(upbeat rock music)
- [Narrator] It's time to grab the wheel,
floor the accelerator
and take total control.
(loud engines revving)
We're giving you the keys to the world's wildest rides.
On land,
sea
and in the sky,
We'll discover the horsepower,
technology
and all out guts required to operate these beasts.
(loud bomb blast)
Suit up, strap in
and throw it into high gear.
No learner's permit required.
Now, Wild Rides on Modern Marvels.
(upbeat electronic beats)
If you were among America's 230 million licensed drivers,
(car engine revving)
This is one ride where you'll spend an average
of more than four years during your lifetime.
You may take the components for granted.
Gear-shift, steering wheel,
accelerator, brake, mirrors.
But there's an amazing array
of other wild rides out there.
And, some of the world's most extreme vehicles
First up, let's test drive
the army's quintessential off-roader
the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle.
Think of it as a crossover between
an armored personnel carrier and a full scale battle tank.
There's enough room for nine inside,
like a roomy minivan
but don't expect the interior of this beast
to be as user-friendly.
- It takes a little bit getting used to.
It's a lot different than getting into any other vehicle,
just 'cause you gotta watch the heavy hatch,
make sure it doesn't close on you or anything
and then, just snake your way in.
So, it's a little bit different.
It's not too bad once you sit in it.
(quirky electronic music)
- [Narrator] The first thing the driver notices
is that he's practically sitting on the engine block.
- You've got a pretty thin wall separating
you from the engine pack.
Keeps you really warm,
if you're in a desert, not so good probably.
On the older versions,
they didn't really have any cooling system for the crew.
So, you were just, if you caught a breeze,
that's what you got.
- [Narrator] The cozy confines aren't
the only difference between the driver's seat
of the Bradley and the one in a car.
Instead of a steering wheel,
there's a steering yoke.
And, though the accelerator and brake pedals are familiar,
one key component is missing,
a windshield.
- It's called what we call periscope.
It's a really small and narrow pieces of glass
that are really thick.
- The Periscope limits forward visibility
to the 11 to one o'clock positions.
A fraction of the nine to three o'clock view
afforded by the windows of a car.
But it's a small price to pay
for the added security it provides on the battlefield.
Besides the driver can see plenty on the monitors
with feeds from high-def, night vision
and thermal imaging cameras.
Another car component missing from the Bradley, tires.
Instead it's equipped with tank like tracks.
They provide better traction
and make the driving experience nothing like that of a car.
- [SPC. James] In an automobile,
when you were to take out left turn,
you would slow down,
but in this, in order to take a left turn,
you have to press on the gas
because that's how the track works.
- [Narrator] But along with the challenges, comes some fun.
No car can do this.
The tracks enabled the tightest turning radius imaginable.
That's 27 tons of vehicle turning on a dime.
With that precision handling comes
some pretty heavy duty firepower.
Sitting just behind the driver,
the gunner fires away
with a Bradley's high-powered machine gun,
an anti-tank missile launcher.
And if anyone fires back,
it's nice to know that the aluminum armor surrounding
the crew can really take a beating.
- Able to withstand several rounds
of 50-cal point blank.
We can take anything up to a direct hit from a missile.
(tank tires screeching)
- [Narrator] For a slightly roomier driver's seat,
(upbeat band music)
let's try out this heavily armored ride.
It's official designation is
the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
Military All-terrain Vehicle
but soldiers learning how to operate it,
call it the MRAP.
- All terrain is basically what you see out here.
It climbs mountains, deserts, sand, snow, mud,
anything you name, it's capable of encountering.
(loud screeching tires)
- [Narrator] Floor the accelerator of the MRAP,
and it's 370 horsepower engine will speed
up to 72 miles per hour.
Not exactly blistering,
but keep in mind that the MRAP weighs more
than 12 tons as much as four full-size SUVs.
- This vehicle is extremely fast
compared to other military vehicles.
- [Narrator] Encasing the driver's seat
is the MRAP's heavy duty composite armor.
It's just the protection the driver needs
since one of the MRAP's main purposes is to carry up
to three soldiers on missions to clear minefields,
All that armor also shields everyone on board
from one of the deadliest hazards found in war zones,
(loud exploding bombs)
The improvised explosive device or IED.
