Plot Synopsis

From 2008 onward, the Smithsonian Helicopter shot High Definition footage of every state in the US from a bird's-eye view, highlighting natural volcanoes, mountains and shorelines, as well as the historic locations across the country. AERIAL AMERICA captures our nation's wonders as you've never seen before: Swoop over California's Hearst Castle, around Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge. Watch bears catching salmon in Alaska's rivers, surge over a mountain ridge and see one of the largest volcanoes on the North American continent. This program also reveals fascinating stories seen in a whole new way from the air: Follow Bonnie and Clyde's escape route through the Ozarks of Arkansas, and find the unexpected home of the original London Bridge - on a lake in Arizona. Principal photography was shot in a Smithsonian Channel-branded helicopter equipped with a gyro-stabilized Cineflex HD camera system. Smithsonian first aired the "Hawaii" episode on December 6, 2009 as a sneak peek and aired the series premiere in July 2010.

A new season of AERIAL AMERICA debuted on Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 9pm ET on Smithsonian Channel, with a special episode, "Amazing Destination," that featured natural wonders, manmade marvels, hidden treasures and places of inspiration from all over America. Subsequent episodes highlighted the states of Montana (July 21), Ohio (July 28), Minnesota (August 4), and West Virginia (August 18), while including two more specials, "Made in the USA" (August 11) and "Beyond Hollywood" (August 25).

AERIAL AMERICA returned for a new season on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 8pm ET/PT on the Smithsonian Channel with an episode that featured Texas. In the season premiere, AERIAL AMERICA took to the skies to remember the Alamo and to celebrate the other big stories and even bigger personalities that have left their mark on the Lone Star State, a state with staggering variety -- from the coastal charm of Galveston to West Texas oil country and border towns like El Paso. Big D, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Subsequent episodes of the new season highlighted Idaho (March 2); Utah (March 9); Kentucky (March 16); North & South Dakota (March 23); and Wyoming (March 30). On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 8pm ET/PT, the Smithsonian Channel premiered a new season of AERIAL AMERICA, including Washington, DC and the final six states in the series: Wisconsin (May 3), New Jersey (May 10), Indiana (May 17), Iowa (May 24), Missouri (May 31), and Illinois. The season opener, "Washington, DC," explores America's Capital from above, swooping over its monuments, memorials, historic neighborhoods, and beckoning waters and celebrating a city of stately symbols and turbulent history, including scandals, protests, assassinations, and battles that rocked it to its core.
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On Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 8pm ET/PT, Smithsonian premiered "New York City 24," a special one-hour episode of AERIAL AMERICA. There's nothing like a day in the life of New York City, and there's no better way to appreciate it than from above. Join us as we span the five boroughs, capturing the city's man-made and natural wonders and revealing the surprising ways its citizens live, work, and play. From crane operators working 1,000 feet over Manhattan to beachgoers frolicking at Coney Island to the pulsing lights of Times Square, this aerial tour captures the excitement of a city that is always on the go.