Original subtitles

We're approaching foreign territory.

It's about to speak. Which one is my father?

What would you do if it was your son?

Migs on our six.

Traitor. So how do you tell them from us?

We wear white hats. Now all we have to do is attack Russia, steal a kid, and

try not to get caught by our own government.

Add this.

How would you like to see your father?

Come on.

I know they taught you English before they shut down the orphanage, and I

speak lousy Vietnamese.

You are Ho Minh Truong, right?

My father is in America.

He's a pilot.

He's gone.

My mother, too.

Answer my question.

How would you like to see your father?

I'm gonna try it again, Dom.

What would you do if I was paid overtime?

Ten seconds. Do I have a choice?

Eight seconds.

Six. Why can't we hover like regular helicopter people?

Four seconds. This is a hell of a way to stop a... Two.

Now.

Turbo's off.

I

need

more power.

Engaging rudders.

I need more... power you've got it all aboard give me back the turbos

I'll be on straight time then.

Shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks.

It's not like you'd be missing anything.

Well, maybe some cello music and the mellow mating tones of the red-tipped

sparrow, but I can always send you a cassette of that.

You can't send me pure fresh air.

You'll be flying radar officer on a high-altitude recon jet.

You'll be on oxygen most of the time. What's purer than oxygen?

Forget the view. Forget fresh air. I'm talking about an American pilot who's

going to steal our hottest tactical aircraft and deliver it to the Russians.

Somebody's got to stop him.

But we don't know who he is. We only know that the plan is to steal one when

we deploy the first planes next week. Could be any one of those pilots.

Replace them? We can't. The ferry pilots are also the training officers after

delivery. Replacing them could slow everything down by at least six months.

A multi-million dollar plane is about to be handed over to the Russians, and your

classification of the problem is shame.

I compliment you. Your mastery of silence is exceeded only by your

facility at understatement, but measuring this with the word shame

surpasses all your previous achievements in articulation.

Why, thank you.

Since you seem to be removed from the problems of the world today, perhaps we

should bring you up to date.

You see, they're these bad guys.

And they're called the Russians.

Yeah, I think I heard of them.

And then there's us.

Well, what do they call us? It varies in different parts of the world, but for

the sake of this conversation, we'll call ourselves the good guys.

So how do you tell them from us?

That's easy.

We wear white hats.

You'd look good in a white hat, Mr. Hawk.

We better get one for Dominic, too.

Dominic will never pass as a military pilot.

Well, we'll work something out.

If you come for a tan, I suggest you slip out of that flight suit.

What are you staring at?

Remember an army captain named Stringfellow Hawk?

Yeah. Flew Hueys.

Pulled me out of Indian territory once.

It's a good reason to remember.

Who could forget a name like Stringfellow Hawk?

Said he was gonna fly a civilian.

Been assigned here.

On the Army Exchange Program.

No kidding.

Hey, probably couldn't make it on the outside.

Some of us just make lousy civilians, you know what I mean?

See you later, Chief.

Do you still expect people to read your silences?

Only if I don't know what to say.

It's been ten years, Neona.

A little over eleven.

Did you look for me?

By the time I got out of the hospital, uh...

Saigon had fallen.

Did you try?

Does it matter?

No.

What are you doing here?

Trying to bring my family together.

I've been hanging around here waiting for you for ten minutes.

You know what they call guys that hang around men's rooms?

What do you want, a tip?

Look, I said I'd be your cover, but you could have made me a pilot or a

mechanic, but no. I told you I need you on and off the base.

Nobody notices a guy with a mop.

They do in a room like this.

Just a minute, we want private. Hold the flying pattern for a minute, will you,

buddy? We're changing the ice in the head.

We got privacy.

There's a Nihong Karong in this base.

I want to know her status and reason for being here.

Personal or business?

Personal.

Don't press it.

What'd you learn from those guys out there?

That their capacity for alcohol hasn't diminished.

You better duck into a stall before I let this guy in or you're gonna get some

funny looks.

For what?

I'm an officer.

A gentleman.

If his mother were still in Vietnam, do you think he'd tell you where?

He's never even seen his father.

And all this is unnecessary.

Look, you're supposed to be helping me, not holding an interrogation. Would you

please just sign the visa form?

Mr. Zimmer, this is my country, not yours.

I decide what is necessary here or not. As long as it doesn't take more than 20

minutes.

My country runs on a precise schedule.

His father is whoever I say he is.

You just sign the visa and say goodbye.

Because I know what your orders are.

You're on our fifth bottle here, and we have yet to have a legitimate toast.

Not enough booze for us to get that silly.

It's not silly. It's a responsibility to the champagne.

It's a formality.

Not like we're drinking a case of beer.

