Product Description

Join a grueling expedition to recover this rare plane from the North Pole after 50 years - a trip which tests team members in ways they never imagined.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36079 in DVD
• Brand: WGBH BOSTON VIDEO
• Released on: 2006-10-24
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 56 minutes

Customer Reviews

Only reality can be this tragic and cruel...
NOVA documentaries always seem to capture me, but this one literally left me with my jaw dropped in my lap the first time I saw it on TV. This film focuses on a group of men which attempt to restore a B-29, which crashed and was abandoned in Greenland during a secret mission during W.W.II. Their goal: to completely restore the B-29 on-site, and launch it from the nearby frozen lake bed. The technicalities of what they must accomplish to restore this airplane are mind-boggling. Most NOVA documentaries are very engaging, but besides being a technical chronicle of what these men accomplished in extreme environs, a tragic incident, and finally the jaw-dropping, dumbfounding conclusion, are what set this documentary apart from any other NOVA documentary I have seen. You simply will not want to believe what you are seeing, and I am not exaggerating! You will be on the edge of your seat cheering them on as they start the engines, taxi for takeoff on the frozen lake bed, and then... This is life. This is real ... This is a keeper.

More than a documentary--an emotional, inspiring adventure
Tip: This video is perfect for a home theater system with great speakers. As the narrator says, the radial engines on this plane are the largest ever built. When the team starts firing them up, turn it up loud-loud-LOUD, loud enough to feel the roar in your bones. It still won't be as loud as in real life, but you'll feel like you're standing there with them cheering, watching this frozen bird come back to life after half a century, and you'll understand in your heart exactly why they're taking on this project. You'll feel like a little kid, just like they do, and you'll wish you were there with them.

I use this documentary every time I teach a class on entrepreneurship. Combined with a Smithsonian magazine article on the salvage operation, it's great for talking about planning, leadership, decision-making, group dynamics, friendship, financing, risk, innovation, entrepreneurial motivations, expertise, and so on.

But...the REAL reason I show it to my class is...well, you'll have to watch it and see. Trust me.

Man vs the elements, the machine, the odds, Himself.
The impossible dream,the super human task, the will to succeed are only a few words to describe this documentary. Of all the films of this genre, this one left a major impression in my mind. Only since Hillary climbed Mt. Everest, have I seen the will of man so persevere. The finale is worth the wait, trust me. If this type of film is not your preference, make an exception and watch just this one. I don't think you'll be disappointed!!