front of half a million people.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Look at it. Not a cloud in the sky, so it's going to be great.
0:34:54 > 0:34:55Going to be brilliant.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56That will do, actually, Clive.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00I'm really looking forward to this flight.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03It's always good to do something that's a bit of a first.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06It's going to be a big learning curve
0:35:06 > 0:35:09because this is the first-ever flight of this balloon.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13So, we need to see how it works, how it responds.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17But...once we get airborne, we'll find out.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Just pull that out a bit, Nigel, please.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24There's always a buzz at the Balloon Fiesta,
0:35:24 > 0:35:25with all these balloons around.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Having a new balloon to play with, a new concept in ballooning,
0:35:28 > 0:35:30that's great fun as well.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35So, hope the sun kind of creeps up, starts warming us and the balloon.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39The moment of truth, Andy.
0:35:41 > 0:35:42I wish I knew what I was doing.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Oi!
0:35:46 > 0:35:47Nice knowing you, mate.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Thanks, pal.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Pete's experimental solar balloon
0:35:55 > 0:35:58is one of 500 balloons taking off during the Fiesta.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03Making sure they don't hit each other or anything else is priority.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07You all know, those of you who have been before,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10how important airspace and protecting our relationship
0:36:10 > 0:36:13with Bristol air traffic is to us here in Bristol.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16You'll be in serious trouble if you transgress into airspace
0:36:16 > 0:36:19because Bristol are particularly busy this weekend
0:36:19 > 0:36:22and so, they're happy to help
0:36:22 > 0:36:26but we mustn't aggravate them by doing stupid things.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31OK, have a great flight and be safe. Thank you.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42If the wind blows any balloons close to the controlled airspace
0:36:42 > 0:36:45around Bristol airport, they will be forced to land.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50The airport is just five miles from the launch site,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53and the air traffic controllers manage over 200 flights a day.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58One stray balloon would ground all commercial flights
0:36:58 > 0:37:00and cause lengthy delays.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04They're all inflating now,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06starting to inflate.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10So, they should be getting airborne in the next five minutes or so.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12MAN SPEAKS OVER RADIO
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Hopefully, only the first one will call us.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18And get some idea of the direction of drift
0:37:18 > 0:37:20that they're all going to be taking.
0:37:22 > 0:37:23OK.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29It's the moment of truth for Pete's pioneering balloon.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35How difficult is it to fly a solar balloon? Have you done it before?
0:37:35 > 0:37:37No. This is our test flight.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39How do you do it?
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Once we've got it stood up, we're going to point
0:37:41 > 0:37:43the black side of the balloon to the sun,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45the black is a solar collector.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Once it's heated up enough,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50then the balloon will start to lift off the ground.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Pete uses the propane burners to fill the balloon's
0:37:59 > 0:38:00fabric envelope with hot-air.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05All he can then do is point the black side of the balloon
0:38:05 > 0:38:08towards the sun and hope it absorbs enough heat
0:38:08 > 0:38:10to generate lift and get them airborne.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Let's do it. We're going to turn that way.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20Turn, turn, turn.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28Shall we have weight off? Weight off.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42Weight off, weight off. Weight off. Weight off.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46We're going. Hey!
0:38:48 > 0:38:50THEY CLAP Solar ballooning!
0:38:52 > 0:38:54THEY CHEER
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Wow, Dave.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Yeah, we're working. This is working.
0:39:09 > 0:39:10We're still going up.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12If you were in a normal balloon,
0:39:12 > 0:39:14you would have put in three or four burns now.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17No burning!
0:39:19 > 0:39:23Yeah, we're about 25, 30 feet a minute.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24Steady climb, it's what we need.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30They're up.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32But the wind is turning the balloon away from the sun.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Are we going down? I mean...
0:39:37 > 0:39:39We're going to lose that sun off that side,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42so I do think we need to turn. We need to rotate left.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46The balloon has side vents opened by ropes,
0:39:46 > 0:39:49which allow air to escape and the balloon to rotate.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Keeping the black side towards the sun creates heat and lift,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57while the white side cools the air inside to descend.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Take it steady on that. Slow and steady wins the day.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06We're turning.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Yeah, we are turning, we're more or less level.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09We're level flight.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12We're pointed towards full sun.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17And we're trickling along quite a nice direction.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18Trickling along nicely, yeah.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Wow, Dave. Amazing.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35A lot of things we do in life these days,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38if you've got a nine-to-five job,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42often we're doing mundane things and I don't exempt myself from that,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46I do lots of mundane things in my day-to-day life.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48But when I go ballooning,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51there is always something different happening.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55To me, that is one of the biggest appeals of it.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59I know that it's going to be anything but mundane.