Okay, okay, that's enough.

Who has anything nice to say about Stringfellow Hawk?

That's good. He's quiet. That's good.

He's pretty.

He's pretty.

Good. He looks nice in that new uniform, too.

Not that nice.

I think you're right about that.

Maybe we ought to stick with he's pretty quiet.

Here's to Hawk.

Welcome home.

Wait a minute. Hold it. There's more to the ceremony.

You've got to make a speech, Hawk.

Stand up.

Be a fool.

For all this don't count.

I think I'll go to the bathroom.

Okay, Josh, my boy, why don't you give me a little port rudder? Pull your nose

up about five degrees.

Can't you just say take a left turn, no fault?

Now, that wouldn't be military, would it? Go right?

Right?

Then we're not fit for the world of civilians and humans, right?

You know, for guys like us, it's like a ballpark with no fences.

There's no way to hit a home run.

But if you don't get a hit once in a while, they're just waiting to beat on

you and tell you you're not fit for anything besides burning out villages.

I was lucky the civilian a couple of years ago kicked him around pretty good.

Don't talk for me, Sammy.

You know, I've been wearing blue uniforms since.

It's my first shave.

Yeah? Well, I've been into this wave the flag and go for broke business since I

traded in my virginity for a pair of wings and a fancy football helmet with a

microphone in it. You want to know something?

Huh? You want to know something?

It all don't mean nothing outside of this prefabricated world that we

live in here.

Could be bull, it is.

I went out in the world of worship and attache cases when I was introduced

around as a resident freak.

Oh, I mean, they treat you nice and all that kind of social puberty.

Then they wanted to see my medals.

And then they asked me how many people I figured I burned to death at

4,000 feet. Because they don't know.

They don't care.

I spent three years of my life in hell, and they don't give a damn.

It don't have nothing to do with them.

Who the hell are we doing it for, then?

I do it for myself.

There you go, Miss Sam.

I can stagger without any help at all.

How long has he been like that?

Since they passed him over for promotion.

When was that?

Over a year ago.

And before?

What in the hell are you up to?

My job.

Which is?

Working with you as an exchange pilot.

That's what your orders say, but you got about as much business doing that as I

do shuttling a Huey.

They brought you back, recalled you for this one mission.

My wife is General Masello's secretary.

I also know your orders didn't come from Air Force HQ.

It came from Washington. Langley, to be exact.

She can lose her job digging into things like that.

I don't think so.

You and Nihong were too close for you to do something like that to her.

You got a check ride at 0700 hours, beyond time.

I understand your IP is real tough.

that jeep can't leave it there i'm sorry hey uh you know where i can find a

captain hawk what'd he do make a mess in the officers club or something is he on

the exchange pilot who's he up with instructor pilot

does he have a name major roper oh high frequency recorders

watching high speed surveillance i can't reach it

Loosen your shoulder straps and check the negative displacer.

Migs on R6.

Something just ain't right up there.

You can't ground me.

Hell, I can.

I was right. You're not here as an exchange pilot, are you?

Hawk, I have to make that ferry flight.

Why? Because it's my job.

All right, there's more.

What?

I can't tell you, Hawk.

Then you're grounded.

I'm calling it all favors, Hawk. Whatever you figure you owe me from old

times' sake.

Mike, you're asking me to overpay.

I asked for a meeting, but why here?

I thought you'd like my office.

You assigned me.

I'm sorry I don't have time to discuss your choice of furniture. It's not my

choice. Watch your feet.

What do you want to tell me?

That now we both know Roper is our man.

Why don't you tell me what I know?

How about telling me something I don't know?

Will you have your gladiator sheath his sword first?

Thank you.

Roper is married to a Vietnamese national, not out of the ordinary, but

when you requested information on her through your janitor, I had her checked

into more thoroughly.

I guess that means I talk too much.

Rare, but a fact.

Mrs. Roper has a child, an Amerasian son.

She's been trying to get him to the States ever since she first arrived

here. Mothers have been known to do that.

So I've heard.

We checked and found that the boy... He got a name?

Ho Min.

He was housed in an orphanage till the government closed it. Then he managed to

survive in the streets for a while. That kid doesn't have half a chance.

Can't you get him out of there?

It seems he's now a ward of the USSR with the cooperation of the VC

government. Homin has been transported to a Russian air base at Omraklot,

Russia.

So what?

Omraklot is only 180 miles from Alaska.

One of the planes is scheduled to be delivered to Shemya Air Force Base in

Alaska. And Roper's the pilot?

Not yet.

But since he's the commander, he makes out the duty chart.

You've done quite well, Hawk.

By intuition, you've managed to open the latch that opened the door for us.

What about Roper?

He's a traitor.

