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Behind the Wings | Season 6

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Behind the Wings - Season 6

Behind The Wings - Season 6

Season 6 of BEHIND THE WINGS® delves into the forefront of aerospace innovation and historical marvels. Episode 1 explores AI in military aviation, tracing the progress from lab simulations to real-world flight testing. Episode 2 focuses on the ethical dilemmas and global stakes of deploying AI pilot agents in combat scenarios. Episode 3 tells a historical and unlikely story of The Super Guppy, the original supercargo transport aircraft that played a pivotal role in NASA’s Apollo program during the space race. The season concludes with Episode 4, highlighting the remarkable advancements in hypersonic flight testing and featuring the Stratolaunch Roc, the world’s largest operational aircraft. It’s time to go BEHIND THE WINGS!

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space MuseumSeason 6 Trailer | Behind the Wings on PBS

Behind The Wings #601
AI in Military Aviation, Part 1
Wednesday, February 5, 10pm

Follow the journey of AI in military aviation, from initial concepts in the lab to flight testing. On the outskirts of the Mojave Desert at Edwards Test Pilot School, a revolution is taking place in AI-piloted aircraft. The one-of-a kind X-62 VISTA in-flight simulator provides a sandbox for flight-testing AI technologies in a controlled setting. AI progress is iterative, and each flight reveals new capabilities and shortcomings. As AI technology progresses toward operationality, the stakes of lethal AI are so high that we’ve got to get it right.

  • WTVP-HD 47.1 - Wed, 02/05/2025 @ 10:00 PM
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Behind The Wings #602
Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Wednesday, February 12, 10pm

Explore the critical balance in advancing ethical AI technology for air battlefield readiness. Above the sandy beaches of Eglin Air Force Base, an XQ-58 test aircraft soars by at 35,000 feet. However, there is no pilot, and there’s not even a cockpit. As AI capabilities progress, managing the risks of its ethical deployment and falling behind in a global race for technological superiority becomes central to its feasibility.

  • WTVP-HD 47.1 - Wed, 02/12/2025 @ 10:00 PM
  • WTVP-HD 47.1 - Sat, 02/15/2025 @ 12:00 AM

Behind The Wings #603
The Super Guppy
Wednesday, February 19, 10pm

From its incredible history to its unique design features, we're looking inside the Super Guppy! In 1962, President Kennedy boldly claimed to put an American on the moon by the decade's end. However, the components required for Apollo were massive and assembled nationwide. For Apollo to launch on time, NASA needed an aircraft larger than anything the world had ever seen. Since Apollo, the Super Guppy has completed hundreds of missions for NASA, the DOD, and even worldwide. Five Super Guppies were constructed, and today only one remains flying.

  • WTVP-HD 47.1 - Wed, 02/19/2025 @ 10:00 PM
  • WTVP-HD 47.1 - Sat, 02/22/2025 @ 2:30 AM
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Behind The Wings #604
Hypersonic Flight Testing
Wednesday, February 26, 10pm

Hypersonic flight remains one of aviation's most elusive challenges. Defined by speeds greater than Mach 5, it is a realm where air becomes fire, and the laws of physics wage war against human ambition. Against a rapidly progressing global competitive landscape, the need for repeatable hypersonic flight testing is greater than ever. Meet the Stratolaunch Roc, the largest operational aircraft in the world. From its development history to the engineering firsts along the way, Roc, and the missions it enables, are unlike anything else on Earth.

  • WTVP-HD 47.1 - Wed, 02/26/2025 @ 10:00 PM