City in the sky

Most people who travel by air take its good and bad aspects for granted. However, few appreciate the astonishing technology that makes the entire enterprise possible. This joint PBS/BBC production goes a long way toward exposing that infrastructure. In three hours, viewers are taken through the process, emphasizing the extreme measures that guarantee the safety of passengers. This starts with the construction of a major jetliner and continues to the preparation for takeoff, in-flight services, and landing. We get to see the food production facilities, standby medical support, computer-aided handling of millions of pieces of luggage, and continuous lifetime wireless monitoring of their product by engine manufacturers. Indeed, the audience follows along to the end of life for an airplane and the re-cycling of its parts. The program closes with a glimpse of what may become the aircraft of the future. -VERDICT An excellent, informative, and enjoyable documentary; highly recommended.-Harold D. Shane, Professor of Mathematics Emeritus, Baruch Coll., CUNY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.