ZDF Studios recently launched the brand new documentary "Race for the Sky." “Travelling by plane, for many people, is such a common means of transport today that you take it for granted and forget that as recently as the beginning of the 20th century, attempting to fly was usually akin to calculated suicide," Ralf Rueckauer, Vice President Unscripted at ZDF Studios, said. "Race for the Sky makes you realize how fast aviation has developed in such a short space of time.”
"Race for the Sky" is co-produced and distributed internationally by ZDF Studios and produced by Spiegel TV in association with ZDF, Arte, and ZDF Studios. The two-part show goes in-depth about the history of aviation. It will cover the stories of aviation pioneers and goes on to reveal how aircraft developed to become a weapon of destruction.
The first part of the documentary tells the story of people who had the courage to cross borders, risk their lives, and who ultimately made the "adventure of flying" an experience for everyone. Otto Lillenthal, the Wright brothers, and Louis Blériot are some of the incredible innovators of that era who realized their dream, but women were also fascinated by flying. They had a much harder time asserting themselves in this male-dominated world, but nevertheless, they set records, like the American Amelia Earhart, who was the first woman to cross the Atlantic in her plane.
At no other time in aviation history did more aircraft dominate the skies than during the Second World War. Aircraft developed into a destructive weapons. It is the cruel story of kamikaze pilots, of "Stukas" and fighter planes, but also of ground-breaking technical achievements, such as the jet engine's invention, which revolutionized aviation. The second part of Race for the Sky traces these developments, from the Second World War to the challenges facing aviation today.