"Fly with nature’s elite aerial killing machines! Tiny bird-mounted cameras show the supreme manoeuvrability of falcons, eagles and hawks in thrilling detail"

An elite group of fliers remain the envy of every human air force. Their targeting skills, cunning battle tactics and nimbleness on the wing are unmatched by any machine.
They are birds of prey - raptors - and they are a source of inspiration for designers of high performance aircraft.

Now, with the help of revolutionary new equipment, designed by engineer and falconer Rob MacIntyre, and consisting of an ingenious miniature television station — a camera, transmitter, and battery small enough to be harnessed onto the backs of raptors — you’ll see for yourself what it’s like to fly with these deadly aces.

Learn the secrets of nature’s aerial killing machines and how they’re designed, more than any other type of bird, for the art of soaring and diving.

• See the 200-mph dive of the peregrine falcon
• Learn how the owl uses almost silent flight and extraordinary hearing to locate targets beneath the snow
• Watch how vultures utilize wind currents to soar almost effortlessly in the sky
• Be amazed at how a harpy eagle changes direction and retracts its wings while manoeuvring through a forest.

Stunning aerial footage and computer graphics demonstrate how engineers have used raptors’ tricks and tactics to devise fighter jets with unprecedented manoeuvrability and stealth.
Experience for yourself what it’s like to take off and fly with the biggest, fastest, and deadliest things on wings!

Narrated in English by Liev Schreiber
Produced by John Rubin & James Donald for National Geographic Television and Thirteen/WNET.

To see a video clip from this documentary visit YouTube or view it below.