Aviation in Alaska is vital, and not just for transportation; with only 20% of the villages connected by road, planes are necessary for cargo and crucial aid deliveries. In this episode, a World War II-era Douglas DC3 flies a life-saving mission to an isolated native Alaskan community without drinking water. Meanwhile, in the Alaska Airlines' hangar, the maintenance crew is dealing with a much more modern aircraft, a 737 with a damaged wing. The replacement part is late, however, and every hour of delay is costing the airline thousands.

After six months of blizzards and freezing temperatures, spring is on the horizon in Alaska, but Mother Nature isn't done with the pilots and crews of the Ice Airports yet. A freak storm threatens to shut down both Fairbanks and Ted Stevens, and just when they think they have the situation under control, the airports are rocked by a massive, 5.9-magnitude earthquake. Other safety emergencies arise in the form of a World War II-era Douglas DC-6 that experiences engine failure and a two-seat Piper Cub that crashes in downtown Anchorage.