[narrator] A new breed of
super machine is evolving.
Bigger, faster, smarter,
built to tackle
near-impossible feats.
Among them: the world's largest
passenger aircraft.
(French accent): This is
the best moment because
the engines are pushing.
[narrator] A new generation
of airliner...
>> The door is so big you can
literally fit a car in sideways.
>> Isn't this machine
impressive?
[narrator]...made from more
than 4 million components
and carrying more than
500 passengers on the longest
routes around the planet.
>> Oscar 454, caution wake
turbulence. Super bus departing
runway.
[narrator] The A380 superjumbo
is the most powerful aircraft
of its kind, with unprecedented
access to its operations
on ground...
>> We will take a very
southerly route via the middle
of the United States.
[narrator]...and in flight.
>> Gear up.
(French accent): Gear up.
[narrator] We'll digitally
deconstruct this $400 million
monster...
to uncover its
technological secrets,
from a double-decker airframe
made from advanced composites
to 130-foot-long wings that
give it incredible lift.
We'll reveal how this
extraordinary superjumbo
evolved to rise above
all other machines.
>> Welcome to Los Angeles
International Airport.
[narrator] Also known as LAX,
it's one of the busiest
airport hubs in the world.
Every year, more than 70 million
people travel from here to 150
destinations across the globe.
Worldwide air traffic is
at an all-time high and is
increasing by 15% every year.
Airports are fast running out of
takeoff and landing slots, and
the skies are getting crammed.
>> 5409 at runway 2-4 left.
Airport takeoff.
[narrator] This machine is
designed to change all that.
Meet the A380 superjumbo.
Built to fly 48,000 miles
per week along the world's
longest routes, it carries
100 more people than a 747.
The A380 is the biggest
passenger jet the world
has ever seen.
>> It's tremendous to me
to see something this size
flying in air, actually.
[narrator] The North American
and European flight market
is one of the most competitive
in the world, worth over
40 billion dollars a year.
Air France has bought nine
of these behemoths to gain
a bigger slice of this market.
Each A380 superjumbo costs
$400 million and is an
extraordinary engineering
wonder.
She has two decks, one
stacked on top of the other,
that hold more than 500 people
and 66 tons of cargo.
She has four engines,
which generate the thrust
of seven F-18 fighter jets.
And her 130-foot wings create
over 600 tons of lifting force
to thrust the biggest passenger
plane on earth into the sky.
This Air France A380
has just landed at LAX.
>> You do the back loader.
Drive, drive, drive.
[narrator] David Mitchell runs
ground operations, leading a
team of seven working beneath
the massive jet.
>> I'm in charge of the loading
operation of the aircraft,
from the water to the cargo
to all the passenger's bags.
[narrator] David's team
has only 2.5 hours to turn
this superjumbo around
and set it back on its way
as flight 065 to Paris.
Captain Claude Godel will be
at the helm of this flight.
An experienced A380 pilot,
Claude has logged over 700,000
miles in the A380 superjumbo.
>> The captain has a huge
responsibility but he can rely
on the first officer and the
cabin crew to help the captain
to take the right decisions
and cope with this huge
responsibility. A good pilot
is one who has the same number
of landings as takeoffs.
[narrator] Claude's mission:
to fly from Los Angeles
International 5,650 miles across
the USA and the Atlantic Ocean
to his final destination, one
of Europe's busiest airports,
Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
Today, Claude's plane is running
late because it arrived into LAX
one hour behind schedule.
>> Today, we have more than
500 passengers on board, but
330 will have a short connection
in Paris. So if we arrive late,
they will have a problem.
They may miss their connection.
[narrator] Missed connections
cost the US air industry
over $8 billion a year
in alternative flights and
overnight hotels. It's critical
Claude's superjumbo arrives
in Paris on time.
Two hours to take off.
>> Air France?
>> Air France.
>> And to Paris.
[narrator] 50,000 employees
work at LAX, helping to process
passengers through the terminal.