There's another feature that keeps
the drivers safe from IED blasts.
Unlike the seat in a car or truck,
this seat is suspended in midair.
- This driver's seat if you notice
it's not mounted to the floor at all,
it's suspended by D-rings and harnesses,
in case if this vehicle gets an IED blast,
by the seats not being mounted to the floor,
the body doesn't absorb the full shock or the full blast.
- [Narrator] One incredible statistics speaks
to how well the MRAP protects the soldier
in the driver's seat.
In a study of 18 months of use
during the war in Afghanistan,
MRAPs reduced deaths and injuries by more than 30%.
To face an entirely different type of combat
in a much larger machine,
let's take the wheel of the Oshkosh Striker 4500.
No problem with visibility here.
The Striker 4500 is a colossal firetruck
used to combat blazes at some of the largest
airports in the world.
Like here at Dallas Fort Worth International.
- The Striker 4500 is not just a key tool,
this is the tool.
Without this tool, we wouldn't be able to rescue
(unintelligible) passengers out of a burning aircraft.
And that's what we're here for, is to save lives.
- [Narrator] Fires that result from plane crashes
can be the deadliest of all.
(dramatic music)
Jet fuel can burn at temperatures
of up to a thousand degrees Fahrenheit.
The Striker is designed to allow
its one and only operator to fight a fire
without ever leaving the driver's seat.
But first things first,
(noisy engine reeling)
Step one is driving to the site of the fire
and that's no easy task.
- [Brian B.] The airport is mainly concrete
but airplanes don't always crash on the concrete
so, this course here trains drivers
on how the truck actually handles
going up and down slopes,
going through thick mud.
- [Narrator] Imagine going off road in a vehicle
as long as a four story building.
It weighs as much as 20 pickup trucks.
But thanks to the Striker's eight wheels,
each operating on an independent axle,
the driver can maneuver some pretty tough terrain.
- It's pretty stable for how big it is.
There's not a lot of places that it can't go.
- [Narrator] Although driving this massive truck
does take some getting used to.
- [Tom] The way these axles are set up,
they both turn at the same time.
So, you feel like you're drifting
when you turn the vehicle.
So, an ordinary person would feel like the truck
was out of control when they drive this.
- [Narrator] When the driver masters steering the Striker,
it won't take long to get to the scene of the fire.
It's got a top speed of 70 miles per hour.
Once at the scene,
the driver takes hold of this joy stick,
which gives him control of this turret hose
mounted on the front bumper.
Then, he unleashes up to 1200 gallons of water a minute.
- [Brian B.] As first unit on, on my main priority
is to create a point of egress for the passengers.
You want to make sure they have an escape corridor
for them to get out and not get burned.
- [Narrator] Storage tanks holding 4,500 gallons of water
help accomplish that mission.
That's why they call it the Striker 4500.
After extinguishing the burning plane's exterior,
the Striker driver has to put out the blaze
inside the fuselage.
To do that, he uses this control
which extends a 50-foot boom.
Then, he remotely controls the device
on the end of the boom called a schnozzle
which pierces the plane's skin.
Then, spews out more water or foam inside the cabin.
Total elapsed time for the Striker 4500
to put out most airplane fires,
just two minutes
and hopefully all from his seat.
Nearly 90% of American adults have a driver's license,
but some of the coolest rides on earth
require a pilot's license.
And from this seat,
a pilot can launch an assault on a raging inferno.
An average of 60,000 wildfires erupt in the US every year,
many in the dry expanses of the American West.
Areas so vast and remote
that the best countermeasure comes by air.
The crew that mans this converted commercial jetliner
preps for that challenge every day.
- Before take off checklist.
- Before take off checklist, ignition is continous.
- [Capt. Dennis] This is the DC-10,
its length is 181 feet, wingspan is 165 feet.
And it's just like the aircraft that
used to carry passengers except for one big difference.
(ominous music)
- [Narrator] The difference is these massive tanks.
They hold 12,000 gallons of water or foam retardant,
which can be dumped on a raging wildfire
in a matter of seconds.
That means this aircraft doesn't accept
any additional passengers.
- This is the inside of our DC-10
in past configuration, it carried 350 passengers.
All the seats, carpeting and paneling has been removed.
