Amazon.com
From the first test pilot, Orville Wright, who achieved that distinction as a result of a coin toss with his brother Wilbur, to the men who flew jets and even rocket planes in the modern era, this documentary is a stirring tribute to the men (and a few women) who have risked their lives to advance flight technology. The Wrights and other aviation pioneers couldn't help but be test pilots, but the profession really came into its own during World War I, when the military need for high-performance aircraft greatly accelerated the need for testing new planes. Following the war, test pilots such as Jimmy Doolittle became national heroes for their daring and nerve at setting speed records. Archival footage shot during World War II shows the important role and the hero status accorded that war's military test pilots, who put the latest fighter planes through maneuvers that would later be used to save lives in aerial combat. Color films shot in the 1950s demonstrate the risks taken by legendary pilots such as Chuck Yeager, who became a legend by breaking the sound barrier. This is an intelligent look at some of aviation's great pilots, and the film footage, including some clips of bizarre planes that never made it past the test stage, is frequently fascinating.
--Robert J. McNamara
