Three-part series Pioneers in Aviation comes to PBS America 7-9 August, with one premiere episode airing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm.

The Emmy-nominated series looks at the Americans who broke the grip of gravity, taking humanity from the first planes to the edge of space within a surprisingly short span of time.

Combining newly recovered archive footage with commentary from aviation scholars, the story is told across three hour-long episodes.

The Early Years follows the birth of aviation, from the Wright Brothers’ earliest flights, through the turbulent 1920s and on to the Great Depression.

The War Years looks at the role of war in increasing industrial production, and The Race to the Moon follows the aviators out of the atmosphere as the Cold War spurs on the race to the moon.

PBS America is available on Freeview 94, Freesat 155, Virgin Media 276 and Sky 160.