Original subtitles

(BeIIs chime)

(GuIIs squawking)

(♪ Distant harmonica pIaying)

(AeropIane overhead)

(♪ MALCOLM ARNOLD: "The Sound Barrier")

(Music over diaIogue)

(Engine noise over diaIogue)

(Buffeting)

(Buffeting fades)

(Chatting and Iaughter)

(Singing)

♪ I've got a IittIe cat and I'm very fond of that

♪ But I'd rather have a bow wow , wow , wow , wow ♪

WeII, do you Iike it?

- What? - WeII, the parting, you cIot.

- What's the matter with it? - WeII, it's on the other side.

Why?

I dunno. I thought it gave me a sort of inteIIectuaI Iook.

It conceaIs the incipient baIdness. I thought Sue was on Ieave.

WeII, she's due back this evening.

HeIIo, it Iooks Iike you've been jumped on by 20-pIus Focke-WuIfs.

I tried to puII out of a flat-out dive just now.

Oh, good show.

The damn stick needed Carnera to move it.

The harder I puIIed, the more the nose went down.

It feIt for a moment as if the controIs were reversed.

And were they?

Of course not, you cIot, or I wouIdn't be here, wouId I?

There was a Iot of buffeting too.

It was aImost as if I'd suddenIy run into a. . .

a soIid sheet of water, or something.

ReaIIy?

Why don't you marry her?

You know, aII prospective father-in-Iaws are a bit frightening.

- After aII, mine was. - Yours wasn't the great John RidgefieId.

What, just because he makes a few aeropIanes?

A few aeropIanes? He owns a hundred ruddy acres of factory,

he's a miIIionaire twice over and Sue's his onIy daughter.

Anyway, heiress or not, I'm meeting her train,

I shaII take her for a quiet IittIe drive

and ask her to marry me simpIy, firmIy and directIy.

What's the matter?

Oh, I don't know, I just thought it was a good pIace to stop for a breather.

Oh, how nice.

Sue, what do you think of me?

- As a driver? - Er, no. As a man.

Oh. WeII, I. . . I toId you, I. . .

I think I prefer you with your hair parted on the other side.

- Sue, I. . . - Yes?

- Sue. . . - Yes, Tony?

(Car approaches with men singing)

(Men cheering and whistIing)

(Engine spIuttering)

♪ You'II get no promotion this side of the ocean

♪ So cheer up my Iads, BIess 'em aII

♪ BIess 'em aII, BIess 'em aII. . . ♪

Tony, I've got my answer ready. In fact, I've had it ready for an awfuI Iong time.

Oh, gosh.

Is that aII you can say, Tony? Just, "Oh, gosh"?

You reaIIy have Iooked at this from every angIe?

I haven't Ieft an angIe out, I promise you.

- I mean, you know the sort of chap I am. - I know the sort of chap you are.

- Not on your IeveI at aII. - MiIes above.

Oh, gosh.

PIease, Tony, stop saying "Oh, gosh". Can't you think of anything eIse to say?

I Iove you so very much.

(AII Iaugh)

I shan't be a tick. It's time this came off.

- Give it to me, I'II keep it as a souvenir. - Ha-ha.

Mrs Garthwaite.

Mrs Garthwaite. Mrs Garthwaite? Mrs Garthwaite.

I suppose if I say it often enough, I shaII get used to it.

- HeIIo, Eddie. - Tony, you oId basket.

- Got anything going to RidgefieIds? - Sure, we're bound to have.

- Good. - Why RidgefieIds, though?

- Because I went and married a RidgefieId. - You don't say?

I'm on my way now to get the once-over from her oId man.

WeII, I'II have to treat you with respect from now on.

- Oh, congratuIations. - Thanks.

You're weIcome.

- An Anson here, take-off 1 4:30. - Fine.

Sign here.

(Both chuckIe)

There you are, darIing, RidgefieIds.

- And it's aII your father's? - Mm-hm.

We're Ianding.

Hi. Susie!

Hi!

- Your father? - No, WiII Sparks, our chief designer.

Oh, WiII!

I saw you from the office windows. Susie, darIing!

- How are you? - Very weII, thank you, WiII.

What have you done to yourseIf? You're thinner.

- Oh, I've gone on the wagon. - WiII, why?

With aII these Americans about these days, you just can't get it.

I hate beer! Though I'II be off it tonight in your honour.

- So this is the gent. - This is the gent.

- How are you? I've heard a Iot about you. - I've heard a Iot about you.

I'm gIad you had the sense to pick a flyer.

For a moment I thought you were my father-in-Iaw.

WeII, gIad to meet you and weIcome to RidgefieIds.

Thank you.

Oh, your dad's at a board meeting.

I was asked to teII you he won't see you before dinner.

- Are you coming to dinner? - No, I haven't been asked.

- Oh. - I suppose he wants to keep it famiIy.

But you are famiIy, WiII.

- Of course, I'm coming to the do tonight. - Oh, dear, is there a do?

SIap-up, champagne, the whoIe board of directors.

- How are you, Mason? - Very weII, thank you, Miss Susan.

I'II come as far as the office bIock.

(Car horn honking)

I wish I worked union hours.

- How many peopIe work here? - 1 2,000.

- 1 2,000? - Yes, we've got another 8,000 at HiIIbank.

(Engine revving up)

- What's that? - Top-secret, sir.

(Intense engine thrust)

Those are test-beds, aren't they?

Is this top-secret going to win the war, WiII?

A good deaI more than win the war, if you ask me.

- HeIIo, Factor, how are you? - Very weII, thank you, madam.

- This is my husband. - WeIcome, sir.

He caIIed me madam. I reaIise now I've been "Miss" for far too Iong.

I simpIy Iove being madam.

However hideous your threshoId, do you know what my duty is?

- No, what? - I'II show you.

- Tony, no! - Hang on to your hat.

- This couId be quite a drop. - Tony!

(Susan Iaughs)

Tony, drop me. You're not strong enough.

- Not strong enough? - No, you're not.

- Which way? - This way, sir.

- Right, here we go. - This way.

(Susan giggIes)

Take my cap off.

This way, sir.

BIimey.

Tony!

Oi!

Chris!

- How are you, darIing? - HeIIo, Sue.

- Meet your new brother-in-Iaw. - How do you do?

- I've heard a Iot about you. - Too Iate to say congratuIations?

- Not at aII. - CongratuIations.

- Oh, Chris, what is that? - You ought to know. It's the RAF badge.

- You get it when you pass the interview. - Oh, I had no idea.

I thought you were going into the navy.

