New on National Geographic this April, 2008:
NEW SHOWS:
Air Crash Investigation Special Report
Premiere date: Sunday, 6 April 2008 at 21h00
Some aspects of air safety can only be recognised and improved after serious accidents have occurred. This three-part series investigates what causes such tragedy.
In Ripped Apart, we see how commercial jets rely on a pressurised atmosphere to keep passengers alive and revisit some of the most compelling aviation disasters of the last fifty years.
Fatal Fix examines how disasters in the sky can be caused by the tiniest fault in the aircraft.
Lastly, in Who’s Flying the Plane? we are shown how automated technology exists not to repla pilots, but to assist them.
Planet Mechanics
Premiere date: Sunday, 20 April, 2008 at 19h00
Hop onboard with eco-engineers Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stansfield as they hit the roads around the UK and Europe. Dick is an ex-army offir turned eco-warrior. Jem is an inventor with a wild green streak. Using their ingenuity, resourcefulness and humour, they tackle a range of varied ecological challenges.
SPECIALS:
Inside The Green Beret
On: Saturday, 5 April at 21h00
TVSA's Inside The Green Beret mini-site.
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Dangerous Encounters: Hippo Stakeout
On: Thursday, 17 April 2008 at 21h00
It's the ultimate warrior. Part combat submarine, part terrestrial tank, armed with tusks that can grow up to a foot long and deliver a bone-crushing bite, meet the Nile Hippopotamus. How do you work with what is reputed to be the most deadly animal in Africa? It's a dangerous encounter Brady style.
Watch as he develops his understanding of hippos and tests a new suit of armour to protect himself and the hippos he'll be working with. It's a life size model of a hippo with a reinford cage for protection in case he is perived as a threat.
Brady is out to see how close he can get to the hippos of South Luangwa and do something that's never been done before, collect a sample of wild hippo sweat for scientific analysis. Come along for the ride as Brady introdus Africa to an "American hippo."
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Megastructures: Ultimate Skyscraper NYC
On: Wednesday, 30 April at 21h00
In the city that never sleeps, one architect's dream for a greener future has been realized. The One Bryant Park building in New York City is not only going to be the second tallest building in the city, but is set to be one of the most energy efficient skyscrapers in the world.
Richard Cook and his team have taken on an exhilarating challenge in the arena of environmentally conscious skyscrapers. From recycled steel beams to recycling water, we examine the trials and triumphs of erecting a skyscraper whose blueprints just might map out a new design for the future construction of environmentally friendly skyscrapers around the world.
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