0:41:14 > 0:41:173925, flight number 12.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Luton connection at 1021.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25'53 Juliet Delta, A320, stand by.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28'More information at 1031...'
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Delta Kilo Sierra, what is your ETA for the FIR boundary?
0:41:35 > 0:41:38'ETA for the boundary will be...'
0:41:41 > 0:41:43..135.260.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50In Essex, Marius is updating his model plane collection
0:41:50 > 0:41:52with a very special plane.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55This is the one aeroplane that I love the most and it's the one
0:41:55 > 0:41:57that I'm still trying to hunt down in real life.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Antonov 225 Mriya.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06And this is unique because there's only one.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12I've seen videos and photos but it's still on my spotting list.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Just look at the beast. I mean, come on, look.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Let's just see...
0:42:23 > 0:42:25There are rumours the world's largest cargo plane
0:42:25 > 0:42:28is flying into the UK.
0:42:28 > 0:42:29Right, engineers...
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40It is the 225. Yes!
0:42:40 > 0:42:41Yes, it is the 225.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46That's worth a drive from London all the way up to Doncaster.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49It's what, 180 miles? Totally worth it.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52Look at all these people.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine,
0:42:55 > 0:42:57ten cars and that's just for the approach.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Now, that's a proper spotter.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03You see, you have people in their caravans driving around the country,
0:43:03 > 0:43:07they take a week or two off or they consider this to be a holiday.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12A small crowd has gathered outside Doncaster Airport.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16It's moving.
0:43:18 > 0:43:19No, it is moving!
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Get on the mound.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Oh, my God, that's beautiful. Jesus Christ!
0:43:42 > 0:43:43Oh, my God, great.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46Just the sound of it.
0:43:53 > 0:43:54Lovely, lovely.
0:43:56 > 0:43:57It's coming round again.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59Well, that's a bonus. That's a bonus.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Come on, you beautiful thing.
0:44:09 > 0:44:14The six-engined plane can carry 250 tonnes of cargo
0:44:14 > 0:44:16and needs 32 wheels to land.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19This is officially the best day of my life.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40What's up there? Is that the sky?
0:44:40 > 0:44:43Are you looking up at the sky? Yeah?
0:44:43 > 0:44:47After a year spent grounded while she had her daughter Chloe,
0:44:47 > 0:44:51champion skydiver Julia is attempting to win another title.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56If I was here 24/7 with Chloe and I didn't have anything else
0:44:56 > 0:44:58happening in my own life,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01I don't know if I would be completely fulfilled being a mother.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04I think I just find it...
0:45:04 > 0:45:07I feel like I've lost my own identity.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09And I don't think that would be good for her.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12Hello!
0:45:12 > 0:45:15'I think it's important for her to know me as a person
0:45:15 > 0:45:16'when she gets older.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20'I didn't really know my mum when I was growing up, she was just my mum.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23'And it was when she passed away, I found out'
0:45:23 > 0:45:25that she had 18 motorbikes.
0:45:25 > 0:45:26I was like, "Really?"
0:45:26 > 0:45:28I didn't even know she had one motorbike,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31I didn't know she rode a motorbike.
0:45:31 > 0:45:36And I thought, "God, I've missed out on the woman that was my mum."
0:45:36 > 0:45:40So, I then went and rode a motorbike to see how she felt
0:45:40 > 0:45:43and I've been riding motorbikes ever since.
0:45:43 > 0:45:44I absolutely love it.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52The National Skydiving Championships
0:45:52 > 0:45:55bring together Britain's best formation skydivers.
0:45:59 > 0:46:00We're all quite excited.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03We only started training a couple of days ago.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06We've managed to do about 15 jumps together.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09So, we are very much the underdogs of the competition.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Every team will do ten jumps,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17performing a different routine each time.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20Just roll up again? Roll it again.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23With verbal communication impossible in free fall,
0:46:23 > 0:46:26Julia and The Ex-Presidents first practice every move
0:46:26 > 0:46:28silently on the ground.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33It's a bit like synchronised swimming in free fall.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35And it's great that every team,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38we're all doing exactly the same formations.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40We all have the same skydive to do.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43And then it's whoever can complete the most number of formations
0:46:43 > 0:46:46in the 50 seconds of competition time.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50So, we get a point on every formation that we complete
0:46:50 > 0:46:53and then the team with the most number of points
0:46:53 > 0:46:54will win that round.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15The ninth member of each eight-way dive team
0:47:15 > 0:47:18wears a helmet-mounted camera.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20The footage of each routine is reviewed by judges
0:47:20 > 0:47:22to determine the winner.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Oh, look at this! How did you not see that?
0:47:46 > 0:47:48Dealt with it. I think it was a great first jump.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50A respectable first jump, wasn't it? Yes.
