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The Aviators
File:Aviators3avatarfb.jpg
The BIGGEST Aviation Show
on the Planet
GenreDocuseries
Written byCory Johnson
Directed byAnthony Nalli
Cory Johnson
StarringAnthony Nalli
Kurtis Arnold
Jeff Lewis
Sara Rependa
Raeleen Ranger
Narrated byAnthony Nalli
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes39
Production
Executive producersAnthony Nalli
Lisa Charney
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkSyndication, PBS, Travel + Escape, Discovery Channel
ReleaseSeptember 4, 2010

The Aviators is an award-winning weekly documentary-lifestyle-science TV series featuring interesting people, the latest aircraft, current technology and fly-in destinations. The show's site describes subject matter as follows: "We will take you behind the scenes to show you how airline pilots train, how planes are built, and how ATC works. We will profile aviation businesses and showcase aviation products. We will provide safety tips for private and recreational pilots and career tips for professional pilots."

The Aviators premiered on the Global Television Network on Saturday, September 4, 2010. It could also be seen on CHEK-TV in Canada and is distributed to all 356 Public Broadcasting Stations in the United States for broadcast in numerous markets starting in September 2010. On September 1, 2010 the producers announced that a deal had been signed with Discovery Channel Asia that saw the series broadcast overseas in the spring of 2011.

In the first six months after its premiere, the show aired almost 8,000 times across North America - an average of over 40 times a day. The Aviators launched on Hulu in February 2011 and was viewed over 32,000 times in just two weeks. In March 2011 producers announced some changes for season two including the addition of country music singer (and pilot) George Canyon to the cast as a guest host for the season. Season two premiered on September 12, 2011. Production for a third season has begun, and is planned to air in North America in September 2012.

Ratings

Nielsen ratings after season one was broadcast report an average weekly household viewership in the US of 3,590,899. Assuming 2.6 viewers per viewing household that would be 9,336,337 weekly US viewers. This is for the United States only for broadcasts on PBS. This does NOT include Canadian or overseas broadcasts or online viewing.

Awards

On April 19, 2012 The Aviators was awarded a 2012 Silver Plaque in the category of Educational/Documentary Series at the 48th Hugo Television Awards presented by Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival.

iTunes Ranking

The first two seasons of The Aviators held positions in iTunes' top 50 Non-Fiction TV Series right up to the premiere of season three on September 18th, 2012. The first episode of season skyrocketed up the charts eventually landing on the #3 position on the day of it's release, immediately behind The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and ahead of titles like Top Gear, The Colbert Report, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, and Mythbusters. This meteoric rise carried with it seasons one and two which finished the day in positions #7 and #9 respectively, resulting in all three seasons of The Aviators ranked in the top 10 at the same time.

Released Preview Segments (Season 1)

  • EAA AirVenture – Sara Rependa visits AirVenture for the first time and sees such attractions as the Airbus A380, the USAF C5M, and the VMS Eve.
  • Julie Clark – Kurtis Arnold interviews legendary airshow pilot and women's aviation pioneer Julie Clark.
  • Russian MiG 15 – Jeff Lewis takes us for the ride of a lifetime on the most reproduced fighter jet ever made.
  • Flat spin – Neil Spooner describes how he survived an unsurvivable flat spin.

Episode guide (Season 1)

13 x 30 HD M&E

  • 1.01: EAA AirVenture: America's largest aviation celebration, The US Air Force's C5M Supergalaxy, The Tiger Moth biplane, Miracle on the Hudson hero Jeff Skiles, Flat spin survivor
  • 1.02: Chartright corporate charters, Cross Canada Century Flight, Air show pilot Julie Clark, Affordable helicopters
  • 1.03: Legacy of the Cessna brand, Float training, How to land an airliner, Aerobatic champion Patty Wagstaff, Russian MiG 15
  • 1.04: Sun 'n Fun special from Lakeland, FL
  • 1.05: Can a private pilot land an airliner?, Delfin L-29 fighter jet, Aircraft annual inspection, Airbus A380
  • 1.06: Can a non-pilot land an airliner?, Zaon collision avoidance PCAS, Women in Aviation, Light sport aviation
  • 1.07: Air Traffic Control Tower, Walkaround checks, Quesnel air show, Pilot profile: John Lovelace
  • 1.08: Aerobatic pilot Rick Volker, Homebuilt industry, Cessna Caravan, Mid-Continent instruments
  • 1.09: Air Traffic Control: En route control, Boundary Bay air show, Beechcraft Staggerwing, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
  • 1.10: Aircraft auction, Ultralight flying, Aviation destination: Wichita
  • 1.11: Mikey McBryan of TV’s ‘Ice Pilots NWT’, Goodyear blimp, Midnight Sun Challenge into the Yukon
  • 1.12: A day in the life of an airline pilot, Airline environmentalism, Airliner maintenance
  • 1.13: Cross-border flying, Boreal forest, Flying a Cessna around the world, Splash-in: Float plane fly-in

Episode guide (Season 2)