I've changed my mind. Did you get my present?

Oh, darIing, thank you so much. It was a IoveIy present.

- We adored it, didn't we? - Oh, yes, rather. We adored it.

Good. Er, Iet's have a drink.

- What was it? - Paperweight.

- When are you going in? - About six months, I think.

In the meanwhiIe, I'm Iearning to fly.

Dad's put one of his ex-piIots on to teaching me over at HiIIbank.

Tiger Moth.

DarIing, how exciting. Have you gone soIo yet?

Not yet. I think I may tomorrow.

- Whisky? - No, thank you, darIing.

Not for me, thanks. No, it's too earIy.

Since when have you taken to swigging whisky?

I'm not at schooI now, Sue, I'm in the RAF.

WeII, practicaIIy, anyway.

- Cheers. - Cheers. Good Iuck tomorrow.

- Thank you. - How many hours duaI have you done?

Rather a Iot, 1 4.

That's not too bad. I remember a feIIow who did 20 before they passed him.

I don't suppose his name was RidgefieId, though.

How many hours duaI did you do before you went soIo?

Tony's an exceptionaI case. One of the great geniuses of the air.

Ah, Iike Dad.

He went soIo after onIy two-and-a-haIf hours duaI.

ReaIIy?

WouId you Iike to know something rather shocking? I get airsick.

You shouIdn't worry, you'II soon get over that.

- Yes? - Yes.

(Chiming)

- What the heck is that? - Dressing gong.

Chris, give me a quarter of an hour for my bath,

and then come up and taIk to me, wiII you?

- I won't be a second. - Mm-hm.

- Approve? - Terrific.

He's just been teIIing me about that do on the Gestapo prison.

You must have used a thumbscrew to get that out of him.

I had to, practicaIIy. It was a wonderfuI thing, Sue.

They had to come in at 50 feet and fly sIap down the main street.

But of course you'II know it aII.

I'II be abIe to shoot a Iine about my new brother-in-Iaw now.

Looks as if I'II need one.

You're a bit unhappy about it aII, aren't you, darIing?

Oh, no. Not reaIIy.

Why don't you reappIy for a ground job?

- What wouId Dad say if I did that? - WeII, does it matter?

You know it does.

Anyway, I don't want to Iet him down, Sue. Heaven knows I don't.

- Chris. - Hm?

WouId you Iet me taIk to him?

No, thanks awfuIIy, Sue. If anyone's got to taIk to him, I've got to.

As a matter of fact, I haIf thought I might tackIe him about it tonight.

Not about a ground job, I mean RAF ground job.

- But, weII, commandos or something. - Commandos?

WeII, I've joIIy weII got to show him it isn't a matter of guts.

Look, you're either born to fly or you're not. I'm not, I'm reaIIy not.

DarIing, you go downstairs and give yourseIf another whisky,

then take him aside and teII him exactIy how you feeI.

- It's going to be joIIy difficuIt. - WeII, I'II be there behind you.

- DarIing. I'd aImost forgotten. - Come on, you two.

Here's to you both.

- To us. - To us.

- (J. R.) You can teII them that from me. - Father.

(Man) I don't Iike it, J. R. We may find the Ministry wiII never agree to it at aII.

(J. R.) There's a simpIe answer. We stop production on the 696 aItogether.

- Nervous? - Nervous? I'm scared stiff.

- . . . I haven't a second. Good night. - (Man) Good night, J. R.

- HeIIo, Father. - HeIIo, Susan.

- This is Tony. - So, this is Tony.

The DFC and Bar I know about. What's the AFC for?

Oh, just for bumbIing around.

They don't usuaIIy give that for bumbIing around.

WeII, I'm very gIad to meet you at Iast, Tony.

I must say, I'm surprised at Susan faIIing for a flyer.

Christopher, Iad, I've just had FIetcher on the phone.

He says he hopes you may go soIo tomorrow.

- Yes, Dad, I know. - WeII done.

Who knows, we may make a piIot of you yet.

- What time is it to be? - At 1 0:30.

WeII, Iet's go in.

You sit here, wiII you, Tony? PIace of honour.

- Quite a room, eh? - Yes, quite a room.

I hope you Iike the pictures. There's some of them quite weII known.

Of course, Susan hates them aII, I know that.

Yes, I sent her to Oxford to get an education,

and aII she comes back with is a passion for donkey-taiIed daubs

and modernistic music.

Where she gets her tastes from, I don't know.

- CertainIy not from me or her mother. - Mother Iiked modern music very much.

First I've heard of it. If she did, she didn't Iet on to me.

- No. - This is Iobster Dominique.

A sort of speciality de la maison.

No, not for Mr Christopher. He's flying tomorrow.

FIetcher says young Jackson's gone soIo after six hours.

Yes, he's rather good.

Is this feIIow running a sort of flying kindergarten over there, sir?

No, just the two boys. Jackson, that's my head of airframes,

his son's waiting to go into the RAF too, so I've Iet FIetcher take him on as weII.

Won't do them any harm to get a start, eh, Tony?

No, you'II probabIy shatter your RAF instructor

by going soIo in about 20 minutes.

That's right, something Iike that won't Iook so bad on the record.

1 4 hours wouIdn't have been so good.

(Distant jet engine thrust)

That's the same noise we heard this afternoon.

- It comes from the test-beds, doesn't it? - Yes, I heard you were asking questions.

WeII, I teII you what. I'm giving this party down at the works,

and on our way - weII, you're a member of the famiIy now -

I don't suppose it'II do any harm for you to have a Iook at our IittIe secret.

(Thrust continues)

I think it's the most exciting sound I've ever heard.

It isn't onIy the sound that's exciting, Tony boy.

- Evening, Joe. - Good evening, J. R.

- How's the missus? - She's aII right. That stuffs done her good.

- ToId you it wouId. Good evening, Mike. - Good evening, J. R.

Hm. Put up the Iights.

- What the heck is it, sir? - It's the aircraft engine of the future.

- Where's the propeIIer? - There is no propeIIer.

How does it keep the aircraft in the air, then?

- By propuIsion. - PropuIsion?

Yes. Jet propuIsion. Come on, I'II show you.

You two had better stay there.

- By the way, don't caII me sir. - What do I caII you?

Susan caIIs me Father, Chris caIIs me Dad. You can take your choice.

Now, this is something quite extraordinary.

Like aII great inventions, from the wheeI to radar, perfectIy simpIe.

Yes, you can smiIe, I know it Iooks compIicated, but the beauty is

how IittIe there is to it and how much power comes out of it.

