Trapped in the Sky (Thunderbirds episode)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Trapped in the Sky
Series =Trapped in the sky
season = 1
Episode = 1
Airdate = September 30, 1965
production = 1
Writer = Gerry Anderson
Director = Alan Pattillo
Episode list = List of Thunderbirds episodes
Prev =
Next = Pit of Peril

" TRAPPED IN THE SKY " is the first episode of the Supermarionation TV series Thunderbirds. It was first broadcast in UK on 30th September 1965, written and produced by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson and directed by Alan Pattillo.

ynopsis

The Fireflash, on its maiden voyage from London to Tokyo, is sabotaged by The Hood and is unable to land.

Plot

In a temple, hidden in the Malaysian jungle, The Hood uses his psychic powers to contact his half-brother Kyrano, and forces him to tell him when International Rescue will begin operation. Meanwhile, Kyrano's duaghter Tin-Tin is attending a flight in a new FireFlash airliner plane traveling to Tokyo from London Airport. In order to lure the plans of International Rescue, the Hood straps an atomic bomb to the Fireflasher's landing gear. As soon as the Fireflash takes off, he informs the airport control tower that a bomb has been placed in the landing gear of the Fireflash that will detonate only when the airliner intends to land and release large amounts of radiation over a large area.

Not knowing if the call was really a threat, airport chief Commander Norman contacts Fireflash and reports about the bomb and informs them to return to London and fly past the control tower in order for them to photograph the landing gear. They then discover the bomb and realize that the FireFalash will stay airborne for at least six hours and that that the crew and passengers will shortly receive doses of radiation when the shield on the reactor fails if something is not done.

Out in space, Thunderbird 5, IR's space montoring satellite monitored by John Tracy, overhears London Airport's communication, and reports back to Tracy Island. Jeff Tracy tells John to stand by. Meanwhile, back in London, Norman has come up with a solution. He intends to place a man abored Fireflash in order to remove the bomb. A target air force pilot is winched from a TX 204 to the landing gear. But the attempt fails when he falls out of the plane during the hunt for the bomb. Luckily, he opens his parachute and floats to safety.

After hearing the attempt failing, Jeff decideds to take action. He dispatches his sons Scott and Virgil in Thunderbirds 1 and 2 and sends them to London at once, and International Rescue are now in business. Thunderbird 1 arrives at London Airport and informs that their plan is to bring the FireFlash down with its landing gear up and land onto High Speed Motor Elevator Cars carried in Thunderbird 2. While the plan is being arranged, The Hood disguises himself as an Airport Police officer,and begins to photograph Thunderbird 1. He is spotted by the Automatic Camera detector in Thunderbird 1's cab and flees from the police in hot pursuit, but they lose him on the motorway. So Scott calls their London Agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward that he is heading in her direction for her to deal with him.

Thunderbird 2 arrives at London and Virgil releases the Elevator Cars, One Master car with three remote controlled cars position themselves on the runway. The FireFlash makes its approach, but one of the remote elevator cars runs out of control and crashes as a result of a fault in the control sysem, causing the FireFlash to abort landing. Virgil manages to call out a replacement car and sends it into position. The FireFlash makes a second approach and manages to land onto the Elevator cars without setting off the bomb. Virgil appiles maximum brakes, but the FireFlash is traveling way too fast for the car's brakes and begins scraping along the runway. Virgil loses control of his car as it crashes off the runway leaving the FireFlash only supported with one car under both wings. The massive airliner comes to a screeching stop without setting off the bomb, saving the crew and passangers including Tin-Tin, and Virgil is unhurt.

Before taking off, Scott informs Norman that no aircraft are to follow within a 50 mile radius once they leave. Meanwhile, on the highway, Lady Penelope and her assistant Parker have caught up with the Hood's car in their Rolls-Royce, Fab 1. Coming to a quiet stretch of road, Parker opens Fab 1's front machine gun and blows the Hoods's car off the road, crashing it down an enbankment. Surviving the crash, The Hood discovers that his photos where destroyed in the blast as he states "International Rescue has not seen the last of me".

Back on Tracy Island, Jeff states that their first mission was a success and that they are now in business.