Mighty Planes Season 4 Renewal & Release Date Confirmed!

Original Canadian Series MIGHTY PLANES Makes Return Flight to Discovery for Season 4, Premiering October 1

– Six-part fourth season airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, beginning with a look at the massive Boeing 747-F and its complex Formula E race operation –

TORONTO – Delivering the ride of a lifetime, Discovery’s popular original Canadian series MIGHTY PLANES returns for Season 4, airing Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT beginning Oct. 1. Viewers are welcome aboard unique aircraft in the six-part season, flying through tumultuous conditions, executing life-saving jobs, and boasting the most environmentally friendly engineering. Pilots, engineers, avionics specialists, load masters, and ground operators share their stories through spectacular HD footage.

The season opens with a close-up look at the massive Boeing 747-8F on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Across the skies in Hong Kong, AirBridgeCargo’s Boeing 747-8F is clearly the right plane for the job as it prepares for a massive operation: transporting all of Formula E’s cars, highly sensitive and potentially explosive lithium-ion batteries, tires, hospitality structures, and drivers’ race gear to England in preparation for their second race of the Formula E race season. The aircraft, also known as the “Queen of the Skies”, is the most efficient and eco-friendly large cargo aircraft around, and will transport the gear of Formula E’s 10 electric powered racing teams to 10 cities in the greenest way imaginable.

Fast Facts about the Boeing 747-8F:

The 747-8F is the longest commercial aircraft in the world at 76.3 metres, beating the Airbus A380 by three metres.

The 747-8 Freighter can carry approximately 400,000 pounds or 59,734 U.S. gallons of fuel (226,113 litres), making it possible to fly long routes, such as Frankfurt to Chicago with a full payload

The maximum takeoff weight is almost 1 million pounds or approximately 65 male African elephants

The 747-8F is able to travel the length of three FIFA football fields in one second This also means that the

747-8 is able to travel the length of a standard 42.19 kilometre marathon in 2.5 minutes

747-8 Freighter could hold approximately 19 million ping-pong balls or golf balls

The total electrical capacity of a 747-8F can power up to 480,000 32-inch flat screen televisions

Each engine produces 66,500 pounds of thrust, giving a total power of 266,000 pounds for all found engines combined

Each 747-8F is made up of about 6 million parts and has a list price of $351.4 million U.S.
MIGHTY PLANES also features the following aircraft throughout Season 4:

Stargazer L-1011

Airdate: Sunday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Fast Fact: The Stargazer L-1011 is currently the only aircraft able to launch rockets into space.

Description:

MIGHTY PLANES introduces viewers to the Stargazer L-1011 on its latest quest to launch the Pegasus rocket, delivering eight specialized weather satellites designed to detect and predict the magnitude and intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms. The vital weather forecasting data from these mini technological satellites has the potential to save many lives in areas around the world severely affected by severe weather.

C-2A Greyhound

Airdate: Sunday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Fast Fact: The unsung hero of the U.S. Navy, the C-2A Greyhound delivers more than 1 million pounds of high-priority cargo and thousands of passengers to aircraft carriers at sea every year.

Description:

The C-2A Greyhound’s sturdy design allows flexibility and access that few fixed-wing craft possess. The beloved underdog of the U.S. Navy fleet provides critical logistics support, flying more than 1,600 kilometres out to ships at sea in a matter of hours with high-priority cargo including critical aircraft parts, VIP passengers, and even the mail…an important lifeline for Navy soldiers during a long deployment. The Greyhound’s remarkable folding wings allow it to be stashed compactly when on deck, and its onboard auxiliary power unit makes the plane versatile like no other cargo aircraft. The adrenaline rush that comes from carefully positioning this huge aircraft on a tiny runway in the middle of the ocean is not for the faint of heart. In this episode of MIGHTY PLANES, four new Greyhound pilots show off the bravery, flying precision, and practice, practice, practice it takes to land like a fly on the head of a pin.

Ilyushin-76

Airdate: Sunday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Fast Fact: The Ilyushin-76 was originally designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote areas of the USSR.

Description:

Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Airlines has been busy planning a massive operation for Baffinland Mines: moving 8,400 tons of trucks, trailers, and all their heavy duty containers to the Mary River Mine site in a very remote part of Nunavut. At 47 metres in length, 15 metres high, and a wingspan of 50 metres across, this utilitarian aircraft’s characteristics include mounted wings across the top of the fuselage and a glass bottom nose designed for navigators. Using load-expanding ramps from the tail, the aircraft can load huge payloads without the use of airport equipment. The Ilyushin-76 also works in extreme climates, taking off and landing on snow and ice packed runways across inhospitable terrain, making this aircraft the true hero of countless operations.

A400M Atlas

Airdate: Sunday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Fast Fact: The Airbus A400M Atlas is the newest and most technologically advanced military transport aircraft in the world.

Description:

The Luftwaffe – a.k.a. the German Air Force – is in the midst of overhauling its entire fleet of outdated cargo planes, replacing them with Airbus’ latest military aircraft, the A400M. This state-of-the-art aircraft can haul massive loads, doing so with ease. The Luftwaffe’s forces are in constant motion, delivering cargo, transporting soldiers, and performing training exercises to ensure everyone understands their roles and the capabilities of the plane. In this episode, MIGHTY PLANES follows the Luftwaffe through three exciting missions, highlighting the high-tech features of the A400M and everything it can do in the field.

Twin Otter

Airdate: Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Fast Fact: The Twin Otter can be equipped with different gear for landing on all types of surfaces. Twin Otters can be fitted with wheels, skis, or floats.

Description:

Around the world in jungles, deserts, mountains, the Arctic, and anywhere rugged reliability and S.T.O.L. (short take-off and landing) aircraft are needed, the Twin Otter is there, ready to fly in and out of the most unforgiving environments and climates in the world. Powered by twin turboprop engines, the Twin Otter maneuvers like a bird with the capability of landing pretty much anywhere – on land, sea, snow, and ice. On this episode of MIGHTY PLANES, there’s action on the Tundra; Twin Otter blasts through -50°C temperatures, and lands in the middle of nowhere, caching emergency fuel to support work in the North. The Twin Otter transports crucial equipment to the two-dozen workers at a remote diamond exploration camp where road access doesn’t exist, and supports the RCAF in their northern-most missions.

MIGHTY PLANES is produced by Discovery’s award-winning Exploration Production Inc. (EPI). The Series Producer is Joey Case. Kelly McKeown is Director of Production. Nanci MacLean is Vice-President and Head, Bell Media Studios. Ken MacDonald is Vice-President and General Manager, Discovery Networks. Tracey Pearce is President, Distribution and Pay, Bell Media.