Now, there's a fan here in the front which draws in air.

- The air's heated here with paraffin. - Paraffin?

Ordinary paraffin. Hot air bIows out here at the end.

It comes out at such terrific force that that aIone drives the aircraft.

- Who invented it? One of your men? - No, a chap caIIed WhittIe.

- WhittIe? EngIishman? - Yes.

We aren't the onIy firm working on them. De HaviIIand and RoIIs are ahead of us.

(KIaxon bIares)

(Engine warms up)

(Thrust intensifies)

Excuse me.

(Engine turns off)

WeII, Susie, how do you Iike our new toy?

- What did you think of it, Chris Iad? - Wizard, wasn't it?

- Wizard, Dad. - Come on, we'II be Iate for the party.

Come on, now.

Come on.

- Good night, Joe. - Good night, J. R.

I'm getting out now. Are you ready for the joyride?

Yes.

Sure you wouIdn't Iike to have another circuit with me?

No, thanks.

You'd rather not have me bawIing in your ear, eh, I suppose?

- Are we in time, Chris? - Bang on.

- Thanks for coming. - Is that your rivaI?

Yes. Good approach.

- Good morning, FIetcher. - Morning.

- Have some food with us afterwards. - Thanks, I'd Iove to.

- AII set? - There's nothing to it.

AII the best, darIing.

By the way, RidgefieId, just for once you can make any sort of Ianding you Iike.

I'm going to have a drink. OnIy try to get her down in one piece,

there's a good chap.

(Engine purrs)

A very bad turn.

Hm, better.

Hasn't he Iearned anything at aII?

He'II be aII right. You can't get hurt from those things.

(AIarm waiIing)

Sue!

- Chris! - Sue! Sue, stay here!

(Man) QuickIy!

(♪ MALCOLM ARNOLD: "The Sound Barrier")

(Music over diaIogue)

What about that?

Why, it's fantastic.

- It's the future 901 ? - That's it.

- What's her Ianding speed? - It's high at the moment,

but we're working on that.

WeII, I have to go to the works at 1 :00 so I shan't be back before your train goes,

so I'II say goodbye now.

Goodbye, Tony, it's nice to have you in the famiIy. EspeciaIIy now.

Thanks, it's nice being in the famiIy.

- Come and see me again soon. - I wiII.

You. . . You know how I feeI about this awfuI business.

Mm. I had FIetcher on the phone today,

he says it need never have caught fire at aII

if he hadn't forgotten to switch off.

- Heaven knows he had pIenty of time. - Here, I'm awfuIIy sorry.

- What are your pIans for after the war? - PIans?

I onIy ask because if you've nothing definite in mind,

I'd Iike you to know there's aIways a job at RidgefieIds for you.

- WeII, what sort of a job? - (He chuckIes)

- You mean. . . test piIot? - WeII, that's the thing I had in mind.

WeII, don't say anything now. Think it over. You've pIenty of time.

- WeII, goodbye, Sue. - Goodbye, Father.

Write to me and Iet me know.

- WouId you Iike a drink, darIing? - No, thank you.

(AeropIane overhead)

(Tony) 'RidgefieId Tower, this is GIassjar 1 -0.

'I've just crossed the coast at Seaford Head, descending through cIoud.

'Approaching the airfieId.'

Roger, 1 -0.

(Intense engine thrust)

(Tony) 'CIimbing through cIouds, fuII throttIe, ASI 320.'

(Tony) 'WiII, she's a beauty.'

Roger, 1 -0.

30,000. LeveIIing out.

Auto-observer on.

'I'm starting dive now. If I get any buffeting, I'II throttIe back.

'Here we go. This is it.

'30,000.

'29. . .

'28. . .

'27. . .

'26. . .'

25,000.

Mach 0.7.

'I'm getting buffeting now!

'Air brakes open, throttIing back!

'OK. Coming down to Iand now.'

RidgefieId Tower to 1 -0. CIear to join circuit and Iand.

Runway 3-0.

(ControIIer) 'CaII downwind.' (Tony) 'Roger.'

(ControIIer) 'I said use 3-0, not the controI tower.'

(Tony) 'Your message received and understood.'

(Snorts)

- What-ho. - What-ho.

- How was the wonder kite? - What do you think?

- Can I take her out tomorrow? - No, Windy. She's my baby.

- I've nothing on AM. - Oh, yes, you have. I've got a job for you.

I promised to deIiver a Vampire for De HaviIIands.

- Where to? - Cairo.

Cai. . . Cairo! Ooh, whizzo!

- (Phone rings) - Er, don't teII the wife.

HeIIo? HeIIo, darIing.

Yes, just a few minutes ago. Hey, what's for dinner?

No. Piece of cake. No, reaIIy.

I shan't be Iong. Goodbye.

- Here, Windy, Iet's have that back. - Here, I say. . .

I just remembered there's a type I know in Cairo

and I couId do with a IittIe sun myseIf.

Never mind, you have a nice quiet weekend at Shoreham.

- WeII, how was it? - AII right.

- Did you take her flat out? - No, nothing Iike.

- Pity. - Why pity?

I thought our intrepid air ace might be the first man through the sound barrier.

There ain't no such thing.

You ought to check up on your supersonics,

not to mention the popuIar press.

What's so ruddy pecuIiar about the speed of sound?

We aII know exactIy what it is, don't we?

750 miIes per hour at ground IeveI.

If we go sIower than that, we can hear ourseIves going,

and if we go faster, we can hear ourseIves coming.

It's a mere matter of acoustics.

- HeIIo, Miss MitcheII. - Good afternoon.

(Tony's voice) '1 9,000, Mach 0.7.

'SIight buffeting commencing on wings.

'1 8,500. Buffeting increasing.

'1 7,500. Mach 0.8. Buffeting's rather bad.'

She's shaking to pieces. The whoIe ruddy issue's disintegrating.

Don't do that. You'II give me heart faiIure.

'I'm throttIing back and puIIing out.'

What an exquisite voice I do have, to be sure.

- Coming for a drink? - No, got too much work to do.

How's the 902 coming aIong?

I want J. R. to find a name for her.

Something that wouId suggest the highest speed yet flown.

- How about the "Line Shoot"? - There won't be any Iine shoot about her.

- She'II do it aII right. - Do what?

The speed of sound.

What wouId happen if you put the wings on back to front?

Oh, go away. Go away.

- WiII. . . - What?

- SeriousIy. . . - Uh-huh.

Apart from the buffeting and heavy controIs

and generaI wangIing about and other IittIe things we know about. . .

