Zip around Ted Stevens International as the airfield maintenance team tries to keep endless snow from slowing down the festive rush. Then head north to Fairbanks International, where delays are piling up and a violent incident disrupts the terminal.

Witness the arrival of the world’s beefiest transport plane and a life-or-death situation for a passenger in the Anchorage terminal. See a new bird get the green light, deal with an explosive cargo load, and do a pre-flight check on a herd of horses.

Meet a frustrated basketball team stranded by snow, welcome home a fallen soldier from the Vietnam War, and prep for an Air National Guard rescue. Cheer as a mom who gave birth mid-flight makes it safely to the terminal and a smuggling plot unravels.

Load up for a rescue mission to an isolated Alaskan community cut off by winter storms, then greet uninvited guests in the airport’s green spaces. See an emergency engine change test the maintenance crew and find evidence of international smuggling.

Hold your breath as a pilot battles to land safely after engine failure, then investigate a suspected pipe bomb in the Anchorage terminal. Witness a windy mid-air refuelling mission and a lightning-quick repair in one of the coldest spots in the US.

Suss out an electrical problem plaguing a plane bound for one of Alaska’s most dangerous runways. Saddle up for a helicopter airlift, meet an aviation TV show crew and an aspiring pilot, and see a routine inspection ground a vintage cargo plane.