The Plane that Changed the World

This episode describes the history of the DC-3 aircraft. It follows its genesis as a passenger plane and shows current, as of filming in 1985, users of the plane, from cargo to short hop passenger service. It also shows interviews with people who were involved in the plane's design. The producers talk to designers of the DC-3 and its predecessors in the 1930s. Also, a test pilot is interviewed talking about the plane succeeding in passing a test of crossing the Rockies with one engine turned off. The producers also talk to stewardesses from American Airlines who flew in the aircraft during the 1930s, and described the meals served. They also visit Basler Airlines, who restore DC-3s to flying condtion for various customers. They visit Salair in Alaska, who used the planes for shipping freshly caught fish to Anchorage from remote coastal villages, and remark about how the DC-3s ability to operate from short rough airstrips make it ideal for the job. They conclude with PBA airlines, a commuter service in Boston, that used the DC-3 for service to the islands off New England, and the pilot of one plane, which was the oldest DC-3 still in service at the time of filming, said it was a plane one needed to fly all the way to the gate, since it was at the mercy of winds and jet wash.