>> Air France! That flight
to Paris today is pretty full.
It's an A380, carries over
500 people. So between now
and the next hour and a half,
I'll probably lift maybe
3 tons of luggage.
[narrator] The superjumbo's
late arrival into LAX could mean
a travel nightmare for those
catching a connecting flight.
>> Your flight is, like, a
40-minute delay, so I'm gonna
check your connection, OK?
>> OK, very good.
Yeah, it's a tight one.
(speaking French): 13-02, 13-08.
[narrator] In the airline
briefing room, Claude and
his co-pilots review their
flight plan. Today's journey
will be far from routine.
Flying conditions over the
Atlantic look ominous.
>> We will take a very southerly
route via the middle of the
United States. This is due to
the fact that we have a very,
very strong jet wind over
the Atlantic, with speeds
that I have almost never seen.
[narrator] Claude is pinning
his hopes on a 230 mph tailwind
to help him make up some of the
delay. But it could be bumpy.
>> It will allow us to have
a very short flight time.
And we have a chance to be not
too late in Paris. OK, now it's
time to go. We have to go now.
(indistinct comment)
[narrator] The ground crew
has to pump in 36,000 gallons
of fuel and load up to
1,000 pieces of luggage,
working against the clock.
>> We have got about 41 minutes
left. Time's always crucial
because planes don't make
money on the ground. They only
make money in the air.
[narrator] Everything about
this aircraft is supersized.
>> The door is so big,
you can literally fit a car
in here sideways.
[narrator] Loading cargo
on board this monster jet is
a big job as the hold stretches
half the length of its body.
>> We're in the front hold of
the aircraft. The nose of the
aircraft would be over there.
We're pretty much in the belly
of the beast.
[narrator] They load luggage
into 38 steel containers.
Each is the size and weight
of a small car.
>> They make everything
really easy on this aircraft.
See how it just easily goes in.
[narrator] Intelligent runners
in the floor help shuttle
the cargo around the hold.
The passengers, cargo and fuel,
make up more than half of the
aircraft's 600-ton weight
at takeoff. Remarkably, this
superjumbo can carry 7 tons
more than its own body weight.
That's thanks to its
extraordinary lightweight
construction.
The shell of this titan
is built like a featherweight.
Only 49 ribs span the 240-foot-
long fuselage, surrounded
by skin that is thinner than
cardboard. But it's designed
to be incredibly strong by
borrowing technology inspired
by an ancient warrior,
Alexander the Great, who had
a secret weapon: tunics made
from layers of linen and glue.
The linen and glue combined
to form an extremely tough
armour that made Alexander's
army nearly unstoppable
The A380 has upgraded this
body armour. Instead of linen,
there's a glass fibre mesh
stronger than steel sandwiched
between ultrathin aluminium,
making up its superlight skin to
save 1,800 lb. in weight.
But it's strong enough to
support 100 tons of wings and
engines and can handle almost
anything nature can throw at it.
40 minutes to takeoff.
>> Isn't this machine
impressive? I'm always
astonished. Because it's
important for us to see it from
here, because once we are in
the cockpit, you don't remember
the size of the plane
that we have behind us.
>> We actually got 10 more bags
ready to come. We need to get a
jump on. Get a runner. You wanna
go up there and help them out?
'Cause we're running out of time
here. We got 18 minutes left.
[narrator] The final 21 bags,
belonging to the crew,
make it into the hold.
>> This is it right here. We're
gonna close it up.
[narrator] By working fast,
the ground crew has reduced
the 40-minute delay.
>> As far as the delay,
I think we caught up about
maybe 11 minutes.
[narrator] Next challenge:
weave a path to the runway.
A risky manoeuvre with a jet
this big in an airport where one
plane leaves every 55 seconds.
>> I'm ensuring a clear path
to the runway. This is a very
dangerous intersection.
[narrator] At Los Angeles
International Airport, the A380
superjumbo is ready to begin
its 5,650-mile journey to Paris.
