Animal Flight

Animal Flight is the thirteen and final episode of the fourth season of Amazing Animals, and the final episode of the whole series. The plot revolves around Henry running his own airline and learning about how animals fly. It first aired on the Disney Channel on 6th July 1999.

## Episode

### Episode outline

Click here for the full transcript for Animal Flight.

The narrator meets Henry as he launches his new airline for animals – he first welcomes the animals on-board before doing the safety briefing. He accidentally activates the inflatable life-vest he is wearing. The narrator first asks Henry to define what flying is – eventually they reach the correct answer in that flying is continuous movement in the air. As well as birds, insects are also able to fly and because of their great numbers there are more flying animals than flightless ones.

#### First cartoon

* One of the Chicks is stuck up a tree. Mole, who is dressed as a superhero, flies to rescue it but, being unable to see, flies past the tree twice – he then crashes into the tree and the Chick falls onto the confused Mole’s prone body.

Henry takes to the cockpit of the plane and prepares to take off. When the narrator checks to make sure everything is safe, Henry gives a quick check and then struggles to safely make the plane take off. The narrator asks Henry if he knows what aerodynamics is, and Henry mistakenly talks about aerobics. The narrator talks about how the size and shape of an animal’s body and wings are what help them to fly – birds have it relatively easy with their internal skeletons and hollow bones, while insects with a heavy exoskeleton have to constantly flap their wings. Different animals adapt to fly in different ways, including hovering and soaring. Their flying equipment also needs frequent cleaning and maintenance.

#### Second cartoon

* The Chicks watch superhero Mole on the television and decide to mimic him, dressing up in little costumes. They make up for their inability to fly by bouncing on the stomach of Rooster, who is sleeping in his chair.

Henry is in the body of the plane, informing the passengers of the in-flight movie and preparing to bring around snacks. When the narrator asks who is flying the plane, Henry responds that he put it on otter-pilot. The otter is unable to steer the plane properly, sending it rolling in the air. Henry retakes the controls and sends the otter back to its seat. The narrator points out that some flying animals also face a steep learning curve when flying. Murres that nest on cliffs have to make their first flight by gliding down towards the sea. Sometimes they miss and end up on the ground, and have to reach the sea on foot.

#### Third cartoon

* To help the Chicks learn how to fly, Rooster makes a slingshot and a set of winged trousers. he fires the first chick who gets stuck in a tree – to get it down he puts on his own winged trousers and is fired out of a larger catapult. he hits the tree and knocks the Chick from its perch, who floats down on the wings. Rooster is left stuck up the tree.

Henry is reminded to do his News Report. Henry tells a story about Cuddles the flying mouse, who flies around the world and kissing anyone in the animal queendom until he falls in love with a gorilla and hangs up his wings. The narrator tells Henry that the only flying mammals, which have wings evolved from the standard mammal paw. They feed on many different types of food, including fish, nectar, fruit and insects. Back on the plane, Henry is still learning the controls and hasn’t learned what the navigation equipment does. When the narrator asks Henry if he knows where he’s going, Henry is forced to ask some passing starlings for directions. Henry narrowly avoids crashing into a mountain and sets the plane going the wrong way. The narrator introduces some animals, such as geese and monarch butterflies, that make long migration flights without getting lost.

#### Fourth cartoon

* The upset Chicks try to get Rooster down from the tree. When Mole appears and tries to go for the rescue, he first flies the wrong way and then crashes into the tree again – he knocks Rooster down who falls on top of him. The Chicks angrily pull off their capes and leave.

Henry now does the Golden Gecko Awards. The bronze medal goes to the murre and the silver to the Canada goose. The Golden Gecko Award is awarded to the hummingbird, which can hover and fly forwards and backwards and fuel their fast wingbeats with a diet of sugary flower nectar. Back on the plane, Henry has decided he has gotten the hang of flying and starts doing tricks with the plane, despite the narrator warning him that the passengers won’t like it. After Henry finishes his stunts, the narrator points out that all of the passengers have put on parachutes and jumped out of the plane. The narrator tells Henry to leave the aerial acrobatics to animals such as boobies that try to evade frigatebirds and bats trying to avoid a red-tailed hawk. Henry is busy looking for new passengers when he spots a herd of wildebeest below. He swoops down but flies between two trees and knocks the wings off his plane. When the narrator asks what he is going to do now, Henry presses a button that converts the plane into a bus. The narrator recommends leaving the flying to the real amazing flying animals.

## Animal species filmed for the programme

### Studio footage

* Domestic cat, *Felis catus*
* Domestic dog, *Canis familiaris*
* Mandrill, *Mandrillus sphinx*
* Green-cheeked parakeet, *Pyrrhura molinae*
* Leaf-cutting ant, *Atta cephalotes*
* Red-necked wallaby, *Notamacropus rufogriseus*
* Striped skunk, *Mephitis mephitis*
* Domestic turkey, *Meleagris gallopavo*
* European rabbit, *Oryctolagus cuniculus*
* Canada goose, *Branta canadensis*
* Asian small-clawed otter, *Aonyx cinereus*
* Domestic chicken, *Gallus domesticus*
* Domestic cattle, *Bos taurus*
* Domestic sheep, *Ovis aries*

