Inventing the jet engine came with a few disasters

When a shortage of male pilots in World War II forced the U.S. Air Force to recruit women, America was captivated—and the public appetite for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) became insatiable.

These women stepped in to fill a World War II pilot shortage (1:58)

It's September 11, 2001, and AA Flight 77 has just vanished off the radar. As news starts pouring in of an attack on the World Trade Center, concerned air traffic controllers begin to suspect the worst.

When Air Traffic Control realized a 9/11 flight was gone (3:25)

For the U.S., the Battle of Midway wasn't just a turning point in the Pacific, it was also a brilliant naval gamble that paid off in spectacular fashion.

The wise U.S. tactic used to win the Battle of Midway (3:02)

In war-torn Afghanistan, Navy SEAL Trevor Maroshek and his dog Chopper were patrolling outside their base when they came across an abandoned motorcycle. When Chopper was sent to investigate, what he found held life-or-death consequences.

This SEAL dog prevented a deadly disaster (4:00)

In 1939, America's military was far from the powerful force it is today, with just 600,000 servicemen. In this remarkable color footage, you'll see some of the ways they spent their time.

A rare glimpse of pre-war Army life in color (2:26)

Deadly storms are a pilot's worst nightmare. Luckily, pilots can depend on their first line of defense—the meteorologists at the federal government's aviation weather center in Kansas City, MO.

These hidden heroes protect your flight from lethal weather (3:30)

A marauding polar bear is about to be returned to the the wild, as far away as possible from the town of Churchill. To do that, the conservation team will need to tranquilize him, and then airlift him by helicopter.

A polar bear is released back into the wild via helicopter (2:12)

Vying with the Russians for space supremacy, the U.S. successfully launches Apollo 8. Once in orbit, astronaut William Anders takes one of the most legendary photographs of all time.

This Apollo 8 astronaut took the famous "Earthrise" photograph (2:43)

From getting sucked into a fighter jet engine to a misjudged landing by an approaching jet fighter, an active flight deck is a minefield of danger and accidents waiting to happen.

This sailor got sucked inside a jet engine. (1:54)