>> Get ready for pushback.
We've got about 10 minutes left.
[narrator] The flight is
running 30 minutes late.
Two thirds of the passengers
on board have to make
connections in Paris.
>> Bonjour! Hello!
Welcome aboard.
>> Set and crosscheck.
[narrator] In the cockpit,
Captain Claude completes
preflight checks.
The A380's advanced technology
sends signals from the
six cockpit computers to the
aircraft's vital components
at lightning speed.
>> Ready to push and stir...
>> Windows and doors closed.
>> Air France 65 super
is ready.
>> Air France 65 super roger.
(honking)
(woman over PA, indistinct)
[narrator] The superjumbo is
only designed to power itself
forwards. David Mitchell is
driving the only tractor at
LAX with enough power to push
600 tons of superjumbo backwards
onto the taxiway.
>> OK. So now, we're going
to disconnect the towbar.
>> Parking brake is set.
You may disconnect the towbar.
[narrator] The world's biggest
passenger aircraft is about
to turn on.
The four colossal engines
will soon blast air backwards at
800 mph, creating gusts powerful
enough to knock over a truck.
>> The mechanic is going
to start the engines pretty
soon here. It's gonna get
a little loud.
[narrator] David's team must
retreat to a safe distance
before Claude awakes this giant.
>> OK, starting engines 1 and 2.
And ignition.
[narrator] Each engine
weighs 8 tons. All four cost
$70 million. That's a sixth of
the cost of the entire plane.
The next few minutes are
critical. This aircraft is full
of highly flammable aviation
fuel, so Claude must take
care steering the superjumbo
down the taxiways.
>> Taxiing is probably the
most critical phase with the
A380. We have to be very, very
careful due to the fact that it
has a wingspan of 80 metres.
[narrator] The huge wings of the
A380 skim the very edge of LAX's
taxiways so Claude can't reach
the runway without help.
>> Air France 65 super at Delta.
Give way. Aeromexico Boeing
[narrator] Wing marshal,
Benjamin Chai, rides
to the rescue.
>> Back a little bit further.
I'm ensuring... Basically
guarding the wingtip.
[narrator] With hundreds
of service vehicles and
over 1,700 flights everyday,
LAX's taxiways are some
of the busiest in the world.
>> I'm blocking traffic 'cause
this is a very dangerous
intersection.
(man over PA, indistinct)
[narrator] It's a tense tow
to the final turn onto LAX's
north runway for takeoff.
>> Air France 65 super, runway
2-4 left. Line up and wait.
>> We line up and wait. 2-4 left
Air France 65 super.
>> Runway 2-4 left. Line up and
wait.
[narrator] In the next seconds,
Captain Claude will have the
full power of the biggest
passenger aircraft in the world
in his control.
Under the hood of the engines,
24 high-precision fan blades
slice through the air,
their tips moving faster
than the speed of sound.
The blades are made from light
but strong titanium. The edge
of the blades are sculpted
like an ancient Japanese weapon
of war, the samurai sword.
Early samurai swords had
straight blades. They were
sharp, but lacked punch.
Redesigning the blade
to be curved focused the
strike force on a single
point: so the sword could slice
through almost anything.
The A380 takes this idea to the
extreme. The jet fan's curved
titanium blades carve through
1.3 tons of air every second.
Their edges run less than
a twenty-fifth of an inch from
the housing.
Together, they generate
the power of more than
1,800 automobiles, pushing
600 tons of A380 on its way.
>> Clear for takeoff.
>> Clear for takeoff, 2-4 left
Air France 6-5 super.
>> It's very important
to remember the threats,
remember what could happen
and prepare our mind for the
reaction we have to have.
Takeoff.
[narrator] Claude releases the
brakes and pushes the throttle.
(man over PA, indistinct)
>> Oscar 454, caution wake
turbulence.
>> Checked on.
>> Proceed to runway 2-4 left.
>> Check.