0:47:52 > 0:47:53That'll do, that'll do for round one.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56Quite happy with it. Move on to round two. Yeah.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00We've got ten rounds, so we can't start resting
0:48:00 > 0:48:02until all ten rounds are done.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09There are 38 official formations
0:48:09 > 0:48:13recognised by the International Parachuting Committee,
0:48:13 > 0:48:15ranging from the side-body doughnut
0:48:15 > 0:48:18to the cat accordion and zipper flake.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Each team member must maintain the belly-down position
0:48:23 > 0:48:27and fall at exactly the same rate, creating maximum wind resistance.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35Hello, gorgeous girl! Mwah! Hello!
0:48:40 > 0:48:41After ten hours of jumping,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44The Ex-Presidents have climbed to second place
0:48:44 > 0:48:47and are just behind the favourites to win.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Four points in it. Anything could happen.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55Number ten, guys. Right here, right now!
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Ah! Let's have it!
0:49:00 > 0:49:02It all comes down to the final jump.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06A missed rotation or failure to complete a link
0:49:06 > 0:49:08could cost The Ex-Presidents their chance at victory.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12I've always been driven.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15My dad always said to me, "If there's something that you want,
0:49:15 > 0:49:19"it is there for you, it just depends on how much you want it."
0:49:19 > 0:49:22I wanted to see how good I could be, I wanted to be the best I could be
0:49:22 > 0:49:26and I still haven't got that yet, I'm still working on that.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30It's a mental sport.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32In terms of what we're actually asking our bodies to do,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34it's relatively small.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37So, why is it one team can do it better than others?
0:49:37 > 0:49:39And I do think a lot of it is up here.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44Taking gold in the Eight-Way Senior by just five points...
0:49:46 > 0:49:49..please give it up for the new British champions,
0:49:49 > 0:49:51The Ex-Presidents!
0:49:51 > 0:49:53THEY CHEER
0:50:03 > 0:50:05DANCE MUSIC PLAYS
0:50:12 > 0:50:15Oh, overwhelmed, to be honest.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18We were up against some guys that have been winning
0:50:18 > 0:50:20for years and years and years in the eight-ways.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22I wasn't expecting that.
0:50:23 > 0:50:24Yay!
0:50:30 > 0:50:33ADY: Speedbird 798 Hotel behind departing company, 320.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35Line up Runway 27, right behind.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41At London Heathrow, Ady is reaching the end of his eight-hour shift.
0:50:43 > 0:50:48The runways go silent but the airport is still very much alive
0:50:48 > 0:50:50because at a place like Heathrow,
0:50:50 > 0:50:55you can't really afford to do essential maintenance work
0:50:55 > 0:50:59during the day, when aircraft are landing and taking off.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03So, there's a huge works party, will come into the airport
0:51:03 > 0:51:06and they'll work on one of the runways every night.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Even if there's no work to do on that runway,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11they will clean all of the light fittings,
0:51:11 > 0:51:13they'll repaint all of the markings
0:51:13 > 0:51:15and get everything ready for the next day.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19I don't mind getting up at 4.30 in the morning and coming here.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21I really enjoy it.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23It's hard, it's tough.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26It's a lot of aeroplanes, it's nonstop,
0:51:26 > 0:51:30but I just get the job done and that's what happens every day
0:51:30 > 0:51:32and it's brilliant to be a part of it.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42Are we going to take the front off? We may as well, mightn't we?
0:51:42 > 0:51:46In Norfolk, Wildcats Willie and Al rely on each other
0:51:46 > 0:51:48for all their planes' up-keep.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50A lot of maintenance is done after each trip,
0:51:50 > 0:51:52so we clean the aeroplanes
0:51:52 > 0:51:54and if you clean them properly after each trip,
0:51:54 > 0:51:57then you will see little things that need the attention.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59OK, just stick this underneath my wing.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Both pilots have day jobs with the NHS,
0:52:02 > 0:52:04so their weekends spent flying are precious.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08I can remember sitting in maths classes
0:52:08 > 0:52:10or history classes at school,
0:52:10 > 0:52:14looking at the window and seeing jets flying past.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16And just thinking, "You are so lucky,
0:52:16 > 0:52:19"I wish I was up there and not down here."
0:52:19 > 0:52:22So, I have always, it's all I've wanted to do.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Thank goodness I managed to do it.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27I don't know how I would have got through if for some reason,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30I'd been told, "You'll never be able to fly,"
0:52:30 > 0:52:32cos I was so desperate to do it.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34We're probably going to be quite late tonight.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36It's probably going to be 6.30, 7 before we get back,
0:52:36 > 0:52:38so I shall see you then.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41We shall see you then, enjoy your day. Bye.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44He'll... If I can't text you, Rory will try and text you.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47But it depends on what coverage we've got. Have fun, see you later.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50See you later. Have a good day, Masy. I'll see you later.