And, my job as a pilot takes place up here in the cockpit.
Now where it may take just one person
to drive an automobile or a car,
in this plane we have, it takes three people.
Pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer.
We all have specific duties
that we perform to lead a successful operation.
- [Narrator] Today, the three-man crew
of this firefighting wide body is conducting
a training exercise.
- Front brake?
- Set.
- [Narrator] Before getting airborne,
they must make sure every inch of the plane
is functioning properly.
- Ignition.
- Off.
V.I.E?
- 218.
- [Flight Engineer] Engine and the ice.
- [Fred] Off.
The full check is now complete.
- [Narrator] Prior to takeoff, the pilot punches
the coordinates of the fire into the on board GPS.
Much like the GPS units available for most cars.
- Two, niner, 84, set.
- [Air Traffic Control] 82910 ready, roger, runway 17,
winds 1808, cleared for take-off.
Cleared for take-off, runway 17.
(airplane engine whirring)
As we're lifting off the runway,
that's a bit more complicated
than pulling out of a driveway.
The control panel of a jetliner makes the dashboard
of a car look like a kindergarten toy.
- [Capt. Dennis] Zero, three, and we'll roll out to the end.
(quick electronic beeps)
(loud airplane take-off)
- [Narrator] Take-off requires thrust
and that's what this throttle control
beside the seat is for.
Push forward and each of the DC-10's
three engines thunders with 40,000 pounds of thrust,
more than enough to get this plane airborne.
(loud airplane take-off)
- At level of 4400...
- [Narrator] Once in altitude,
the pilot controls the plane largely with a yoke,
which resembles a steering wheel with more movement.
Turn the yoke left or right to move the ailerons
and the wings up and down,
making the jet bank to one side of the other.
Pull the yoke back or push it forward
and the elevator on the jet's tail moves
up or down making the jet climb or descend.
That covers the flight basics
but the water drop requires more support.
That comes from the pilot of a scout aircraft
near the fire zone,
who offers advice on the best angle of attack.
Then it's all up to the DC pilot
to make a run as low as 200 feet above the flames
and drop the load of water with pinpoint accuracy.
- We have three separate tanks.
So, what we're gonna call out to the captain
is we have three tanks set at 50%,
coverage level five
and these will all be five,
three green lights, three-drop checklist is complete.
- [Fred] Just standby.
- [Narrator] Every move this crew makes has to be perfect.
When they're over the target,
the press of one button relays
the drop sequence to the storage tanks.
- Coming up to our drop start point.
- [Fred] Hit that button,
that button is live now.
- Drop. - Drop.
- [Narrator] The crew can program the tanks
to drop their 12,000 gallons of water
and a drizzle covering a wide area
or a downpour confined to a specific zone.
But shedding 50 tons of water in just eight seconds
can send the plane swooping upward,
like cresting up the hill of a rollercoaster.
And, it's up to the pilot to instantly adjust.
- [Narrator] Months can pass between wildfires,
but during peak fire season,
the crew might fly as many as eight or nine missions
in a single day.
Weekly training ones like this one,
keep them sharp until that crucial time arrives.
- [Capt. Dennis] DC-10 and the firefighting role
has been the most satisfying flying I've ever done.
Not only do we get to enjoy the flying
of flying a larger aircraft close to the ground
and flying it closer to its limits,
but we also get to do something that is helping.
While some may find battling a blaze from the cockpit
of a DC-10 to be the ultimate adrenaline rush,
for an airborne wild ride with a little less heat
take to the skies in the serene cockpit
of by helium filled airshow.
Behold the Eureka,
it flew is one of a new generation
of German-made zeppelins before the company
that operated it moved on to other ventures.
With a semi-rigid frame,
it's 14-feet longer than a 747
and each of its 14 seats including the pilot's
is first class.
- [Brian Hall] It's not a blimp, it is an airship.
And the main difference is that a blimp is a envelope
with no rigid structure inside
with the gondola suspended from the envelope.
In our case, we have a rigid air frame
made of aluminum and carbon fiber.
- [Narrator] Unlike a blimp,
the engines are attached to its semi-rigid frame
far above the cabin, not to the cabinet itself.
- [Capt. Oliver] Look at this incredible view.
You don't find that in an airplane, for example.
