Home > Documentary TV Show > James May at the Edge of Space

James May at the Edge of Space

2009

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

7.9| 0h30m| en
Synopsis

James May at the Edge of Space is a British documentary in which television presenter James May came close to fulfilling his lifelong dream to be an astronaut by flying to the stratosphere in a Lockheed U-2 spy plane. It was first aired on BBC Four on 21 June 2009 as part of commemorations of the 40th anniversary of the first Apollo moon landing, and tied in with another May documentary an hour earlier on BBC Two called James May on the Moon. The programme followed May's three days of training with the United States Air Force at Beale Air Force Base in which he practised safety drills and learnt how to use a space suit correctly. With training complete, he was taken on a three-hour flight reaching an altitude of over 70,000 feet, piloted by instructor pilot Major John "Cabi" Cabigas.

Cast

Director

Producted By

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Reviews

IslandGuru Who payed the critics
EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise
Inmechon The movie's only flaw is also a virtue: It's jammed with characters, stories, warmth and laughs.
Blake Rivera If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
jeffchan If you at all like flying or space, this is a must see. The main problem is that it seems unavailable except in pirated form on YouTube, etc. BBC, or whoever owns the rights, please sell it in HD! May's flight to the edge of space in a U2 haunts with its beauty, enchants with its musings, and thrills with its adventure.Technically James was the passenger in a two seat U2 flown by an American Air Force pilot. Both men wore pressurized flight suits similar to what astronauts wear, and the views were absolutely incredible. I'm sure the HD cameras barely captured the actual impact of the views from the cockpit, yet they were otherworldly.Airliners at their highest altitude, for example, passed far below them as they transited California parallel the Pacific Ocean on their way up to altitude. The U2 was flown from Beale Air Force Base north of Sacramento California, and the film includes suiting up, flight briefings, what to do if you get an itch inside the suit, etc.
Prismark10 In James May at the Edge of Space, May gets a chance to fly in a U2 spy plane at 70,000 feet above Earth. It is technically space as you can see the curvature of the earth and the dark space above.What is more he does not have to risk going on one of these expensive Richard Branson Galactic test craft.You see May in training for this adventure, having a medical, having problems with the helmet and telling us the history of the early days of these very high altitude spy planes and the space race.May gives us tips on how to pee into a tube and how to eat apple pie through a straw. However the most emotional part of this short documentary for both us and him is when the U2 reaches 70,000 feet and May realises that he is at the edge of space.A truly great moment for him as he really does not know what to say and you can see in his face that he has done something remarkable that will stay with him for the rest of his life.In contrast the early part of the documentary is rather plain.