"Nature" Takes Flight On An Exhilarating Ride With Raptors On PBS

A sparrow hawk prepares for take-off in Raptor Force, airing February 18 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). National Geographic

They are nature's elite killing force, armed with razor-sharp talons, powerful beaks and shrewd battle tactics. Raptors, with their speed, stealth and precision, are also the envy of every human air force. With ingenious technology capturing a breathtaking bird's-eye view of their flight, NATURE shows why such raptors as the peregrine falcon, golden eagle and red-tailed hawk are masters of the sky, and what aircraft designers have learned from them about man-euverability. Raptor Force premieres Sunday, Febru-ary 18 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). Tony Award-winning actor Liev Schreiber narrates.

Humans have always dreamt of flying like birds. Raptor Force shows how Bob Anderson, a falconer and bird conservationist, and Rob MacIntyre, an engineer, capture the experience like never before. They've created a miniature television station - - a camera, transmitter and battery all weighing less than 3 ounces - which they harness on raptors. Among the dynamic in-flight footage they record: a red-tailed hawk steering its flight above the treetops with min-ute adjustments of its tail feathers, and the speed and power of a golden eagle as it pursues a jackrabbit spotted on the ground. Their ultimate goal: to capture the peregrine falcon's trademark attack maneuver, the "stoop," a rapid corkscrew plummet toward its prey.

A bald eagle soars in the NATURE premiere of Raptor Force. National Geographic

The humans who come closest to experiencing raptor flight are pilots of the military's F-22 fighter jet, nicknamed "The Raptor," and one of the most nimble jets in the Air Force. Like their namesake, Raptor pilots "love to pull g forces" - using flight maneuvers to feel multiplied gravity - as one pilot explains in the film. The Raptor has also emulated the birds' highly adjustable wings and tails - it has more moveable surface area and makes faster turns than any other plane. Nevertheless, the peregrine falcon's anatomy is so advanced that, were it the same size as the F-22, the bird would outmaneuver the jet in a dogfight.

Engineers at NASA are also learning from raptors. Raptor Force visits them as they test a prototype "morphing wing" inspired by the peregrine falcon and harpy eagle, both of which can adjust wing shape and surface area for maneuverability - a trait the NASA engineers succeed at replicating mechanically.

Raptor Force examines more of the birds' anatomy and its application to aircraft design. Falcons have a tiny cone that keeps air from flowing around the nostrils and instead draws it in, a device adopted by modern jets for air intake. Owls are the quietest in flight, thanks to feather patterns that smooth passing air and dampen turbulence. Raptor eye traits include a retina that acts like a telephoto lens, stereo vision and UV light detection, some of which are reflected in the vision technologies of today's fighter jets.

Anderson and MacIntyre, after some trial and error, rejoice at successfully capturing the peregrine's stoop with their on-board camera, as they watch with awe one of the greatest displays of flight control by any of nature's birds.