Or a helicopter and it's not so loud.
I mean we can even have a nice conversation.
This airship combines
characteristics from an airplane,
a helicopter and a balloon, all in one.
- [Narrator] What made flying the Eureka
unlike most aircraft is that
its three 200-horsepower engines can rotate
up to 120 degrees using joysticks.
The pilot can control precisely how much each one pivots.
- [Capt. Oliver] We can go into hover.
That means we can stand still over a certain point
and be able to make like a left, right movements,
or 360 for example.
That is similar to a helicopter
but the controls are way different.
- [Narrator] And so is the top speed.
The Eureka maxes out at about 80 miles an hour,
and though the pilot can take the ship
to an altitude of 10,000 feet,
he's likely to stay much closer to the ground.
That's because like a child's balloon on a windy day,
an airship is at the mercy of air currents and thermals.
Pilots have to adjust accordingly.
- [Katherine] You really have to feel what the air
is doing to the ship
and it's not so much physically demanding to fly
like the other blimps.
They have pedals and wheels
and it's really physically demanding.
This is far more mentally demanding.
You really have to fly by the seat of your pants.
- [Narrator] But for the few veterans Zeppelin pilots
around the world,
that's not the catch,
that's the fun.
If this wild ride just seems too tame,
imagine a high-tech vehicle so difficult to operate
that learning the ropes takes even
the most experienced drivers, two years.
That's the challenge for every licensed helicopter pilot
who wants to grab the reins
of a US Army's AH 64 Apache Longbow.
(indistinct radio chatter)
This driver's seat is in the backseat.
- The design was with a tandem seat, the back-seater
his primary focus is actually piloting
and flying the aircraft
while the front-seater is conducting the majority
of the reconnaissance and attack operations.
- [Narrator] With a pilot seated behind the gunner,
the Apache is ready for action.
- [Traffic Control] Whenever you're ready, you're clear.
- [Narrator] Designed to protect ground troops
by launching devastating assaults,
(loud bomb blasts)
This machine is a flying tank.
- [CW4 Chris] The primary function of the Apache
is to a deal death and destruction on the battlefield.
The Apache has the distinct honor
of being the most lethal attack helicopter
in the United States inventory.
- [Narrator] The Apache can soar
as fast as 167 miles per hour
and as high as 15,000 feet.
It can also execute evasive maneuvers
impossible for most helicopters
including barrel rolls and loops.
(loud helicopter throttling)
Any pilot who begins training on the Apache
has already earned his wings as a chopper pilot.
But for those whose experience might be
limited to the freeways,
here's an idea of the basics.
The key instrument in the cockpit
is the cyclic control stick.
It gives the pilot control over the helicopters
four rotor blades which are essentially rotating wings.
Moving the stick causes the rotor blades to tilt,
which changes how much lift they provide,
adjusting the tilt equally for all the blades
lifts the helicopter straight up and down.
Changing the tilt for some of the blades
creates uneven lift causing the helicopter
to climb, dive, or turn.
The Apache helicopter has been a vital part
of army combat missions ever since
they first entered service in the 1980s.
The Apache is the army's premier attack helicopter
capable of destroying a multitude of targets
in both day and night.
And, it's not only the backbone
of the US Army helicopter fleet
but also 14 other international defense forces,
including the United Kingdom, Egypt, Greece and India.
But sitting in the driver's seat of this helicopter
requires tough training and nerves of steel.
Flying this chopper is so sophisticated
and the enemy territory traversed is so hostile,
the pilots referred to it as riding the dragon.
(ominous music)
- [Capt. Hummel] In the eyes of the enemy,
the Apache is a very dangerous helicopter,
in the eyes of friendly forces,
it's also a very, very dangerous aircraft
to learn how to fly.
Typically, an aviator will go through approximately
anywhere from a year and a half to two years
of flight training from start to finish
to become an Apache pilot.
- [Narrator] One of the most difficult things
about flying the Apache is having to constantly shift
focus from one eye to the other
because the helmet is fitted with a monocle
that's fixed in front of the pilot's right eye.
12 different instrument readings from the cockpit
are projected onto the monocles screen.
Other images can be superimposed there
from those shot by the helicopters cameras
to radar information.