13 x 30 HD M&E

  • 2.01: Aviation 101: An explanation of some of the very basics of aviation. Host profiles: A closer look at some of the hosts of The Aviators including Sara, Kurtis, Anthony, and new host, country music singer George Canyon.
  • 2.02: ATC gibberish: Breaking down and simplifying all that complex sounding radio chatter. Water egress: Sara learns how to escape from a submerged aircraft. Condor Squadron: Taking to the air with a team of formation pilots flying WW2 era planes.
  • 2.03: Can a kid land an airliner?: A follow up to some of the popular sim segments from season one, but this time with a 12 year old at the controls! Flight services: Kurtis shows us the many important functions of this often overlooked aspect of Air Traffic Control services. $100 hamburger: A pilot expression for an aviation food-run. Anthony and Raeleen dig in at Greenville, SC.
  • 2.04: Private pilot emergency: Anthony closes the season 2 sim segments by having everything but the kitchen sink thrown at him. Can he do it? MCAS Miramar (formerly Top Gun): Spending the day with US Marine fighter pilots at their legendary base.
  • 2.05: Day in the life of an air show (Part 1 of 2): We take you behind the scenes for an exclusive look at the inner workings of one of America’s biggest air shows.
  • 2.06: Day in the life of an air show (Part 2 of 2): The exciting conclusion to the two-part special including an up-close look at the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
  • 2.07: AOPA Summit: The annual event of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. LAPD: We take you inside the aerial unit of the Los Angeles Police Department to see how the world’s largest police fleet helps to catch bad guys. iPad in the cockpit: We get hands-on with the revolutionary tablet device to show some of the most popular aviation tools available.
  • 2.08: Remote control aircraft: We visit the Joe Nall event, the “Oshkosh” of RC flying. Blue Angels – Fat Albert: All aboard Fat Albert Airlines, the Blue Angels’ incredible USMC C130T. Yak 52W: Sara meets Peyton McCool and takes a spin (literally) in his Soviet-era trainer.
  • 2.09: Triple Tree Aerodrome: A look at one of the most meticulously maintained grass runways anywhere at what we discovered to be a pure haven for lovers of aviation and the outdoors. Aeroshell Aerobatic Team: Raeleen goes flying with these rock stars of the air show circuit. Dream flight of a lifetime: Twenty pilots attend a T33 Silverstar ground school but only one will win a chance to actually fly it.
  • 2.10: Aircraft ownership: Kurtis exploring the varied costs and entry points of flying for everyone from the weekend warrior to the rich and famous. Airpark living: When your driveway is a runway, life is good… and as airparks go, this place is Heavenly! Pilot profile – Pete McLeod: Jeff talks to the Red Bull Air Racer about life as a high-adrenalin, competitive flyer.
  • 2.11: Aircraft engines: Kurtis learns about aircraft power plants from Penn Yan Aero’s Bill Middlebrook, whose family has a long and rich history in American aviation. Lockheed Electra: Made famous by Amelia Earhart, Jeff takes us flying in this classic bird. Most female friendly airport: George celebrates women in aviation at the most female friendly airport in the world.
  • 2.12: Buying a used aircraft: Anthony shows that buying The Aviators’ new 210 can be just as simple as buying a used car. And accessorizing it can be just as fun. Heli-tourism: We’ll show you how helicopters can give you a unique look at one of the great wonders of the world. Antonov AN-10: George explores the history of this four turbo-prop engine Soviet-era passenger plane and learns how it’s used today.
  • 2.13: $100 Hamburger #2: Another flying excursion in search of great grub. Soaring: A form of flying where missing the roar of the engine is entirely the point! Warbirds: We take a walk back in time and get up close to a collection of historic aircraft that flew world-altering missions.

Episode guide (Season 3)

13 x 30 HD M&E

  • 3.01 - Air show announcer Rob Reider / Panel makeover / WWII pilot training - T6
  • 3.02 - Journey of a bag / WWII pilot training - P51
  • 3.03 - Winter flying / Boeing 787 Dreamliner / Black Diamond Jet Team
  • 3.04 - Oxygen deprivation lab / Anatomy of a commercial flight
  • 3.05 - Night time flying / PT-19 / USAF Thunderbirds
  • 3.06 - T-28 / Thunderbird for a day / B-29 bomber (Fifi)
  • 3.07 - Helicopter tourism / Guardian angels / Lockheed Electra
  • 3.08 - Kickin’ the tires / DC-3 conversions / Aviation career choices
  • 3.09 - Aerostars / Weather makers / Start up and run up
  • 3.10 - Modern aircraft design / Balloons / Take offs
  • 3.12 - Landings / Air Race Classic / John Mohr barnstorming
  • 3.13 - Road America fly over / Light sport aircraft / Learning to fly - Rock star edition #2 (starring Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe)

List of Hosts

  • Anthony Nalli (Private IFR pilot)
  • Kurtis Arnold (Commercial IFR pilot, ATC)
  • Sara Rependa (Commercial multi-engine pilot)
  • Jeff Lewis (Airline and aerobatic pilot)
  • Raeleen Ranger (Airline pilot)

Guest Stars

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