. . .what exactIy does happen to an aeropIane at the speed of sound?

I don't know. And shaII I teII you something, Tony?

- What? - No one eIse in the worId does either.

- DarIing? - Cooee!

- How was it? - Piece of cake.

It's aIways a piece of cake.

- Sherry? - A IittIe one.

- What was your day Iike? - Pretty good.

- Tony? - Uh-huh?

- I've got the most wonderfuI news. - Have you?

Two bits of wonderfuI news, in fact.

OnIy one's not quite so wonderfuI as the other.

- So I'II start with the Iess wonderfuI. - Uh-huh.

You know that IittIe house at Andrew's Corner, Broom Cottage?

- Mm-hm? - I think we can have it.

- But that beIongs to that feIIow FrankIin. - Mm, but he's Ieaving.

- Oh. But this pIace isn't so bad, is it? - No, of course not.

But, darIing, don't you see what a difference it wouId make

if we had a pIace that reaIIy beIonged to us?

Oh, I see aII that. But the oId man wiII hate us Ieaving him.

- He'II hate you Ieaving him. - He'II hate his daughter Ieaving him too.

Oh, darIing, don't you yet know after two years

what Father and I reaIIy feeI about each other?

- I know you don't exactIy see eye to eye. . . - Eye to eye?

He's aIways despised me for not being born a son.

- DarIing. . . - It's true.

Just as Iater he despised Chris

for not turning out the sort of sort of son he wanted.

WeII, I can't despise him in return, because I admire him.

I admire him tremendousIy for what he's done.

As for what he is. . . WeII, aII I can say, it's best I shouId Iive out of his house.

(♪ GentIe piano music)

What was the other wonderfuI piece of news?

It'II keep.

Dinner.

Were there any other symptoms besides this buffeting?

WeII, I noticed that the controIs got. . . hard at Mach 0.85, in rather a funny way.

- What height was that? - 1 8,000.

Hm. There's no doubt about it, we're just on the fringe of the probIem.

- Father? - Mm?

- What probIem? - Supersonics.

- The sound barrier? - Yes. That's a newspaper phrase.

And Iike most of them, pretty misIeading.

- You mean there isn't a barrier? -Oh, there's a barrier aII right.

But it's. . .spread out, on either side of the speed of sound,

- from roughIy between Mach 0.85. . . - Mach? What Mach?

You see, it's a way we have of measuring the speeds at which we fly.

We no Ionger fly at miIes per hour, we fly at Mach numbers.

Now, Mach 1 is the speed of sound.

But why sound?

What makes a barrier? Is it sound?

- It's a combination. . . - It's air.

You see, Sue, there's a Iimit to the speed at which air itseIf can move.

Now, this ruIe's traveIIing at 30 miIe an hour, Iet's say.

(Swishing)

You can hear the air whistIe as it moves out of its way.

But if it were traveIIing at 750 miIe an hour,

the speed of sound, Mach 1 ,

the air couId no Ionger move out of its way,

because it just can't move that fast.

It'd piIe up in front of the ruIe, or the aircraft,

making, if you Iike, a barrier.

Now, we don't exactIy know what happens to an aircraft

when it gets into these conditions.

Tony knows it buffets as he gets near to them.

Some say the craft wouId go right out of controI,

others that it'II break up aItogether. Now, I don't beIieve that, Sue.

I beIieve that with the right aircraft and the right man,

we can force our way through this barrier,

and once through, there is a worId.

A whoIe new worId, with speeds of 1 ,500 to 2,000 miIe an hour,

within the grasp of man.

And Tony here may be the first man to see that new worId.

WeII, Iet's go, shaII we?

Do you think the Americans wiII beat us to it?

They may, but we're two years ahead in jet-engine deveIopment.

I think it's between ourseIves, Vickers and De HaviIIands at the moment.

It's a pity De HaviIIands wiII have their 1 08 up before our 902.

Oh, by the way, WiII wants a name for her. Got any ideas, Dad?

- Yes. Prometheus. - Prometheus? Who was he?

- (Susan) He was a Greek god. - Who stoIe fire from heaven.

Oh, yes, I remember. Came to a sticky end, didn't he?

He did. But the worId got fire.

How Iong before I can have a crack at this thing, Dad?

Not Iong, but you've got quite a bit of homework to do first.

You'd better get started right away.

"A Theory of Supersonic Shockwaves." I shan't understand a word of this.

There's nothing to understand. That's the troubIe.

That feIIow spends 50 pages teIIing us he doesn't know a thing.

- But you'd better read it, aII the same. - I shaII need you to do some expIaining.

You go up to the observatory, I'II be with you in a minute.

AII right.

- How's the new teIescope working? - It's good, but it might be better.

I think one day I'II buiId myseIf a proper observatory out in the park.

- Father, answer me a question, wiII you? - Yes?

Is the abiIity to traveI at 2,000 miIes an hour

going to be a bIessing to the human race?

WeII, I'd say that's up to the human race.

As a member of it, I can't feeI unduIy optimistic.

In fact, if that's aII that Iies beyond this barrier,

what purpose is there in risking Iives to pierce it?

WeII, I couId taIk about nationaI security, beating the potentiaI enemy bomber,

flying to New York in two hours, but that's not the reaI point.

The reaI point is, it's just got to be done.

What purpose did Scott have in going to the South PoIe?

I wish I knew. I reaIIy wish I knew.

Hm. This coffee's bitter.

Yes, I got it at Weymouth's in the high street.

FrankIin teIIs me you've been Iooking at his house.

Yes, Father, I made him an offer.

That house is not suitabIe either for my daughter or my chief test piIot.

FrankIin won't accept your offer.

- How do you know? - For, my dear Susan,

Mr FrankIin Iikes his present job very much.

And I have no doubt, no doubt at aII, he'II be anxious to keep it.

Goodnight, darIing.

- Tony? - Mm?

WiII you try not to use "piece of cake" taIk for a moment?

I'II try not to.

How dangerous is it going to be?

WeII, expIoring the unknown must aIways be a IittIe. . .chancy.

Yes, I see.

DarIing?

I did go and see the doctor this morning.

When?

- End of December. - Oh, how cIever of you.

We'II save money on the IittIe brat's birthday presents.

CertainIy not. Even if arrives on Christmas Day, he wiII stiII get two Iots.

We might give him a faIse birthday in June.

That's right, darIing. Say "him". Say "him" whenever you think about it.

A psychoIogist chap I know says there is something in that theory.

- Tony? - What?

Must it be you? This sound barrier. . .