While the pilots right eye is interpreting all that data,
his left has to be free to scan outside
the aircraft for threats.
All the while sensors are detecting exactly
where his monocled right eye is looking.
Just move the monocle across hairs on a target below,
and the weapons he selects will swivel
and aim precisely where he's looking.
- I think the biggest thing
that everybody asks us about is,
if the gun really does follow the line of sight
or where the pilot's looking at
and it absolute does.
- [Narrator] The Apaches arsenal includes
the M230 automatic canon, moded under the fuselage.
It can take out a target more than two miles away.
- [Capt. Hummel] You can shoot an excess
of 600 rounds a minute.
We don't generally do that
but I like to compare it to each round
has almost the capability of a single grenade.
- [Narrator] With the touch of a button,
the pilot can also deploy a variety
of smaller missiles and free flight rockets,
usually mounted and fired from underneath the wings.
But the most powerful weapon
at his disposal is the AGM-114,
aptly known as the hellfire missile.
- [CW4 Chris] That's a missile that'll penetrate
any known armor on the battlefield
and this thing will reach out and touch you
five miles plus, pinpoint accuracy.
- [Narrator] For all the on board firepower,
one of the most reassuring aspects of flying an Apache
is the blanket of security that protects the crew.
The windshield is made of reinforced glass
that can withstand every type of small arms fire.
And the pilot seat is covered
in a heavy duty layer of Kevlar.
- [Capt. Hummel] This aircraft withstood significant damage
in both Iraq and Afghanistan,
a lot of small arms fire, RPG fire.
I think some of them features
that make this aircraft as amazing as it is,
its capability to stay in the fight
for long periods of time.
It's ability to take an excessive amount of enemy fire
and still stay in the fight and provide
that capability to guys that desperately need it.
- [Narrator] It's what makes the Apache
one of the militaries most advanced
and most celebrated aircraft.
For a thrill ride without the heights
and the two-year training course,
(loud engine whirring)
let's try on the wintry speed machine
owned by nearly 2 million people in North America.
- [Patrick] The main lure to riding snowmobiles,
jumping snowmobiles, hill climbing snowmobiles
is the adrenaline rush.
I think that's what drives most people,
Everyone sets up goals
and they want to jump higher,
climb higher, go faster
than they've ever even dreamed possible.
- [Narrator] Racing souped up models
up to 150 miles per hour
and riding big air like these experts
isn't for the average weekend snowmobiler
but it's a ton of fun.
Even without pushing the envelope
and driving isn't that complicated.
- Unlike your car,
snowmobiling is a little bit different
where the controlling of the vehicle
are done with your fingers as opposed to your feet.
As you can see on my snowmobile,
I've got a thumb lever for the gas,
and then I also have a finger lever for your brake.
- [Narrator] Pressing down the gas lever
engages the snowmobiles belt track
which operates on a friction system,
similar to the Bradley fighting vehicle.
Once the belt track is engaged,
how extreme the ride gets is up to the driver.
There are virtually no limits in terms of climbing,
no limits in terms of handling
and as far as jumping in these things,
I mean they've got so much power.
The only thing limiting a rider is their own nerve.
You can carve these snowmobiles through deep powder,
just like it was water.
- [Narrator] And who needs snow?
With a little creativity and the right parts,
the snowmobile can be modified to drive virtually anywhere.
- [Patrick] There's truly nowhere a snowmobile can't go.
You put a few wheels on the skis, a flat track,
you can take it to the asphalt.
You can extend the track,
put a bigger lug on it, take it to the mountains,
or you can take your seat off
and use your standard track and walk across water.
So, with a few simple mods that anybody can do at home,
a snowmobile can go anywhere.
(upbeat drum beats)
Say hello to one of the largest mega machines on the planet,
the 8050 Dragline Crane.
The 8050 Dragline and two others just like it,
do the heavy lifting at this phosphate mine
in Aurora, North Carolina.
The machine weighs a whopping eight million pounds,
thunders with 8,000 horsepower
and sports a boom as tall as the Statue of Liberty.
- The amazing thing about it is it's operated
by one man in that little perch over there.
- [Narrator] Like the driver's seat of a car,
the Dragline 8050 is equipped with a windshield
that allows the operator to watch out
for any potential dangers with one big difference.
