Name: Diamonds in the Sky
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1979-11-01

Overview

It all began on 25 August 1919. Four passengers left Hounslow Heath for Paris - the world's first regular, daily, international air service. Today 600 million people travel by air every year. How has this extraordinary growth in air travel changed our lives? As Civil Aviation celebrates its 60th year, this series of seven programs examines the impact of air travel on our world.

Seasons

Miniseries

7 Episodes

1979

E01

Changing the World

11/1/1979

In Papua New Guinea, almost overnight, air travel transformed a stone-age country into a 20th-century state. It brought remote hill tribesmen into the age of the computer, the flush lavatory, the English language and the tourist credit card. Now the sons of headhunters travel by air as a matter of course, both as passengers and crew. They share the same advantages, irritations and doubts as the rest of us.

E02

Running an Airline

11/8/1979

A candid behind-the-scenes picture of a modern airline during a remarkable year. In 1978 like most airlines in the USA, United Airlines tempted customers with cut-price fares with names like 'Supersaver', 'Chickenfeed' and 'Peanuts' - and seduced air travellers into the skies as never before. While passengers experienced unprecedented delays, frustrations and overall chaos, the airlines counted up the cash - and executives are optimistic for the future.

E03

Opening the Routes

11/15/1979

Air travel today makes better sense when thrown into relief by what came before. In 1919, airline pilots followed railway lines expecting to make regular forced landings. But as wood and fabric bi-planes gave way to comfortable and reliable Empire flying-boats, service levels on the ground and in the air became more and more exclusive. Among all that we've gained, what have we lost?

E04

Conquering the Atlantic

11/22/1979

The air conquest of the North Atlantic pit the aeroplane against the elements and against the airships - and of both against the ocean liners - in a race to the first commercial air service over the most prestigious route linking the New World with the Old.

E05

Travelling for Fun

11/29/1979

7 out of 10 travellers are on holiday, all flocking to the same 'unspoilt' beaches, beauty spots, and places of interest. What is the social impact of millions of package air tourists descending on countries, large and small, developed and underdeveloped?

E06

Dealing Down the Line

12/6/1979

The British Airways team operating in the Middle East is accustomed to dealing with fuel crises, food shortages, technical problems and even wars. But the sonic boom of Concorde shatters the serenity of an oil sheikh's palace - and the repercussions are anything but routine.

E07

Flying into the Future

12/13/1979

Where has civil aviation brought us in the last 60 years, and where might it take us all in the future? Whatever technical challenges aviation engineers may be resolving, the whole future of air travel - as a social force - still holds many unanswered questions.