International Airports - [DVD]

Just over 50 years ago, international air travel was a novelty reserved for the very rich, a grand adventure on par with the transatlantic crossings of the great ocean liners. Today, more then three million people board planes bound for international destinations every day, and at any given moment, there are 10,000 planes in the air. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS goes behind the scenes of the global industry that has transformed the world to see how it all works. Go inside the most advanced control tower on earth and meet the people who hold the fate of thousands in their hands. Follow a critical shipment as it makes its way across the globe through the air cargo system that has revolutionized international trade, and discover what customs officials are really looking for and how they find it! In a fascinating interview, R.E.G. Davies, Curator of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, traces the history of international air travel from the early days of dirt runways and swashbuckling entrepreneurs to today's massive, high-tech complexes. And see what the future of air travel holds. Modern Marvels presents the definitive examination of INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS.