FlyBySimulations
I enjoy this show but this is a rant of things they need to work on. Beware.This show while very insightful, though it is sometimes poorly executed. I'm a big aviation geek (Hoping to get my license soon) and sometimes the episodes really annoy me.1. One thing in every episode is the sounds. The sounds are always the same in every episode no matter if its a Lear 45 or a B737 or a DC10, they sounds are all the same. The sad thing is that even you (Yes the reader) can get very good sounds for very popular aircraft (and sometimes somewhat known aircraft) for around $45-$140, which should definitely be in their budget.2. A pattern which you can spot. You will notice in the team of NTSB (Or who ever else is investigation) you can see that they have a team of ~8 people, but only 2-3 will actually talk, the others will just nod or acknowledge (This is also sometimes with actors which they interview). Another thing is just the narrator always saying the same thing like "How could a start of the art MD-80 crash?"3. In every episode is that the cockpit layout REALLY bothers me. They're flying in a Boeing 767 for example, and the bottom half of the cockpit on each pilot's side is empty. It should be filled with instruments that are used or they need to work on the sizing of the cutouts for their panels. I also noticed they used a Saitek Pro Flight Yoke in the "Deadly Silence", which was a Lear 45, an episode, which REALLY set me off since they should have the budget to at least get a somewhat realistically looking yoke.4. Lastly, is the tiny flaws. These are tiny flaws that get me a bit upset and can EASILY be fixed and can redo the short 4-12 seconds of clip but they don't. Here are some examples On an episode, it was based in ~1980 and the radar had a modern day Windows 7 mouse cursor in the middle of the radar screen. On an episode ~2002, a mouse cursor can be seen on an altitude gauge (I think) for 2 seconds. This could of EASILY been retaped as no one was even talking but it wasn'tThis show is quite good and I enjoy watching but they really need to step their game up in some places.
Blueghost
Most of us have flown, and have heard of those horrible airplane crashes that used to make big splashy news' headlines. They don't happen quite as often as they used to, and in our day and age of information overload, they tend to get drowned out with all the other news around the world. But, they still occasionally occur, and still draw attention.This show, "Air Crash Investigations", "May Day", or "Air Emergency", or whatever you want to call it, delves deep into the causes and effects of many a famous air liner disaster. And, amazingly enough, despite the theatrics in the recreations, educates the viewer as to the realities of air craft functions and procedures of operation. By the end of the episode you'll feel like an aerospace engineering expert. The format of the episodes follow a presentation of the event in brief, then an elongated version showing the developments to the event, followed by investigation and analysis. Nearly every episode has an act four that tells of the aftermath's, good and bad, of the disaster or crash that was investigated. All the while you, the viewer, are given great insight into the short comings of procedure, design or environment--more often than not it will be a combination of these factors that will lead to the inevitable; a crash of some form.Not every episode deals with a crash landing. Sometimes the crew is able to salvage mortal failure on part of the plane, and bring things to a safe end--or, more often than not, a relative safe end. Even when the pilots can bring back a wounded bird so the show still looks into what forced the pilots into that situation, and how the event culminated in its eventful end.One of the amazing things about this show is that the engineering aspects are explained such that any lay person, anyone who doesn't have any kind of engineering nor scientific background, are brought up to speed on the mechanics and science behind aircraft design so that they can understand, for the duration of the episode, the engineering aspects that were involved. Similarly procedures are explained as to how jets are flown, how they are berthed, how they land, takeoff, and are maintained. Interviews with key players, witnesses, experts in the field, make clear along with charts, animations and recreations provide visual cues to further explain and educate.As a casual viewer who's flown, but flies no more, I have a curiosity about some crashes here in the United States. The series explored and explained them. I also had a curiosity about the reputation of the DC- 10 during the 70s, and the series looked into that aircraft in a series of episodes as well. All the major crashes are examined; from the bombing of Pan Am over Lockerbie Scotland, to PSA Flight 182 in San Diego, to the more contemporary events such as British Airways flight 38 in Heathrowe.If this series has a shortcoming it's not that it caters to sensationalism (it uses that as a hook, but this is not the focus of the series), it's the actors in the recreations. It's a double edged sword with the performances because the actors needed to convey the emotional atmosphere of the participants involved, and therefore by necessity ham up the effort. It makes for an unusual viewing experience, but again gives the viewer a concept of the events and the actions of the people involved.Well, just as car wrecks create rubber-neckers, so it is that I found this show addicting. Again, in spite of its sensationalist promotion, it is an actual documentary with elements of recreated drama interspersed between interviews and explanations. Married to it is a kind of tension that holds the show together and keeps the viewer riveted. You already know what happens, but the show is going to show you why it happened, and, hopefully, what solutions resulted from these horrible events.It's not a show for the squeamish nor emotional. You might find yourself tearing up, being shocked, maybe outraged, but not very often will you feel settled after viewing this show.I do recommend it, but definitely watch at your risk.
nomad472002
I like this series. Being a pilot, I'm aware of when an aviation related program is nonsense or not, and most of the facts presented in this program are fairly accurate. It's a relief that it isn't all nonsense.The facts seem to be presented in such a way that the average non-pilot can understand what happened.Seeing this program makes you want to stay home and not travel, although statistically speaking, if one must travel, air travel is the safest way to go, with the exception (in North America) of the train.One episode you'll want to avoid is 'Blow Out', unless you want a headache. It's an hour of mostly camera shaking, when it is unwarranted.
