SEGMENT SYNOPSIS

EPISODE #9: FREAKY FLYING

PMK reaches new heights this week when Elisha and Tyler go up, up and away in some of the coolest and fastest flight machines in the world. Elisha starts us off when she gets behind the wheel of a blimp and pilots it above the city skyline. She'll get to see how these giant flying machines actually get lifted off the ground and then she'll actually discover how to keep them airborne.

Tyler also goes high above the ground when he takes lessons in paragliding. Once he masters the fine art of this new sport, he'll grab his gear, hang on to the glider and actually make a jump off the high Niagara escarpment.

Back on land, Tyler heads to Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert for a unique opportunity to hang out with the Elite Pilot Team while they show him the ropes of the SR-71 Blackbird plane. The U.S. Air Force has only two of these high-tech planes and have now loaned them to NASA for use in high-speed and high-altitude aeronautical research. Although they were developed long before Tyler was even born, these planes are still the fastest and highest-flying spy planes in the world. They are able to reach speeds of up to 2,000 miles per hour and an altitude range of more than 85,000 feet. They can also travel for more than 2,000 miles without stopping for fuel. The pilots will take Tyler inside the Blackbird's cockpit to show him how these incredible flying machines really work.

Learning to pilot these planes takes years and Tyler will be able to go with these highly trained pilots to see how the real flight simulator works. He gets the chance to watch as they program a real mission and simulate emergency procedures while learning how to react in an accident. Charlie's full of hot air this week when he takes an ordinary dry cleaner's bag and a few candles and teaches us how to build a home-made hot air balloon.

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