[narrator] The superjumbo
accelerates from a standing
start to 190 mph in just
50 seconds.
(automated voice): V-1.
[narrator] This is known
as the point of no return.
The aircraft is committed
to takeoff. There is now
not enough runway to stop.
(man over PA, indistinct)
[narrator] This is when
the engines work the hardest.
Every second, a quarter
of a gallon of fuel explodes
in the combustion chamber.
The scorching hot air slams into
turbines at the back, spinning
them round at 10,000 rpm.
The turbines connect to
the giant fan blades at
the front that push air into
the heart of the engines,
giving the A380 the power
of seven F-18 fighter jets.
With all its engines at
full throttle, Air France
flight 065 must lift off.
One in ten fatal accidents
occur on takeoff. The next
five seconds are make or break
for everybody on board.
[narrator] At Los Angeles
International Airport, the A380
superjumbo, the world's biggest
passenger jet, is hurtling down
the runway en route to Paris.
(man over PA, indistinct)
[narrator] The engines are
at full throttle, pushing
the superjumbo to a speed
of 190 mph.
(indistinct comment)
[narrator] But to lift this
600-ton bird off the runway, the
A380 must pull off an amazing
shape shifting trick.
The key to liftoff is hidden
inside its wings. They're
crammed with hydraulic pipes
and cylinders so the A380 can
soar like the king of the skies,
the American bald eagle.
It's a master of slow flying.
It angles its wings to create
more lift and spreads out
two feathery fingers to
speed up the air flow, keeping
14 lb. of bird afloat with ease.
The A380 takes this idea to the
extreme. At takeoff, hydraulic
rams kick in. They push out the
front and back of the wings,
extending the surface area
by 20%. This creates 31 tons
of extra lift, boosting
the jet off the runway.
>> Positive climb.
>> Gear up.
>> Gear up. Check tower.
(man over PA, indistinct)
[narrator] The superjumbo may
have taken to the skies, but on
the ground, the job's not over.
>> Tower, city ops 142 holding
short of 2-4 left at Victor
for the runway inspection.
(indistinct talking)
[narrator] Wing marshal Ben must
inspect the runway
after every A380 takes off.
Violent air currents stirred up
by this monster jet can leave
a trail of debris that could be
sucked in by the next aircraft
on the runway.
>> I'm ensuring that the Airbus
380, with his jet blast, hasn't
knocked over any signs, there
isn't any damage to the runways.
[narrator] Ben has less than
five minutes to carry out the
check and confirm the runway is
safe for the next plane to take
off.
>> Tower, city ops 142 clear
of runway 2-4 left at Echo-17.
Thanks for your help.
And that's it. So we can
resume normal operations.
Job well done.
>> Runway 2-4 left clear
for takeoff.
>> SoCal departure, good
evening. This is Air France 65
super passing 1,000, climbing
1,000, hitting 2-1-0.
[narrator] The 600-ton
superjumbo climbs to a height
of 3,000 feet in 90 seconds.
>> Air France 065 super contact
Los Angeles Centre.
>> This is the best moment
because the engines are pushing.
We are finally in the air.
I enjoy hand flying the
aircraft, but now, it's time
for the autopilot.
[narrator] This is when the
brain of the machine takes over.
It starts by moving some of the
plane's heaviest cargo around,
36,000 gallons of fuel.
Fuel tanks are crammed into
every corner of this aircraft.
Even the tail is filled with
3,300 gallons of fuel at
takeoff. But once airborne,
the plane moves the fuel
around its body, pumps channel
18 tons of kerosene into
tanks in the tips of the wings
in less than 20 minutes.
This balances the aircraft
perfectly and keeps it rock
solid, even in turbulence.
(man over PA, indistinct)
[narrator] For now, Claude
places his trust and the
passenger's safety in the
hands of the A380's advanced
computer system.
The smooth running of
the aircraft and the lives
everyone on board rely on its
four engines working flawlessly
through every flight.
A crack team of engineers test
each engine to its limits at Air
France's headquarters in Paris.
