Season 3 of The Aviators Takes Off on PBS, iTunes

The Newest Season of 10 Million-Viewer Fan Favorite Debuts This Month, Featuring the USAF Thunderbirds, the "Warbirds," Vince Neil and More. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) September 18, 2012 - Oshkosh, WI - The popular global television reality show "The Aviators," which follows the adventures of a group of authentic pilots and aviation experts, launches its third and most intriguing season yet this month. The debut episode of Season 3 will be available to PBS stations across the U.S. as of September 17, with each of the season's 13 additional installments becoming available every proceeding Monday. Viewers can purchase the entire season on iTunes for $14.99 starting on September 18, receiving the first episode for free, and gain access to a new episode from Season 3 every Tuesday to follow. Viewers can check with their local PBS affiliate to identify individual program air dates.

The Aviators claims a viewership of close to 10 million per week in the United States alone, and the program's producers estimate that its full international viewership - which encompasses Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and more - tops 30 million viewers per week. When The Aviators premiered on iTunes in 2011, it ranked as a top download during its launch week and since then both seasons 1 and 2 maintain positions in iTunes Top 50 Nonfiction TV Seasons alongside shows like 'The Daily Show,' 'Mythbusters,' and 'Top Gear.' The show has also been presented with a Hugo Awards for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy.

Season 3 will be marked by frequent appearances by the USAF Thunderbirds, an elite air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force, known as America's "Ambassadors in Blue." In one segment, The Aviators' host, producer and pilot Kurtis Arnold receives training from a Thunderbirds pilot in a Curtiss P-6 Hawk Fighter - one of the US Army's earliest fighter biplanes. Viewers are able to vicariously experience this thrill right in the cockpit along with the pilots. Arnold's P-6 flight training is part of a larger program to learn to fly the revered P-51 Mustang WWII Bomber.

"As an aviation entity, the Thunderbirds are rock stars," said Anthony Nalli, one of the hosts and producers of The Aviators. "Military aviation is a key element in many of our segments. It's always been of interest to the public, from the F-22 Raptor which we also feature in Season 3, to the old Warbirds harking back to the P-51 Mustang or the B22 Bomber. It's terrific to see that we're reinvigorating public enthusiasm for these fighter planes, as well as their more modern counterparts."

Another Season 3 storyline follows Vince Neil, the often controversial lead singer of Motley Crue, as he buckles down during a two-week pilot training program. Neil's participation is part of Sennheiser Audio's "Live Your Dream" program, in which this global audio manufacturer encourages students to pursue their piloting inclinations. Viewers can tune in to three separate episodes to witness whether this long-time rock-and-roller succeeds in the skies.

"The entire aviation community, including military aviation, trusts us implicitly, which allows us to get more captivating and relevant footage for our fan base," continued Nalli. "We're not TV producers who are dipping a toe into aviation in order to fill up a broadcast schedule-we're professional aviators, vested in the piloting community, who happen to be putting together a television show. This helps us provide an immersive experience that the most nominal aviation enthusiast will enjoy, allowing the viewers to get right into the aircraft with us. We're proud to extend such an exclusive opportunity to the public. It's how we've earned such a broad and devoted viewership."

The Aviators will make its series debut on Blue Ray in time for Christmas 2012, and Season 1 is currently available on HD DVD. Fans can consult an episode guide on The Aviators' web site, http://www.theaviators.tv located under the site's TV Show tab, for more information on the series.

About The Aviators
The Aviators is an award-winning weekly TV series featuring interesting people, the latest aircraft, the coolest technology and the best fly-in destinations. The program takes viewers behind the scenes to explore how airline pilots train, how planes are built, and how Air Traffic Control (ATC)works. The Aviators profiles aviation businesses and aviation products, providing safety tips for private and recreational pilots and career tips for professional pilots. The series covers all-things-aviation, for everyone who has ever gazed skywards.

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