Air Warriors

The C-17 Globemaster III is the Air Force's favorite heavy hauler, a flying warehouse that has stood tall against the mightiest of enemies for decades. Strangely, some of its toughest battles were fought right in America, where critics in Congress nearly scrapped the big gray beast before it even left the ground.

The CH-47 Chinook is not the most glamorous aircraft in the military's inventory, but it's been the Army's go-to helicopter for lifting heavy cargo for decades. The Chinook has proven its worth in every notable conflict since Vietnam, but to live through changing war zones, the aging chopper has needed to learn new tricks.

Since the first powered human flight in 1903, people have striven to conquer the skies, developing and manufacturing a huge array of aerial war machines. This series focuses on the C-17 plane that revolutionized the U.S Air Force’s transport program; the CH-47 Chinook that has been the Army’s go-to chopper for decades; and drones.