To test an engine this powerful,
they have to seal it inside
a bunker that has concrete
walls over two feet thick.
The engineers scrutinize
every aspect of the engine's
performance in a simulated
takeoff.
This engine fails
its vibration test.
It will have to be rebuilt
before it's fit to fly.
>> Air France 065 super contact
Los Angeles.
[narrator] The Superjumbo's
engines are at full thrust.
531 people now sit 39,000 feet
above the ground in a metal
tube. Exposure to the outside
elements would cause hypothermia
in less than five minutes.
>> At the moment,
the outside temperature
is -60 degrees Celsius. -60.
We should not forget never that
the real life is just outside,
on the other side of the window.
[narrator] Every one of the
aircraft's four million parts
will have to work perfectly to
protect the passengers from this
deadly external environment.
>> Air France 065 super contact
Cleveland Centre 134.12.
[narrator] The A380 superjumbo
hurtles through the sky at 590
mph. Right now, the aircraft is
50 minutes into its 5,650-mile
journey from LAX to Paris.
The superjumbo's engines power
the aircraft up to a cruising
altitude that is almost 1.5
times higher than the peak of
Mount Everest. At this height,
there is not enough oxygen
for a human being to survive.
>> We are flying at 39,000 feet,
meaning 12,000 metres, but
the passengers and we, in the
cockpit, are breathing normally.
[narrator] An extraordinary
system feeds this aircraft
with oxygen to keep passengers
alive. It's hidden just outside
the cabin.
Right next to the engines,
a pipe pushes scorching hot,
but oxygen-rich air from
the turbines into a unique
cooling system. It evolved
from one of nature's giants,
the African elephant.
This mammal has air conditioning
built into its ears, a web
of blood vessels as large
as a dinner table, through
which 3 gallons of blood
flow every minute.
With one flap of its ears,
the elephant can chill its blood
by ten degrees to keep cool
under the blazing sun. The A380
takes this idea to the extreme.
A heat exchanger with 50 square
feet of surface area chills hot,
oxygenated air from the turbines
down from a lethal 500 degrees
to a pleasant 70 and channels
it to passengers inside,
keeping them breathing easily.
Airborne for almost an hour,
the superjumbo is riding in a
layer of stable air. The cabin
crew seizes the opportunity to
get to work. They have just two
hours to heat, serve and clear
away dinner for 507 passengers.
The only way they could pull
this off is by preparing
the food in advance.
It happens here, in Los Angeles,
in one of the biggest airport
kitchens in the world.
>> On the A380, for your
special meals, make sure
you get a special meal sticker
from dispatch.
ANITA JONES, Production Manager,
Flying Foods: We have
a completely full flight, and
that is going to be 67 business
class, 38 premium economy
and 389 economy class meals.
[narrator] Anita's team prepares
10,000 meals every night
before takeoff, just minutes
from LAX's runway.
There, Anita's crew loads
11 tons of ready-made food
and drink into 99 trolleys
onto the plane, just before
passengers embark.
Serving ten restaurants' worth
of food in areas no larger
than a broom closet takes great
skill. 507 finished meals create
enough garbage to fill a truck.
With so little space to spare,
the crew relies on this
ingenious machine. It has a
unique way of handling waste.
The superjumbo has four mini
garbage trucks built into its
galleys. Hidden inside are
hydraulic pistons that crunch
waste with 12,000 lb. of force
down to a third of its size,
leaving more space for the
passengers.
Intelligent innovations like
this transform the A380 into a
two-story flying hotel, taking
much of the strain off the crew.
>> It is, of course amazing.
It's a restaurant, and yet,
we are up in the sky and we
are just a dot for people that
look up. They just see a dot,
and this is happening.
[narrator] The mood in the cabin
is relaxed. But Claude knows
that the most difficult part
of the journey lies directly
ahead. Turbulent airspace.
Even in an A380, turbulence
can cause chaos.
>> Air France 065...