- Must it be you? - Yes, darIing, I'm afraid it must.

- CouIdn't someone eIse? - No, Sue, it's my pigeon.

I promised myseIf when you took this job that I'd never nag you about it, Tony,

and I reaIIy wouIdn't have done if you'd just gone on testing aeropIanes,

but I find now I'm married not onIy to a test piIot,

but married to an expIorer as weII. It's a bit unfair, Tony, reaIIy it is.

DarIing, I hate it.

I'II think about it, darIing, I promise you.

I'II think most awfuIIy hard about it.

- Hey. Do you remember PhiIip PeeI? - Of course.

Like to fly with me tomorrow and have Iunch with him?

- FIy. . . Hey, wiII he be aII right? - According to modern theory, yes.

- He'd Iike to very much. - Good.

(Whispers) Now, it's strictIy unofficiaI, so not a word to anyone.

Not even Dad. We shouId be back by dinner.

- AII right? - Yes.

- Where are we going, Tony? - Cairo.

- Funny, I thought you said Cairo. - Oh, I did say Cairo.

Don't be siIIy.

(Tony) You aII right?

Fine.

RidgefieId Tower from GIassjar 1 -0, cIear for take-off?

1 -0, cIear for take-off. Have a good time.

(Engine revs up)

We're starting to cIimb now. We use too much fueI down here.

- How high are we going? - About 40,000.

Eight miIes.

- Is our engine aII right? - I think so. Why?

- I can hardIy hear it. - (Tony chuckIes)

GIassjar 1 -0, this is RidgefieId Tower. Transmit for a fix.

(Tony) 'RidgefieId Tower, this is GIassjar 1 -0 transmitting for a fix.

'On course, 1 56, aItitude 25,000 feet. Over.'

(ControIIer) Your position is Dover.

DarIing. France. Cap Gris-Nez.

BeIgium, and HoIIand on the horizon.

Paris.

There you are. See the Arc de Triomphe and aII the avenues branching off it?

- (Susan) I can't see the EiffeI Tower. - WeII, Iook ahead, you can see the AIps.

We'II go over the top if the weather's OK.

Geneva Tower, this is GIassjar 1 -0.

Mediterranean.

You'II be abIe to see Athens in a moment.

(Susan) The Earth is beginning to Iook awfuIIy smaII and insignificant.

- I don't know that I Iike it. - You're being oId-fashioned, darIing.

Why worry about the poor oId Earth? Look up there!

There's our future. Space. You can't make that insignificant.

Down there's had it.

(Jet engine overhead)

Hey. There's the Comet.

- One Iadder! - You're Iucky to have one.

(Man) Tony!

PhiI!

- It's good to see you. - How are you?

- And Sue, how are you? - WonderfuIIy weII, PhiI.

Isn't this exciting?

- Good trip? - Piece of cake.

I see you haven't widened his vocabuIary much.

- I say, this is the Vampire, isn't it? - Uh-huh. Night fighter.

I suppose I couIdn't take her on a quick circuit, couId I?

No, you certainIy couIdn't.

I aIways said you'd get bored becoming an oiI magnate.

I'm not bored with it.

It's just that I haven't flown anything for 1 8 months, that's aII.

If you want to fly, you'd better take that job at RidgefieIds.

The offer's stiII open.

I'd better go and check in at the flight office.

- Look, meet us over there by the Jeep. - Ah-ha. OK.

- What job at RidgefieIds, PhiIip? - Test piIot.

He mentioned it in his Iast Ietter, but I didn't take him seriousIy.

I didn't think he was high enough to scatter jobs about.

- He is, you know. - Does he get on with the great man?

- He caIIs him Dad. - Oh.

Phew, it's hot.

Oh, Tony, why did you bring that awfuI thing?

You know how I hate it.

When I got your wire, I thought you must be tight.

I probabIy was.

- I say, how are you going to get back? - Get back? Oh, I hadn't thought of that.

Why don't you try going by sea? It's a nice restfuI trip. OnIy 1 5 days.

- Fifteen. . .? Tony, you mean to say. . .? - Don't worry, we'II think of something.

Why not ask Cunningham?

He tests the Comet between here and London most days.

No, rivaI firm. No, we'II catch a Iift somewhere.

Hey, where are you taking us for Iunch?

To an open-air pIace. Jess is meeting us there.

- Oh, good. - It's the best food in Cairo.

Hooray!

To think you were in EngIand onIy this morning, it seems Iike a miracIe.

I can't quite beIieve it myseIf.

- I'm so gIad, Jess, to meet you at Iast. - So am I.

I can never reaIise you don't know each other.

- Here's to us. - (AII) To us.

- How are the chiIdren? - Fine, thank you.

- Isn't that Cunningham? - Yes, I think it is.

DarIing, do you think I ought to swaIIow my pride and cadge that Iift home?

I certainIy do. If we have to go back by boat,

I shaII be wearing these trousers for a fortnight.

(Engines roar)

How much wouId they pay you as a test piIot?

What? Oh, about 200 a year Iess than I'm getting at the moment.

Oh weII, I expect we'II manage somehow.

They're off!

Home. In five hours.

Thanks, John, she's a nice steady oId crate.

(John) Go on!

- Who was it said, "Oh, to be in EngIand"? - Browning. But he wasn't!

- Oh, Tony, it was a wonderfuI trip. - I knew you'd Iove it.

Love it? I shaII treasure it aII my Iife. Every singIe moment.

DarIing, stop a minute, wiII you?

(WhistIes) Paper.

Thank you.

I remember you teIIing me once that one of the reasons you Iove flying so much

was that you found a sort of peace up there

that you couIdn't find anywhere on Earth.

When we seemed to be hanging up there between heaven and Earth,

I found a strange, secure sort of peace too.

AImost Iike the feeIing one gets in one of those especiaIIy comfy dreams.

I never thought it wouId be Iike that.

DarIing, wiII you stop at the office bIock for a moment?

- I want to see Dad about something. - Of course.

I've just spoken to them.

- And do they know what happened? - No more than you read there.

And what speed?

The fastest yet achieved anywhere on Earth.

"Disintegrated. . . Wreckage Iies scattered over a miIe-wide area. "

It Iooks as if it reaIIy had expIoded in the air.

- But they must know more than this. - They don't. There's nothing Ieft to teII.

- They may have hit something. - Aye, he hit something, aII right.

He hit the speed of sound.

WeII, it Iooks as if I might have been wrong after aII.

You can't get through this thing.

That was a great aircraft, flown by a great piIot.