### Stock footage

* Lar gibbon, *Hylobates lar*
* Gliding tree frog, *Agalychnis spurrelli*
* Northern flying squirrel, *Glaucomys sabrinus*
* Common ostrich, *Struthio camelus*
* Eyed ladybird, *Anatis ocellata*
* Pin-tailed whydah, *Vidua macroura*
* Ruppell’s griffon vulture, *Gyps rueppellii*
* Marabou stork, *Leptoptilos crumenifer*
* Dragonfly, Anisoptera
* Dung beetle, *Kheper sp*.
* Lesser flamingo, *Phoeniconaias minor*
* Waved albatross, *Phoebastria irrorata*
* Sandwich tern, *Thalasseus sandvicensis*
* Yellow-billed kite, *Milvus aegyptius*
* Red-tailed tropicbird, *Phaethon rubricauda*
* White-bellied sea eagle, *Haliaeetus leucogaster*
* Andean condor, *Vultur gryphus*
* Whooper swan, *Cygnus cygnus*
* Lappet-faced vulture, *Torgos tracheliotos*
* Greater crested tern, *Thalasseus bergii*
* Brunnich’s guillemot, *Uria lomvia*
* Great horned owl, *Bubo virginianus*
* Cape ground squirrel, *Geosciurus inauris*
* Brown long-eared bat, *Plecotus auritus*
* Flying fox, *Pteropus sp*.
* Hammerhead bat, *Hypsignathus monstrosus*
* Little bent-wing bat, *Miniopterus australis*
* Greater sac-winged bat, *Saccopteryx bilineata*
* Greater bulldog bat, *Noctilio leporinus*
* Lesser long-nosed bat, *Leptonycteris yerbabuenae*
* Seba’s short-tailed fruit bat, *Carollia perspicillata*
* Mexican free-tailed bat, *Tadarida brasiliensis*
* European starling, *Sturnus vulgaris*
* Snow geese, *Anser caerulescens*
* Canada goose, *Branta canadensis*
* Brent goose, *Branta bernicla*
* Monarch butterfly, *Danaus plexippus*
* Hummingbird, Trochilidae
* Blue-footed booby, *Sula nebouxii*
* Magnificent frigatebird, *Fregata magnificens*
* Red-tailed hawk, *Buteo jamaicensis*
* Blue wildebeest, *Connochaetes taurinus*

## Credits

* Henry - Eric Meyers
* Narrator - Tom Clarke-Hill
* Writer - Paul Dawson
* Script Editor - Rob Harvey
* Music - David Poore
* Studio Art Director - Anne Neale
* Camera - Graham MacFarlane
* Graphic Designer Director - Kate Finding
* Graphic Design Assistant - Chris Wreford
* Production Co-ordinator - Janelle Backes
* Production Secretary - Mandy Vaughan
* Computer Animation - Ricochet 4, Henry Lutman (director), Daniel Pearson and Matt McKinney
* Cel Animation - A for Animation, Mark Taylor (director)
* Sound Post-Production - Films @ 59
* Editors
	+ Offline - David Warner
	+ Graphics - Tony Almond and Sue Land
	+ Online - Sharon Stiles

## Errors and corrections

In the Golden Gecko Awards, Henry claims that hummingbirds are found on every continent except for Antarctica. In fact, they are restricted to North and South America.

## Home media releases

The VHS for Animal Flight released on Xst X 199X. The cover shows Henry wearing his pilot's hat and sunglasses while sitting behind the plane's steering wheel, and he is accompanied by photographs of a common kestrel, a Seba's short-tailed bat, a butterfly and an unidentified flying bird.

**Cartoon Characters**: \* Eagles • Tyrannosaurus • Rattlesnake • Tiger • Squirrel • Lizards • Elephant • Bat • Fish • Camel • Gorilla • Caveman • Mole • Bear • Stickman • Chicks • Hen • Rooster • Owl • Chameleon • Tortoise • Crocodile • Frog and Toad •
• Parrot • Porcupine • Mouse • Whale • Rhinoceros • Beavers • Snail • Rabbit • Dog • Skunk • Spider • Octopus • Vulture • Woodpecker • Flea • Dung Beetle • Butterfly • Gibbon • Fly • Mosquito • Bee • Beetles • Crab • Pigeon • Carnivorous Plant • Lamb

**Voice Actors**: Eric Meyers • Tom Clarke-Hill
**Season One**: Tropical Birds • Animal Disguises • Nighttime Animals • Animal Appetites • Animal Survivors • Animal Senses • Animal Weapons • Animal Builders • Armoured Animals • Mini-Beasts • Animal Babies • Poisonous Animals • Animal Journeys
**Season Two**: Birds of Prey • Desert Animals (Amazing Animals) • Scary Animals • Animal Records • Animal Colors • Animal Mothers • Animal Pets • Seashore Animals • Animal Families • Endangered Animals • An Animal Year • Prehistoric Animals • Monkeys and Apes
**Season Three**: Animal Hunters • Animal Talk • Slimy Animals • Rainforest Animals • Animal Acrobats • Underwater Animals • Animal Neighbors • Giant Animals - Creepy Crawly Animals • Farm Animals (Amazing Animals) • Animal Changes • Extinct Animals • Animal Eggs
**Season Four**: Around the World • Polar Animals • Clever Animals • Underground Animals • Animal Helpers • Woodland Animals (Amazing Animals) • Mountain Animals • Backyard Animals • Tiny Animals • Animal Partners • Scaly Animals • River Animals • **Animal Flight**