[narrator] The A380 superjumbo
is nearly halfway into
its 5,650-mile journey
from Los Angeles to Paris.
The aircraft left LAX 30 minutes
behind schedule. Captain Claude
now has one final chance to make
up the delay - by hitching
a lift on the jet stream.
The jet stream is a band of
fast-moving air high up in the
atmosphere. If Claude catches
this tailwind, he can shave
an hour off the trip.
But first, he must break through
the raging air on the edge
of the jet stream - that's
tumbling at hurricane speed.
>> What is important is
that we don't have too much
turbulence in order to allow a
safe service to our passengers.
[narrator] Turbulence can be
extremely dangerous, as seen
in these photos taken in 2013.
Eleven passengers were injured
in this A380 superjumbo when it
suddenly plunged 70 feet.
Anything not tied down
smashed into the ceiling.
To keep the passengers safe,
Claude decides to fly
3,000 feet higher than usual
to avoid the roughest air.
>> The speed of the aircraft,
compared to the ground,
is exactly 575 knots.
[narrator] The 120 mph tailwind
from the jet stream is now
pushing the aircraft to almost
90% of the speed of sound.
>> We are now probably
in the middle of the tunnel,
in the middle of the jet wind.
[narrator] Claude has managed
to position the superjumbo
exactly where he wants it.
So far, Captain Claude's plan
is working. He's clawed back 30
minutes of the delay, crossing
the Atlantic with barely a bump.
(man over PA speaking French)
>> We managed to avoid
turbulence. We didn't have
really turbulence.
>> Air France 065, bonjour.
[narrator] Now Captain Claude
and his crew must prepare
for the most dangerous part of
the whole journey: touchdown.
>> Voilà! Now we are ready
to start descent.
>> In a few moments,
we are gonna be preparing
all the passengers in
the cabin for landing.
>> Ladies and gentleman, in less
than five minutes, it will
already be time to start our
descent towards Paris-Charles
de Gaulle, where we land
in 35 minutes from now.
[narrator] 531 lives now
depend on the soft cushion
of 22 wheels in the landing
gear beneath the jet.
>> Landing checklist.
>> Landing checklist, autothrust
mode.
>> Off.
>> Autobrake.
>> BTV...
>> Landing checklist complete.
>> Check.
[narrator] The A380's tires have
to be super strong to withstand
the impact of the 400-ton
plane as it touches down.
At the Air France maintenance
hangar in Paris, engineer
Charles Jackson inspects
the tires on each A380 for signs
of wear or damage.
>> This tire has possibly been
through 200 landings already.
It's worn to its limit.
It's gonna have to be changed.
[narrator] Each tire costs
$20 000 and is handmade
to precise tolerances.
>> This tire has 40 layers, one
on top of the other, of steel
belts, and rubber and nylon,
much more like a tire they
would use on Formula 1. It's
very sticky. It helps with the
braking action on the runway, it
helps it to not to slide off the
runway when they are landing.
[narrator] It takes engineers
more than an hour to change
each tire.
>> C'est bon? The wheel's now
in place. That's it! We can put
the airplane back on its feet.
[narrator] Thanks to maintenance
like this, Captain Claude
can be confident that his tires
shouldn't fail on landing.
After 10 hours in the air,
the flight crew prepare
for touch down.
>> We are all a little bit
tired, so I will leave the
autopilot do most of the work.
[narrator] Radio receivers keep
track of the A380's position
to help Claude steer it to
a precise spot on the runway
below.
>> We will use the ILS,
the instrument landing system,
to descend to the runway,
which will bring us to
join the central line
of runway 0-8 right.
(autopilot voice): 200 minimum.
[narrator] Over 500 people and
400 tons of aircraft are relying
on the superjumbo's computers to
help Claude touch down safely.
(autopilot voice): 50, 40,
30, 20, retard, 10, 5.
[narrator] Moving at 160 mph
and with just 9,000 feet of
runway, everything now hinges
on the aircraft's brakes
kicking into action.