0:52:50 > 0:52:51See you later, guys.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57I always have this agreement with Willie that as soon as they land,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00they're to text me just to say that they're all right.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Even if they just say, "Landed, all OK," and then I'm happy
0:53:03 > 0:53:06and I can get on with my day and don't have to worry about
0:53:06 > 0:53:09what's going on at their side.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13So, I can have my day run a bit more smoothly.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20Today, Al and Willie will perform their 22nd and final
0:53:20 > 0:53:24aerobatic display of the season at Leeds East airport in Yorkshire.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31The planes on display include the historic Folland Gnat jet
0:53:31 > 0:53:33used to train RAF pilots,
0:53:33 > 0:53:36the vintage MiG-15,
0:53:36 > 0:53:38and the Douglas DC-3 Dakota transport plane.
0:53:42 > 0:53:43So, that MiG's on before us.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47It's landing at 27 but obviously, we take 26.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51So we'll backtrack whilst it's downwind, take on 26.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54Depends how quickly we get refuelled.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56OK, important stuff. Cup of tea? Yep.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02A crowd of aviation enthusiasts has gathered at the airport.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06Air shows in general are just a great thing.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08You get modern stuff, classic stuff.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Personally, I like the old stuff, whether it's propellers or jets.
0:54:11 > 0:54:12Doesn't matter.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Love aeroplanes. Just love it.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18We stalk them at Coningsby and anywhere.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20We just like the jets and everything.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22You know, it's the highlight.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Red Arrows would be nice, but I don't think they're here.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Enthusiasm for aviation is still high.
0:54:31 > 0:54:36But the air display industry took a massive blow in August 2015,
0:54:36 > 0:54:40when a vintage 1950s Hawker Hunter jet crashed onto a busy road
0:54:40 > 0:54:42during Shoreham Air Show.
0:54:44 > 0:54:4511 people were killed.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53The Shoreham accident, particularly tragic event because innocents,
0:54:53 > 0:54:56and by innocents I mean people that weren't even remotely interested
0:54:56 > 0:54:58in the air show, perished.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00We know the pilot very well, he's a very good friend
0:55:00 > 0:55:05and when we heard who it was, I think I was shocked for days.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09What we do...
0:55:11 > 0:55:13..is dangerous, erm...
0:55:14 > 0:55:17..most people don't have the appetite of risk to do this.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20Do I think I'm going to die in an aeroplane? No.
0:55:20 > 0:55:21Is that cos I think I'm better? No.
0:55:21 > 0:55:26It's because I think that I take every precaution that I can
0:55:26 > 0:55:27to prevent it.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Smoke on. Go!
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Stall turn, go.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40Rolling, visual. Kicking, kicking, go.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43No matter how humdrum my day or my week has been,
0:55:43 > 0:55:45no matter how many muppets and morons
0:55:45 > 0:55:47I've had to contend with in everyday life,
0:55:47 > 0:55:51I can strap into my aeroplane and go and find a freedom
0:55:51 > 0:55:53that I don't think you can find anywhere else.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02It is something that every time I do it,
0:56:02 > 0:56:04I'm grateful that I've got the opportunity.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07It's not something you just get in the aeroplane and go.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09But even that, an hour and a half in the aeroplane,
0:56:09 > 0:56:12you get out the other end and you go, "That was still fun."
0:56:12 > 0:56:14Even if it was cold, if it was noisy, if it was bumpy,
0:56:14 > 0:56:15it's still fun.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30If I do something, I put my heart and soul into it.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32When you've landed from a display but there was one bit
0:56:32 > 0:56:35you wish you'd done just a bit better,
0:56:35 > 0:56:36you want to go and do that again.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42And certainly with Al, it's striving for perfection together.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Flying with him six feet off my wing
0:56:45 > 0:56:48is probably as good as life can get for me.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52I've been all over the world, lived in some fantastic places,
0:56:52 > 0:56:53done some fantastic things,
0:56:53 > 0:56:55but I wouldn't swap any of that for this.
0:57:07 > 0:57:08Climbing again.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13That was one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16Amazing.
0:57:18 > 0:57:19Next time...
0:57:19 > 0:57:22Load the top belt! ..when speed is everything.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24If they're not on the belt that time,
0:57:24 > 0:57:26customers are going to be let down.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28If you've got a flight that can't go,
0:57:28 > 0:57:29we can stop the world moving.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34When we're racing, it can be a bit hairy.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39The last thing you want to do is run into an aeroplane, not healthy.