Episode Guide
Opportunity Knocks… Tragedy Strikes
Ep 1: Howard Hughes, Hollywood, and History. Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cate Blanchett. The Aviator had it all. An opportunity of a lifetime for Joe Bok and his team quickly turns into a round the clock bitter struggle to overcome sabotage, impossible deadlines, and technical challenges after a tragic fatal crash takes the life of a pilot and destroys the only remaining full-scale airplane that was going to be used for filming.
Shifting Gears
Ep 2: The team shifts from the XF-11 to the H1 Racer, but crooked molds and defective parts from two negligent companies put the team's lives at stake and the project way behind schedule. Personalities begin to clash at the shop as John and Butch find out that certain contractors are sabotaging their work and expose them for who they are.
No Turning Back
Ep 3: After pushing themselves through countless round the clock shifts, the H1 Racer is ready to go, but California wildfires have burned most of the area around The Aviator film set and heavy smoke made things even worse. A superhuman effort will be required of Joe Bok's team to get the H1 Racer in the air before the deadline. Serious safety concerns cause Joe to decline to fly on set and a major fight happens. The team heads to El Mirage Dry Lake for the 1st flight.
Learning to Fly
Ep 4: After a hugely successful test flight at El Mirage, the team returned to the shop and made numerous modifications to the H1 Racer to make it fly better. The airplane would now be flown for The Aviator film cameras making Hollywood movie history. But a perfect performance by Joe's team and the plane were nearly ruined when a cell phone began to ring near the plane's transmitter during a high speed low altitude flyby. Tempers flare at what could have caused a serious accident and been a complete disaster.
No Rest for the Weary
Ep 5: Joe's team is running 3 shifts at the shop and work on the super complex XF-11 is going at a frantic pace. The Spruce Goose is also being readied but there is physically not enough time in a day to complete the tremendous amount of work.
Right off the Drawing Board
Ep 6: Joe's team is once again fighting against the clock. 40 hours with no-sleep is really wearing on several team members. Millions of dollars of equipment and thousands of hours of hard work are "on the line."
Come Hell or High Water
Ep 7: After a grueling and intense 10 day stretch, with only a few hours sleep each night, Joe's team is rushing to finish the Spruce Goose, Tempers flare as the contentious test flight the day before the plane is going to be filmed in the Long Beach Harbor puts everything at risk.
Swimming with the Sharks
Ep 8: After being pushed into a flight test when it clearly wasn't needed, the team returns to the shop and stay up all night to prep the Spruce Goose for it's next flights, a date with destiny and the The Aviator film cameras.
Standing on Top of the World
Ep 9: Joe receives a request for an encore performance from their XF-11. This time it will fly over the ocean at Catalina Island. Bad storms delay filming. Then technical problems, sabotage, and extended flight times take their toll on the team