Hidden in the landing gear
is the key to stopping power.
Steel arms clamp onto
16 brake discs, which heat up
to 930 degrees in an instant.
To stop them from melting,
they must be made of material
strong enough for a spaceship.
It's similar to the built-in
heat shield that protected
NASA's Space Shuttle. Its nose
and wings were covered in
special tiles made from carbon
fibre and graphite.
They could take temperatures
twice as hot as molten lava
to give the Shuttle
a safe journey home.
The A380 takes this carbon
fibre technology to the extreme.
Its brakes are reinforced
with silicon carbide, which
is tougher than diamond.
With such extreme materials
under the hood, the brakes
can survive immense heat
and friction to help stop
400 tons of Airbus without
a fail.
But the disc brakes cannot
safely stop the A380 before the
end of the runway on their own.
>> BTV off.
>> Checked.
[narrator] One final mission-
critical component is needed
to bring this beast to a halt.
(autopilot voice): 50, 40,
30, 20...
[narrator] Travelling at
160 mph, the A380 superjumbo
slams onto the runway at Charles
de Gaulle airport in Paris.
This is a critical moment.
To keep the plane on the
ground, Claude must force
the weight of the superjumbo
down onto the landing gear.
He kills the lift from the
wings with a push of a button.
Hydraulic rams kick into action.
They push up 16 gigantic wing-
top spoilers that disrupt the
airflow and force the plane's
weight onto the tarmac.
This keeps the aircraft on
the ground as it slows down.
>> 70 knots.
[narrator] The 400-ton
superjumbo decelerates
to 20 mph in just 20 seconds.
(speaking French)
After inheriting a one-hour
delay in Los Angeles,
Claude's plan to make up
time by hitching a ride
on the jet stream has worked.
By flying 3,000 feet higher
than normal, Claude avoided
the extreme turbulence, and
507 passengers crossed the
Atlantic hardly feeling a bump.
>> Mesdames, messieurs, nous
sommes arrivés à Paris, aéropot
Roissy-Charles de Gaulle.
[narrator] The flight arrives
at the stand in Paris exactly
on schedule.
(man over PA speaking French)
>> The mission is complete.
I think we can be pleased with
the flight because we left
Los Angeles with quite a lot of
delay. We were late and we
arrived on time. We managed
to avoid the turbulence.
We have done a good job.
>> Désarmement des toboggans.
[narrator] For the 330
passengers on board who have
connecting flights, Claude's
decision to use the jet stream's
hurricane-strength tailwinds to
claw back time means good news.
>> Bye-bye!
>> I think all the passengers
are happy because we are
on time.
>> We are on time, so that's the
good news. I can make my
connection without being
stressed about it. So
everything's panning out pretty
well.
>> Bye-bye! Au revoir!
>> This plane is a real pleasure
for the pilot. Many other pilots
would like to fly this aircraft.
It's also a responsibility,
because we are landing
this aircraft on runways
that are covered with snow.
It's not easy. Each flight
is a different story.
[narrator] For the A380
superjumbo, there really is
no rest at all. Already another
Air France crew are preparing
to board the plane for its
return flight to Los Angeles.
On the tarmac, ground crew have
just two hours to clean, refuel,
restock and send it on its way.
In one year, this giant bird
will fly 230,000 passengers
2.5 million miles on the
world's longest routes.
It will travel in a global relay
race between the biggest cities
on the planet, from New York to
Dubai, and Beijing to London.
In its entire lifetime, the A380
superjumbo will fly a staggering
75 million miles, the equivalent
of travelling 3,000 times around
the circumference of the earth.
It's all thanks to
ingenious inventions
hidden under her hood:
bulletproof brakes, extreme
air conditioning, engine blades
shaped like swords, eagle-like
wings and an armoured airframe.
The A380 is the biggest
passenger jet to ever fly.
It's these technological
secrets that have helped
this aircraft evolve to rise
above all other machines.