In a car, his attention is usually directed ahead,
here, he needs to broaden his focus.
- In a car, you're looking forward to see
what the next driver is going to do
and here, you don't have to worry about that.
You're always looking down
and looking off to your right or left
out of these two windows to see
if anyone has pulled and ended up in your swing path.
Right here, this is like your car steering wheel right here,
and your brake pedal down here.
- [Narrator] The foot pedal swing the enormous boom
from side to side,
levers on the left control the boom's vertical movement
and a panel on the right manipulates the giant bucket.
Every scoop was 52 cubic yards of dirt and rocks
enough to fill a two car garage.
- [Steve] In order to be competitive in this business,
you have to move a lot of materials
and so, the key to it is the amount of ore
that these big guys can pull out of the ground.
- [Narrator] Every scoop contains phosphate,
a substance vital to the production of everything
from toothpaste to soft drinks to flat-screen TVs.
Mining it all is a costly endeavor
and a huge chunk of that expense
is the electricity that powers
each of the mines three Draglines.
- [Steve] It's all electric.
So, our electric bill here at Aurora
is around $3 million a month
and this machine consumes a large part of that.
- [Narrator] Who knew consuming electricity
could be so much fun.
- Oh yeah, it's fun to get on them.
I mean it's like being on a battleship
when you're in the back
and you can't see out, it's rotating around.
So yeah, they are definitely amazing
pieces of equipment.
- [Narrator] This wild ride may be a bucket full of fun.
(loud engine whirring)
But out on the farm, this machine is the pick of the crop.
It's the 32 ton custom built 440 horsepower,
Carrot Harvester. Designed and used
by Bolthouse Farms in Bakersfield, California.
(loud engine revving)
This mega machine is the only one of its kind
and driving it might seem highly complicated
but the truth is the Bolthouse harvester
virtually drives itself.
- We just turned on the machine pretty good
and we turn on your GPS and your screen.
Make sure everything's okay and we're ready to go.
- Like most high-tech harvesters today,
these giant carrot plucker has a specialized
GPS navigation system that keeps it
almost flawlessly aligned with every row.
So, the driver can just sit back and enjoy
the three mile per hour ride.
- Your steering here is steering free.
You don't got your steering no more.
- [Narrator] If he does have to make an adjustment,
it's always tiny
and only takes it his one finger on this touch screen.
Unlike driving a car,
the trick is to not keep eyes on the road,
but on the instruments.
- Well, in a car, you gotta see
'cause you're looking straight,
on these machines you gotta look down
because you got to keep it pretty much straight
to see where you're at.
So, see like right now, right here,
I'm moving just about half an inch to my left,
so I gotta go a half an inch to the right
so I could get lined up,
so I could pick up all the carrots
from the front end pretty good.
- [Narrator] Another big difference between
a car and the Bolthouse harvester
is when it reaches the end of the field
and the driver needs to stop.
Don't look for the brake pedal,
there isn't one.
That's because the harvester is equipped
with a hydrostatic transmission.
That means pressure from hydraulic fluid
is used to turn the drive motors.
To brake, the driver just eases off the throttle
and the flow of fluid to the drive motors
is reduced or stopped.
- So, similar to a forklift,
what we're able to do is by throttling it up
and back and slowly putting it into reverse,
we actually use it as negative pressure,
which creates us to be able to stop it.
(engine whirring)
(upbeat drum beats)
- [Narrator] When it's rolling,
the driver gets a little help from an operator riding
on the rear of the harvester.
It's his job to make sure the conveyor system plucking
the carrots is operating as designed.
At the time the work day is done,
they've picked 500,000 pounds of carrots.
Enough to build 2.7 million three-ounce bags
for kids' lunch boxes.
(upbeat rock music)
Some of the fastest and most dangerous rides around
are experienced from the driver's seats
of two utterly different vehicles,
speed boats and airplanes.
Combining the best elements of each
results in one of the wildest rides of all.
Welcome to the driver's seat of a hydroplane.
- These boats are called hydroplanes
so hydro for the water and plane for the air.
- [Narrator] Here at Mission Bay in San Diego, California,
professional hydroplane drivers are dueling
for top honors at the world series of power boat racing.