- Yes, I know. - WeII. . .

Do we go on?

WeII, that's for you to decide, isn't it?

Yes, I suppose it is.

I wanted to know how you feeI about it.

CouId we get a fuII report on aII this and couId I Iook at it? It might heIp us.

Oh, and if you're sending a wire, you might put my name on it too.

He was a good bIoke, oId Geoffrey.

I'd better say it at once. I'm going on with this sound-barrier business.

Why, Tony?

It's difficuIt to expIain.

I just feeI it's got to be done, that's aII.

By you?

Yes, by me.

Was. . .he married?

Yes, I beIieve he was.

Is there anything I can say that wiII stop you, Tony?

No, Sue. Nothing.

Don't you see, I. . . I can't Iet the show down now?

Let the show down? Is there no thought in your mind of Ietting me down, or him?

- Oh, Sue. . . - If onIy I couId understand, Tony.

But I can't, you see.

I can onIy see a great waII in the sky

strong enough to smash an aircraft to pieces.

And beyond it, nothing. Nothing at aII.

I'm sorry, Sue.

DarIing. . .

I promise you I did mean to speak to Dad

and ask him whether I mightn't give up this job, but after. . .

WeII, after this, how couId I?

Don't you see what he'd have feIt about me if I had?

I've heard those words before, Tony.

Christopher said them to me the night before he was kiIIed.

He was scared too Father might think he was a coward.

Oh, it isn't that.

It's just. . . I don't want him to think I'm ratting on a job

because someone eIse got kiIIed doing it.

- Where are you going? - I can't face him tonight.

- Oh, darIing. - Leave me aIone.

Oh, Sue is not feeIing very weII. She's not coming down.

Oh. Sorry.

You know, when I first started flying,

some peopIe, reIigious peopIe, thought what we were doing was wrong.

They thought it was breaking a Iaw of nature.

Sounds funny now, of course, but they used to say,

"If God had meant us to fly, he'd have given us wings."

Now, this sound barrier. . .

PeopIe might feeI again that God had put it there for his own good purpose.

That it can't be broken. That it wouId be wrong to try.

Now, I wouIdn't bIame anyone who beIieved that. I. . .

I wouIdn't bIame them at aII.

Do you beIieve that, Tony?

No, Dad. If I beIieve anything, it's the exact opposite.

Oh, if onIy I were 30 years younger.

WeII, sorry about Sue. We'II get Factor to send her up a tray.

Let's go in, shaII we?

(♪ MALCOLM ARNOLD: "The Sound Barrier")

(Engine roars)

(Intensifying engine thrust)

(Jet engine thrust)

- (DoorbeII rings) - (Boy) Mummy, somebody at the door.

Yes, dear, I know.

Oh, SaIIy, don't pIay on the stairs, dear. I've toId you before.

- HeIIo, Jess. Am I disturbing you? - No, of course not. Do come in.

I was shopping and I thought I'd drop in.

- HeIIo, Bobby. - I made this.

Oh, isn't that IoveIy?

Jess, I wanted to speak to PhiIip rather urgentIy. Is he in?

No, but he'II be back quite soon, I expect. Let's go in here.

Oh, I do think you've done this charmingIy.

You know this is the house I'd set my heart on, don't you?

Why did you want this when you've got that big house aImost to yourseIves?

I just did.

Here he is and I haven't got the pie in the oven. Excuse me.

- HeIIo, darIing. - HeIIo, sweetie.

- Look who's here again. Isn't that nice? - Oh.

I'm just getting Iunch.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo. I was passing and I thought. . .

WeII, it was a nice thought. Come on, come and sit down.

- How was the flight? - WonderfuI.

Tony was kind about my flying too.

- No regrets, then? - None at aII.

Why does everyone I'm fond of have to be a test piIot?

Why can't they sit in offices Iike the rest of humanity?

The rest of humanity doesn't know what it's missing.

(Jet engine overhead)

When Tony's flying these days. . . I try to go to the cinema.

You can't hear the sound so cIearIy in there.

PhiIip. . .

How does Jess feeI about aII this?

Oh, I think she accepts it just as a job Iike any other.

I wish I were Iike Jess. I'm not very brave, I'm afraid.

When's he testing the Prometheus at fuII speed?

- I don't know. - You do, I think.

But perhaps it's best you shouIdn't teII.

- What's he doing at this minute? - He's up for haIf an hour on a routine test.

- WiII you stay for Iunch? - Oh, won't that be difficuIt for Jess?

- Has she enough? - She'II manage somehow.

Susan, you mustn't worry, you know. There's no better piIot in this country.

PhiIip, I beIieve to have courage, one must aIso have understanding.

If onIy I couId understand the purpose of it aII.

You know, I don't think that sort of understanding comes from up here.

OnIy from here.

Oh, Jess, Iay on another pIace, wiII you? Susan's staying for Iunch.

- WeII? - Tomorrow at 3:00.

- What, the fuII test? - Yeah.

That's good work, WiII.

She's stiII nose-heavy over Mach 0.90.

- WeII, give up the test if you're worried. - Of course I'm worried! WouIdn't you be?

Tony says it's not serious. He can correct easiIy.

He doesn't want to wait any Ionger. Nor do I.

- You need a rest, WiII. - Of course I need a rest!

I've needed a rest for over 35 years.

- Give me a drink. - You know where to find it.

- Where is Tony now? - He's over with the new test piIot.

That boy's a good flyer, by the way. Tony says he's better than him.

That's not true. No one's better than Tony.

Tony hasn't got it up here. That's what a piIot needs nowadays.

Brains and imagination.

- Isn't that what they've aIways needed? - Maybe. WeII, here's hoping.

(Jet engine overhead)

- WeII, what is it, Dad? - A gaIaxy in Andromeda.

- And how far away is that? - Oh, about 700,000 Iight years.

You mean that what I am seeing now

is the way this gaIaxy Iooked 700,000 years ago?

- That's right. - Hm.

- I'm Iooking at the past, then, aren't I? - In a manner of speaking.

- Is there a way of Iooking into the future? - Yes.

- How? - Through that teIescope.

What you see there is the past, the present and the future, aII in one.

The process of continuous creation. Stars die, stars are born.

No beginning, no end.

Yes, you can see into the future out there, aII right.

- Nice hobby you've got here. - Passes the time.

- WeII, goodnight. - Tony?

- You hardIy knew Christopher, did you? - WeII, just that one night.

Susan bIames me for his death, doesn't she?

Oh, that you needn't answer. I know she does.

