Mighty Machines

A look inside the narrow cruiser that fits through tight locks, battles nasty weather and glides past stunning scenery, travelling from Budapest to Amsterdam.

In the spring of 2010, after nearly two decades of planning and building, the largest airborne observatory in the world opened its infrared eye for the first time from aboard a modified Boeing 747 jumbo jetliner. From its stratospheric perch, SOFIA, the star of this Mighty Planes episode, boasts a 17-ton telescope, which is capable of making observations that are impossible for even the largest an

The Maersk Interceptor is the largest rig of its kind. On her first job, the crew is challenged by high stakes and tough decisions required to survive the biggest storm in decades.