Not yet, he's not.

Well, the firm is not going to wait until he is.

Then the boy.

A 12-year-old waif is no trade for a newly designed multi-million dollar

plane.

Depends on who does the trading, doesn't it?

I do.

What is Ho Min's birth date?

He's 12 years old. Don't let your imagination run away with you.

I don't want you to do anything to Roper.

Let him be.

You expect me to just sit back and let him... I'll guarantee no plane will be

turned over to the Russians.

You're not co-signing an auto loan.

Your guarantee is not enough.

It'll have to be.

And if it's not?

I'll trade Airwolf for the boy.

Do you want?

You knew that was coming.

I know I deserved it too.

Get up.

What was that one for, interest?

I was instead of a firing squad.

Don't shoot you for making a fool of yourself on a check ride.

They do for turning aircraft over to Russians.

I don't know what you're talking about.

You better start remembering.

Because I'm the only thing standing between you and a blindfold.

When he reaches Luzhny, he will be brought to the West, to our territory,

so that the United States will be able to catch him on the radio.

Maybe the Americans will start chasing him.

I doubt that the United States will decide the decision of an air battle

with our MiGs on our territory.

Do you think that this could be a trap from the West?

Well, so what?

All the material expenses for the trip of the American from Jatsk are gone.

So the American plane will be destroyed on our territory.

And then we will protest against the American provocation.

I can never understand the work, the imagination, the intelligence of the

enemy.

Your work is to obey.

Understood?

Hey, mister, could you tell me something?

You hungry again?

Yeah, that too.

But it's about this picture.

Yeah? What about it?

Could you tell me which one is my father?

Which one would you like it to be?

Any one of them is okay.

Damn it, Sam. You're too smart to think you can get away with something like

this. I'm not a traitor.

Before I turn that plane over to anybody, I'd ditch with it in the Bering

Sea. Yeah, it'd freeze to death in 11 minutes. It'd be worth the gamble.

You've never been an idiot before. I've never been a father before either.

I have a son, Hawk.

A son I've never seen before.

A son who doesn't even know who I am.

Why didn't he come out with Nihong?

They were separated.

He was in the Swiss hospital there.

He was supposed to come out in the next flight, and he never made it.

Nihong wanted to stay, but I convinced her he'd be all right, that it was the

only way.

How'd the Russians contact you?

I know I contacted Nihong first.

They strung us out for over a year, finally turned us over to a Russian.

What do you think you can pull this off?

I figured I'd make a navigational error and be forced down in their territory.

In time, I'd be exchanged.

You said you'd ditch the plane before you turned it over.

That's exactly what I was going to do.

I'm going to call an emergency and have to ditch before I get to the island.

I figured they would give me my boy just for trying.

You really believe that?

It will work if you just stay out of it, Hawk.

I can't stay out of it.

What would you do if it was your son?

You owe it to Sam.

He saved your life when it still meant something to you.

I never told you that.

What about it, Hogg?

Hazem back.

A man has a right to see his son.

No, not a chance. Let's hold on, Dom. I can't have an excitable man making

precision adjustments on it.

You see what I mean? You're not even thinking straight.

Look, you can't say a thing about it on the phone.

Archangel probably has it tapped.

That only saves me from having to make a direct call to Michael.

Now, just don't you pick up a tail.

Me?

Nobody tails me.

I can trust you to handle everything.

Doesn't my saying no mean anything to you?

Only when you mean it.

See you later.

Oh, Michael, you'll find that if you add some pine scented detergent to your

scrub water, you'll give your bathrooms that fresh outdoor aroma.

All right, we're taking off in three sections.

Winter in Jones, Corpus Christi.

Simms and Lewis to Orlando.

And I'm taking the Alaska run with Hawk.

These flight plans and refueling points read like a crossword puzzle, Sam.

That's exactly how they'll read to foreign satellite radar.

Now I want to use low-level flying whenever possible, desert, water.

Let's make this as difficult as we can.

For who?

I didn't think this was still a secret.

Maybe not.

We're not advertising either.

Any further questions?

All right, then. Good luck to you all.

Hawk, I'd like to see you for a second.

Everything going the way you want it so far?

Oh, well.

The flight plan ought to put enough gaps in radar to keep air defense busy.

Unless we mess them up too much and they call a flight back.

Once you take off, there's no turning back.

You just go deaf and dumb and you do just what I tell you.

Thank you.

You want to tell me now how you're going to do it?

With a helicopter.

Eagle Flight, you're cleared for takeoff.

Keep the plan rolling.

Sir, I've lost contact with Eagle 3.

Give him a call.

Could be atmospheric.

You're a janitor. You see how clean that desert is?

You'll get a radio signal when it's time to take off.

