Ray explores the extreme environment of the Sahara Desert and tells the inspirational tale of the wartime RAF pilot who survived for 18 days in the desert by drinking radiator fluid from wrecked tanks and vehicles, only to be captured one mile from British lines.

Ray visits America's Rocky Mountains.

Ray takes a slightly different look at survival in this episode - instead of being stranded in the wilderness, he follows 20 RAF recruits as they endure a grueling survival training course.

Ray looks at the incredible story of a US Air Force pilot who managed to keep himself and his son alive in a freezing blizzard for ten days before they were finally rescued.

Marooned on a desert island in the Philippines, where coconuts supply liquid to drink and fish can be cooked in a hot-rock oven, Mears finds that many WWII airmen who bailed out over the jungle islands were not so fortunate - and died through lack of survival training.