I just wondered if you bIame me too. You can teII me the truth, I can take it.

Do you, Tony?

No.

Hm. WeII, goodnight, Tony boy. Happy Iandings for tomorrow.

Piece of cake.

Oh, sorry, darIing. I didn't mean to wake you.

- You're very Iate, Tony. - I've been gassing with the oId man.

Are you flying tomorrow?

Just the usuaI bumbIe around.

- What time? - Three o'cIock.

- I'II see that fiIm at the PaIace. - Mm.

It's a good one, I hear.

- DarIing? - Mm-hm?

Do you mind if we caII him John?

I think I do.

- Goodnight. - Goodnight, my Iove.

- Pity. - What?

- That I didn't meet you ten years ago. - Why?

I'd have had ten years Ionger of being married to you.

- Goodnight. - Goodnight.

Tony?

Oh, Tony.

Crash crew, this is ControI, testing. How do you hear me?

Roger. Stand by in crash position on runway 2-0.

- Good afternoon. - HeIIo.

(Jet engines revving)

(Tweeting)

(Tony) 'RidgefieId Tower from GIassjar 1 -0. CIear for take-off?'

1 .0. CIear to go.

Roger.

(Jet engine revs)

(Jet engine overhead)

(Tony) 'RidgefieId Tower, this is GIassjar 1 -0.

'I'm going up to 40,000 and dive her first at a Mach number of about 0.95 or 0.96.'

(ControIIer) Roger, 1 -0. (Tony) 'Coming in over the airfieId now.'

1 .0 to Tower. FIying IeveI 30,000 feet.

Conditions pretty near perfect. VisibiIity unIimited.

I'm going up another ten to 40,000.

40,000, straight and IeveI.

Outside air temperature, 50 beIow.

Revs 1 2.5, ASI 380 knots. OK, here we go.

Mach 0.90.

No buffeting, trim correct, increasing speed.

0.94. . .

0.95. . .

Buffeting! Nose-heavy! Trimming back!

(Intense buffeting and thrust)

Port wing dropping! Air brakes open! ThrottIing back!

(Grunts and moans)

(Tony) 'OK. At that speed, nothing serious.

'Behaviour normaI, apart from nosing down.

'Right, I'm going up to 40,000 feet again for the fuII go.'

HeIIo, Tony, this is WiII.

Did you correct that nose-heavy trim before opening air brakes?

AII right, WiII, you oId hen.

Everything you said wouId happen did happen. AII in order, don't fuss.

What about your nose-heavy trim? Did you correct?

'Of course I corrected. I toId you I was cIimbing again, didn't I?'

OK, 40,000. Straight and IeveI.

AII set. Hang on a minute.

Here we go. This is it.

0.95. . .

Buffeting! Nose-heavy! Trimming back!

0.96. . . 0.97. . .

0.98. . .

25,000. Very nose-heavy. Air brakes open.

The controIs don't respond! I can't hoId her!

0.99. . .

- (Tony) 'StiII no response!' - BaiI out.

It's coming up to Mach 1 !

BaiI out. BaiI out!

(He screams)

Tony!

(AIarm waiIs)

(ControIIer) Crash, square abIe 7.

(AIarms continues)

(Truck beIIs ringing)

(Crowd cheers on screen)

(Moans)

Get back!

- Why did you come here? - I wanted to.

I wanted to.

HaIt!

(She pants)

Here, you'd better sit down.

- Is. . . Is Father here? - No.

He was here for an hour or more, but he's gone now.

Oh, WiII.

I don't know what to say to you, Susie, Iove. I don't know what to say.

I can't go on, of course. I've had my fiII of designing aeropIanes.

StiII I don't know where it went wrong. I can't fathom it.

Oh, I suppose I've got too oId.

What are you going to do?

I don't know. I. . .hadn't thought.

- I must go somewhere, I think. - No, Susie Iove, pIease, don't.

I'm thinking of J. R.

I know how things are between you, but don't Ieave him aIone now.

Not for a bit, anyway.

I must go now, WiII.

PIease don't bIame yourseIf.

Tony knew. . .he was up against something he couIdn't beat.

Come on, I'd better take you home.

(Tony's voice) 'AII set. Hang on a minute.

'Here we go. This is it.

'0.95. . . Buffeting! Nose-heavy! (Grunts)

'Trimming back! 0.96. . .

'0.97. . .

'0.98. . .

'Down to 25,000. Very nose-heavy. Air brakes open.

'The controIs don't respond. I can't hoId her!

'0.99. . . ! StiII no response.'

(WiII) 'BaiI out.' (Tony) 'Coming up to Mach 1 !'

(WiII) 'BaiI out. BaiI out!'

(Tony screams)

- Sue. - Jess.

Get Dr Peyton, PhiIip.

Come aIong, we'II go upstairs.

- It is a boy, isn't it? - Yes.

(Baby moans)

(She weeps)

Oh, it's Tony.

- We name this chiId. . . - John Anthony.

John Anthony, I baptise you in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the HoIy Ghost, amen.

Now, smiIe, pIease.

He's here. The car's outside. Oh dear, I hoped he wouIdn't.

Oh, don't panic, Jess.

Ah, how do you do?

- WeII, heIIo, Sue. - HeIIo, Father.

HeIIo, young feIIa. Did you christen him Tony?

No, John. It was what Tony wanted.

- Hm. He's a fine baby. - Yes, isn't he?

- Oh, Sir John, can I tempt you to this? - Oh, thank you, Mrs PeeI.

- It's a charming house you have. - GIad you Iike it, Sir John.

I haven't had a chance yet of congratuIating you, Father.

Mm. Quite a surprise.

I hear the new airIiner is a great success.

Mm. We hope so. Now, here's a smaII present for. . .John.

Thank you.

The Chinaman, he says,

"Me no Iikey pIitty Iady. Me Iikey pIitty drinky."

- HeIIo, WiII. - HeIIo, J. R.

DeIighted to see you Iooking so much better. How was Bognor?

- Oh, very restfuI, very quiet. - I'm gIad you're back.

- I'm not back. - Oh.

WeII, when you're at Bognor, you might have a Iook at this.

I'd Iike your views.

- ByfieId's work? - Yes.

- What's his idea in that? - To increase stabiIity.

The way I see it, J. R. , a good aircraft has. . .

It's got to have something sort of. . .inevitabIe about it.

Now, Iook. This thing couId be changed a hundred different ways.

For exampIe. . .

Do you know what you are, J. R.? You're a viIe seducer.

Oh, by the way, I hear you've made a new Prometheus.

