Product Details

• Format: NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 3
• Studio: Pbs Home Video
• VHS Release Date: July 28, 1998
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00003A9RW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,679 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars PBS special deals more with craziness than with planes, November 20, 2005

By 

Ryan Campbell "waeew" (weaewa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Plane Crazy (3pc. Gift Set) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

It's pretty hard to describe the feeling one gets from watching "Plane Crazy." I suppose it begins with disappointment and then segways into bewilderment before finally settling morbid curiosity. This 3-hour PBS special deals less with planes than it does with craziness.

There is little in the way of "information" in this show. Once you get over that fact, however, it can be rather entertaining. The premise is a little arbitrary, but interesting enough: host Robert Cringely attempts to design and build an airplane in 30 days. This task is eclipsed by poor planning, emotional baggage and a bizarre romantic entanglement. Not surprisingly, the attempt is an utter flop, and the host eventually calls in a team of professionals working from plans to complete the project. I'm sure there was some bickering between PBS and the producers as to whether or not they should even air the program.

As a documentary, "Plane Crazy" is a complete failure, but as a freak show it's almost entertaining in the style of reality TV - like watching a train wreck or, dare I say, a plane crash.

4.0 out of 5 stars A wild ride down Emotional Street, November 25, 2008

By 

Kurt Bilinski (CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Plane Crazy (3pc. Gift Set) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

As said by others this show has little to do with the mechanics of building a plane yet should be watched by every Psych 101 student. Give a man an impossible task, sit back and watch what happens as the clock ticks down. In fact he says it best himself, "I'm two days in and already a week behind", and it gets worse from there. It's a fascinating show in that it lays out by example just how important it is to plan and take your time - of which he pretty much doesn't have time for due to the insane time limit. He's not just building a plane but also having it designed from nothing in that time frame - a task that takes a good designer many weeks if not months.

If it sounds like I don't like the show it's just the opposite. I thought it was an excellent display of how some things can't be rushed and what happens when someone tries to. I built a car from nothing and it took years. If I was told I had a month I wouldn't even start.

Technically he does end up with a plane at the end, though it's a kit plane built at the factory with his "help." I'm not sure if that can be considered a success or not, but it *is* very entertaining, even if most of the time you're just shaking your head.

It's a shame this is VHS only ("what's that", say the kids.)

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A film for technology buffs, May 25, 2001

By 

J. Martin - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Plane Crazy (3pc. Gift Set) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Have you ever wondered, can someone really design and build a plane from the ground up in just 30 days? This film accounts this interesting problem, starring Bob Cringely. This film contains many interesting obstacles that are overcome with many interesting solutions, with the use of technology and modern-day information. Even though this tape is not for everyone, anyone interested in computers or technology might want to give this tape a look.