Air Aces: Military Channel puts viewers in the cockpit of the most storied fighter pilots who fought in some of history’s most dangerous aerial battles. Premieres Sunday, Aug. 4, with two back-to-back episodes beginning at 9pm ET/PT.
Military Channel profiles some of the most courageous military pilots ever and reenacts their missions using both actual aircraft as well as CGI re-creations. Through six one-hour episodes, Air Aces takes viewers into the cockpit of some of history’s most famous aerial battles and includes stories directly from the pilots and airmen who were there. Air Aces premieres Sunday, Aug. 4 with back-to-back episodes beginning at 9pm ET/PT. The series airs regularly on Sundays at 10pm ET/PT.
“Air Aces conveys aerial reenactment at its best, combining thrilling action and astonishing visuals to give viewers the ultimate 360° visceral experience,” said Kevin Bennett, general manager of Military Channel. “These are the true stories of the valiant fighter pilots whose bravery outmatched all danger faced in battle, and each episode remembers and celebrates their heroism and immense acts of courage.”
Air Aces episode guide from Military Channel (all times ET/PT):
· George Beurling Premieres August 4 at 9 PM: George Beurling broke every rule in the book yet became one of the greatest fighter pilots of World War II. A loner and a social misfit, Beurling’s disdain for protocol branded him an outcast in the ranks but a hero in the skies.
· Douglas Bader Premieres August 4 at 10 PM: In July 1940, Britain’s most celebrated air ace, Douglas Bader, and his ragtag squadron of fighter pilots, went into battle against. Hitler’s mighty Luftwaffe. The outcome of the Battle of Britain would determine the future of the free world. But Bader is also fighting his own personal battle. Just eight years earlier a catastrophic flying accident cost him both his legs. This is his remarkable story.
· Wing Walker Premieres August 11 at 10 PM: Like all the Allied bombers of World War II, the crew of the Lancaster ME669 had one of the most dangerous jobs in the Air Force: to dodge deadly enemy fire and drop megatons of high-powered explosives over Nazi Germany. Without them, Hitler may have emerged victorious.
· Red Tails Premieres August 18 at 10 PM: They were young, gifted and black, but the U.S. Army refused them key positions…until intense pressure from African-American activist groups pushed President Roosevelt to initiate a blacks-only fighter pilot training program in Tuskegee, Alabama. Beating back not only discrimination from their own military, but also their enemies in the sky, the Tuskegee Airmen became heroes by proving their skills in the skies to protect our country.
· Robin Olds Premieres August 25 at 10 PM: In July 1966, North Vietnam’s fleet of MiG-21s was hammering the U.S. Air Force, and the embattled men of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing need a hero to whip them into shape. Then entered Colonel Robin Olds, a WWII veteran airman who charged in and provoked a ferocious airborne battle in an attempt to change the course of the Vietnam War.
· Gabby Gabreski Premieres Sept. 1 at 10 PM: During WWII, American pilots race to down the most enemy planes and be crowned the country’s top flying ace. U.S. Air Force Pilot Francis Gabby Gabreski, the child of Polish immigrants, makes his mission personal, seeking to avenge devastating Polish loses.
