it's unbelievable! how many times have i warned those people about food inspection?
the airport management, the f.a.a., and the airlines, they're all cheats and liars! all right, let's get out of here.
no, we can't do that; the risk of a flameout is too great. keep him 24,000. no, feet!
one of the passengers is going to land that plane.
possible, but it's a hundred to one shot. thousand to one. i know this guy.
his name is ted striker. i flew with him during the war. and that won't make my job any easier tonight.
ted striker was a crack flight leader up to a point. but he was one of those men who, well, let's just say he felt too much inside. maybe you know the kind.
it takes a certain type to perform under pressure. striker didn't have it.
ate his heart out over every name on the casualty lists. the upshot of it is that he went all to pieces on one particular mission. let's just hope it doesn't happen again tonight.
all right, steve, let's face a few facts.
as you know, i flew with this man, striker, during the war. he'll have enough on his mind without remembering those days when -- well, when things weren't so good.
let me tell you something, steve. striker was a top-notch squadron leader -- a long time ago.
but my feeling is that when the going gets rough upstairs tonight, ted striker's gonna fold up.
very well then. put striker on the speaker.
striker, striker, this is captain rex kramer speaking.
all right. it's obvious you remember me.
so what do you say you and i just forget about everything except what we have to do now?
you and i are going to bring this plane in together.
before we start, i'd like to say something. i know that right now things must look pretty rough up there.
but if you do what i tell you, when i tell you to do it, there's no reason you can't bring that plane in.
stand by, striker. the one hope we have is to build this man up. i've got to give him all the confidence i can. all right, striker, have you ever flown a multi-engine plane before?
shit!
all right, striker, now you listen to me and you listen close. flying is no different than riding a bicycle. it just happens to be a lot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes. now, if you just follow my instructions.
first, i want you to familiarize yourself with the controls. later we'll run through the landing procedure.
all right. now i'd like you to disengage the automatic pilot. but watch any violent movement of the controls, like you used to make in spitfires and phantoms.
not just yet, we'll have you in radar range any second now.
i don't understand it. he should have been in range ten minutes ago.
that's impossible. they're on instruments!
this is gonna be a real sweat. gunderson, let me know when you get anything.
no, the risk of fire is too great. if she starts burning, you write off all those people who can't get out of there on their own power.
no. a belly landing isn't all that simple. it takes a good pilot to keep from smearin' himself all over the runway.
his only shot's with the wheels down. i've seen foam tear a man's guts out.
that's a risk we'll just have to take.
i told him to watch that oil temperature. what the hell's he doing up there?
striker, that plane can't land itself! it takes a pilot who can handle pressure.
all right, but let's wait until they reach the control area.
i know. i know. but it's his ship now, his command; he's in charge, he's the boss, the head man, the top dog, the big cheese, the head honcho.
'passengers certain to die?!?!?!?!?!'
all right, i'll need three men up in the tower. you, neubauer. you, macias.
stand by, striker. i'm going to the tower. and good luck.
all right. colosimo, you'll work the relay. roberts, double check all air traffic within five miles.
and get that finger out of your ear. you don't know where that finger's been! gunderson?
did you decide on a runway yet?
striker, you're going to have to work fast. after this message, do not acknowledge any transmission unless you want to ask a question. do you understand? striker, striker, do you read me?
you are now eight miles from the airport. turn right to a heading of zero eight niner, throttle back slightly and begin to lose altitude to fifteen hundred feet.
steve, i want every light you can get poured on that field.
tower to all emergency vehicles. runway is niner.
civilian equipment, number three.
watch your altitude, striker. it's too erratic. you can't come straight in. you've got enough fuel left for two hours flying. you've got to stay up there 'til we get a break in the weather.
now, striker. hold your present heading, put down full flap, bring your air speed back to a hundred and thirty-five, then i want you to take hold of the throttle.
and stick it in your ear.
striker, get back to a thousand feet!
striker, you're coming in too low! what's your altitude?
all right, he's on final now! put out all runway lights except niner.
turn on your landing lights, striker. it's the switch above your right knee.
all right, now just listen carefully. you should be able to see the runway at three hundred feet.
aim to touchdown a third of the way along. there's a slight crosswind from the right, so be ready for it.
if you land too fast, use your emergency brakes. the red handle is right in front of you.
if that doesn't stop you.
if that doesn't stop you, cut the four ignition switches over the co-pilot's head.
do you see us now? you should be able to see the field now.
yeah -- too quiet.
there he is! striker, you're coming in too fast!
sound your alarm bell now.
striker, now listen to me. you're coming down too fast!
bring it down! easy!
remember your brakes and switches! get ready to flare it out! you're coming in too fast! watch your speed!
you're coming in too hot! put down full flaps! watch your nose!
now ease her down! down!
lift the nose! throttle back!
the brake! pull the red handle!
hold her steady, hold her steady!
pull a lever!
push a button!
you're too low! you're too low!
ted, that was probably the lousiest landing in the history of this airport. but there are some of us here.
lonliness, that's the bottom line. i was never happy as a child. christmas, ted, what does it mean to you? for me, it was a living hell. do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked? in the head? by an iron boot? of course you don't. no one does. that never happens. sorry, ted. dumb question. strike that.