But first the driver has to squeeze
into a cockpit so small,
the steering wheel has to come out before he can go in.
- So as you can see in the cockpit,
it seats one, barely.
- [Narrator] The cramped conditions are similar
to the ones found behind the wheel of a Formula One
or Indy style race car.
And, just like race car drivers,
behind the wheel of a hydroplane,
standard attire is a flame resistant suit.
- We have to have a fireproof suit
just in case it catches on fire.
We also have to have the shoes
and the socks and the whole deal.
Next is a helmet, certified helmet.
You gotta have it crash lit.
And in my case, I came across these visors
from the military that I've mounted onto my helmet
in case there's glare.
I got a good visor.
- [Narrator] Underneath the helmet,
he's wearing form fitted ear pieces
that protect his ears from engine noise
and keep him in constant contact with his team.
- It's also works real good to keep the water
out of your ears if you're upside down.
Unfortunately, sometimes that'll happen.
- [Narrator] Anyone in the driver's seat of a hydroplane
also wears a specialized neck brace called a Hans device
which keeps the head and neck secure
during even the most brutal crashes.
- Sometimes we're in so tight,
it's hard to breathe at first
but you get used to it.
And then, last but not least very critical is our air mask.
And it's like an F16 fighter mask.
Got my communication in here.
It seals really tight to my face.
In case, we are upside down,
the cockpits will fill up with water.
(melodic electronic music)
- [Narrator] The only thing hydroplane drivers
need more than safety is stamina.
- [J.W.] Just physically exhausting to be able
to turn the steering wheel,
run the canard wings
and just physically hold on
and keep your head up and keep your focus
is unbelievably exhausting.
(loud hydroplane skimming)
It's not a paved track like you'd find
typical in auto racing.
It's very bumpy and you're going through
a turn at anywhere between three to 4 1/2 g's.
It becomes extremely violent.
- [Narrator] Traveling at a max speed
of 200 plus miles per hour,
a hydroplane is the fastest thing on water.
Though as the driver of one of these crafts knows
very little of the vehicle actually touches the water.
In fact, a hydroplane is designed to keep
as little of the boat in contact
with the surface as possible.
Essentially it flies over the water.
Here's how it works.
The bottom of the craft is flat,
but the deck is a smooth curve,
shaped like the edge of an airplane wing.
The design forces oncoming air to travel slower
over the top of the craft than the bottom creating lift.
Ideally only the propeller remains in the water
to provide propulsion.
- [J.W.] A hydroplane relies on air pressure to run.
So it's got a tunnel in the middle
and the sponsons on the outside
and the air rushing through there,
it actually suspends the boat above the water.
- [Mark] And due to the fact that
we got a lot of aerodynamics,
we have a front wing now that we run with our left foot
and I could actually bring this thing down
and create lift and get the nose of the boat to come up,
which is pretty dangerous especially when it's windy.
And then, if we get going too fast,
I can just bring it back down.
So, we literally just fly the boat.
- [Narrator] But the craft's aerodynamic shape
and its front wing aren't the only design features
that make the experience behind the wheel
less about boating,
and more about flying.
The most commonly used engine in hydroplanes
is a 3000-horsepower turbine.
The same one used on the army's hulking Chinook helicopters.
As this driver races atop of water
at more than 200 miles per hour,
he's riding a fine edge between control.
- [Announcer] Jeff Bernard crashes out
at the end of block one.
- [Narrator] And catastrophe.
Generate too much lift and the results could be fatal.
In one terrifying incident at a race on the Detroit River,
a malfunction sent J.W. careening
toward a seawall crowded with spectators
at 70 miles per hour.
The wreck could have been life-threatening,
but thanks to the arsenal of safety equipment inside
the driver's seat,
J.W. only suffered a broken foot.
- I'm extremely lucky.
The cockpits that we have now are unbelievably safe.
And, nobody, when they engineered these cockpits,
never, ever would have thought of a scenario
going straight into a wall.
Yeah, I got a broken foot but that, big deal.
- On the glassy water,
over rough terrain and through smokey skies,
some of the most action packed moments in life
happen in a wild ride.
All it takes is an expertly designed vehicle,
a mastery of the controls
and the will to push the limits.
Add it all together
and you've got the recipe for a wild ride.