Resume your present flight plan.

How am I going to explain you're not with me?

You won't have to.

Cold? You call this cold?

I remember the time your dad and me were ferrying planes from Thule to England.

We had a stopover in Iceland.

It got so cold on one flight that the engines froze right in the middle of the

air, and we couldn't come down.

Thousand. You want a thousand?

There he is.

Eagle 3, base.

Eagle 3 to base.

3, we've been unable to raise you for the past 20 minutes, over.

Sorry, base.

I had a pressurization leak indicated. I dropped a full of Angels 10 to check it

out. 3, are you declaring an emergency?

Negative. Negative.

It's a malfunctioning light. I'm climbing back to Angels 30.

Roger, Eagle 3. Cleared 3-0-0.

Keep an eye on him. If he drops off again, I want to know. Yes, sir.

Well, we got away with it so far.

Sure. Now all we have to do is attack Russia, steal a kid, and try not to get

caught by our own government.

In the meantime, I still don't know what all these knobs and buttons are for.

I wouldn't swear to Dom.

If you touch that eject button, you'd be the first to know.

Hey, what's that?

Turn on that descrambler.

Oh, sure.

No, that's not the one.

Okay, which one is it? Upper left.

Right next to the strike missiles. Be careful.

Good afternoon, Stringfellow.

I don't suppose you'd consider giving me your coordinates?

Tom's the navigator here.

Oh, good. Then at least the cockpit has been freshly scrubbed.

out what I was going to do.

When you disappeared on the radar screen.

Hawk, I'd like to see you bring the boy back, but we've got to keep the plane.

Amazing. Behind that impeccable white suit beats a heart of recyclable

plastic. That's very good, Dominic. Hawk, please give him a sugar cube and a

pat on the neck for me.

I may not be accurate about your location, but I can sure make an

educated guess as to your destination.

Can I assist?

Hey, you can feed my dog.

How'd you know I was... Sometimes, Hawk, you amaze even me.

Good luck.

How come Archangel's good luck always sounds like goodbye?

All right, radar scanner.

Do I guess, or will you give me a hint?

It's the green lights next to the chaingun power.

Oh.

Says here we're 2.5 miles from Nome, Alaska.

Whatever happened to that flying by the seat of your pants stuff?

Oh, that went out when designers started writing their names on your behind.

Ferry 3 to Control.

Eagle 3, go. Ferry 3, I'll be dropping altitude and altering directions. This

is not an emergency.

I repeat, this is not an emergency.

Negative, Eagle 3. Maintain your present heading and altitude.

You are not authorized to deviate from the flight plan. Over.

Strap her down, Dom.

Increasing speed.

I can't think of any way to help him.

Short of an invasion of Russia, all we can do is be restrained spectators.

Too bad. He's a very capable man.

Harker Dominic.

I never met Dominic Santini.

Well, he's not nearly as attractive as Stringfellow.

Well, I hope both of them make it.

For professional reasons, I'm sure.

Of course.

String?

It's time for some serious thoughts of religion.

We just crossed our protective zone. We're approaching foreign territory.

Salon.

Want to match 33's airspeed?

Hey, invite anyone else on this trip? How many?

Four.

Readout says make 23, 20 miles away.

Now will you act a little worried?

Check the ground scanner. See what's at the airstrip.

Three low buildings, some equipment, and a radar trailer.

Which one shows the most heat on the scanner?

The one on the west end.

Giving off the hottest signals. That's where our men will be. I'll blind them,

you make them deaf. You're forgetting the MiGs.

We'll send them a decoy missile to chase.

You ready?

Will you take no for an answer?

Sure.

They're deaf.

They're not blind.

Like I did, but you know the procedure.

I know we never did it right once.

It's always the first time.

Plug it in countdown.

Yeah, yeah, all right, I'm ready. And you've got all the firepower. Be ready

to cut turbos.

Thank you.

Come on, kid. Head back for the land of hamburgers and heartburn.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Of course, you're gonna receive a reprimand on your service record for not

arriving in Alaska with Roper.

You ain't gonna make general?

I certainly hope so.

Have you considered a career in airplane theft?

You know, I still haven't quite figured out how you managed to keep switching

planes and still keep our radar in the dark.

You have to ask Dominic about that.

Dominic's not talking to me. I'd like to keep it that way.

If you'll excuse me, I think I'll just go stare at the lake.

Looking at them, I know it was all worth it.

Maybe it's about time for some truth about Ho Min.

Ho Min's last name is Roper.

It always has been.

I guess I gotta live with that answer.

It's the only answer I'll ever give.

never needs me.

I'll be there.

You have to be.

We're giving him an American name.

What's that?

Guess.

Springville has no name for a kid like that.