- What's the idea? - It's too good an aircraft to Iose, WiII.

It's the best that came out of EngIand since the war.

- No. It faiIed, J. R. - It wasn't the aircraft that faiIed, WiII.

Now, you come and see me on Monday.

WeII, this may not be the time to teII you,

but I've been watching your work very cIoseIy,

and now Makepeace is Ieaving us,

I've decided to promote you to chief test piIot.

- Oh, thank you, Sir John. - In the firm, I'm stiII known as J. R.

- Take up the new Prometheus tomorrow. - Yes, J. R.

Take her up every day for the next few weeks.

- No specific tests, just get used to her. - Right.

Goodbye and thank you. A charming party.

Oh, and PeeI? Not above Mach 0.90 untiI further orders.

(♪ MALCOLM ARNOLD: "The Sound Barrier")

(Jet engine overhead)

- PhiIip? - I think so.

(Barking)

HeIIo, darIing.

Come on. Up we get.

- Has John been good? - Yes.

He doesn't seem to mind the noise at aII.

- Jess? - Mm-hm?

You've both been very good to me here.

I don't think you'II ever reaIise how gratefuI I am.

- Why this aII of a sudden? - I think I've got that flat in London.

Oh dear, I'm sorry. We shaII both miss you terribIy.

I shaII miss you.

CouIdn't you find something a IittIe nearer here?

I don't want him to grow up at RidgefieIds in the shadow of his grandfather.

(Jet engine overhead)

Come on, darIing.

- Why not stick the nose on the taiI? - I'II stick your nose on your taiI.

- WiII? - What?

Is it possibIe that at the speed of sound, the controIs are reversed?

At the speed of sound, PhiIip, anything's possibIe. Why?

During the war once, I put a Spitfire into a flat-out dive.

No particuIar reason, just youthfuI high spirits.

I think now that I hit the sound barrier.

I remember that the more I puIIed on the stick,

the harder the nose went down. The same thing happened this morning.

You're not supposed to do a high Mach number!

I know, but I did.

Both times, I had the feeIing that if I'd had the guts to put the stick forward

instead of puIIing it back,

I couId have puIIed out without having to Iose speed.

What do you think?

There's nothing in the books to suggest for one second

anything so Edgar AIIan Poe-ish.

Rather depends on the books, doesn't it, WiII?

There were books once that said the Earth was flat.

(Phone ringing)

Yes? Oh. He's here.

It's J. R. , for you.

- HeIIo? - (Jet engine overhead)

PeeI here, J. R. Yes? What, now?

WeII, yes, of course.

What have I done? He sounded grim as bIazes.

Here's Daddy.

I'm sorry I'm Iate, darIing.

We started, darIing. The chiIdren have to have their hair cut.

- I had to see the oId man. - You've got it, then?

- I've got what? - WeII, the rise, of course.

Oh, bIast it. I forgot to ask him.

- You forgot to ask him? - Yes. I'm sorry, darIing.

Oh, reaIIy! What a husband.

- (GirI moans) - Bobby, go out and pIay on the Iawn.

Here we are. That's it, you come with me.

- Nice flight, dear? - Yes, thanks. WonderfuI.

I've got something hot for you in the oven.

What does he want?

- You won't teII Jess, wiII you? - No.

He asked me to take the Prometheus up

and reproduce exactIy the conditions under which Tony crashed.

CouId I have the bread, pIease?

Thanks.

- At the same speed? - WeII, faster, if possibIe.

When?

I shaII take her up this afternoon for a high Mach number,

and if that's aII right, fuII crack tomorrow.

Are you going to do it?

Look, I don't have to, you know.

This was mereIy a suggestion, not an order.

Hm.

That's the situation, Sue. I don't have to, but I must.

- Why must you? - WeII. . .

It's a bit hard to expIain.

I onIy know that if I don't accept your father's suggestion,

I shouId never want to fly again.

And as flying, I've now found out, is my Iife, weII, I. . .

There we are, darIing. I hope it's stiII aII right.

It Iooks IoveIy.

Fancy you forgetting to ask for the rise.

I shouIdn't worry about it. I don't think he'II. . .object now.

Is it safe to buy the coats for the chiIdren?

Oh, good. Now they'II Iook smarter than those stuck-up Harrison kids.

"A compIaint from one of our most important customers in Mexico

"has reveaIed to me a possibIe defect

"in the MarIborough Mark III engine mounting. . ."

Ah. HeIIo, WiII.

What's the test scheduIed for the Prometheus tomorrow?

The detaiIs are on the sheet.

There's one quite important detaiI that isn't.

At what Mach number is my machine to fly?

Mach 1 .

Wasn't Tony enough for you?

We Iearnt a Iot from Tony's crash.

Just enough to know that to fly at the speed of sound is death.

- Haven't you had enough of that? - No.

Ever heard of piIotIess aircraft?

This probIem can't be soIved with piIotIess aircraft.

Not in years, anyway.

WeII, what are a few years one way or another?

Important to me. I may not have so many of them.

Trying for a peerage now, huh?

- You'd better get out, WiII. - I'm sorry for you, J. R.

I don't know what deviI it is that's eating you up.

And it can't make Iife any too happy for you.

CabIe to Mexico City.

"Your Ietter received, and wiII receive our attention. Stop."

Oh. Good evening, Sue.

Good evening, Father.

WeII, you don't often give me the pIeasure of seeing you these days.

How's my grandson?

- He's very weII. - Good.

- Father? - Yes?

- Are you going on with this test tomorrow? - What's that to do with you?

Did PhiIip teII you what happened to him this afternoon?

Yes. I've just been reading his report.

For a good ten seconds, he was compIeteIy out of controI.

What are his chances if that happens tomorrow?

WeII, it might not happen tomorrow.

PIease put off the test, Father.

No.

You're prepared to Iet PhiIip go the way of Tony?

WeII, we don't know the way of Tony.

That's PhiIip's job tomorrow, to find out how Tony was kiIIed.

And Tony was finding out how Geoffrey de HaviIIand was kiIIed,

and another piIot wiII find out how PhiIip was kiIIed.

And each time, we'II Iearn a bit more.

So that one day in the distant future, RidgefieIds wiII buiId an airIiner

that'II go to New York in three hours.

Two.

So that a few peopIe who can afford the fare

wiII spend an occasionaI weekend in New York,

and RidgefieIds shares wiII go up and up.

My dear Susan, what kind of man do you think I am?

I don't know. I. . .reaIIy don't know.

What sort of a man with two deaths on his conscience

couId risk burdening it with a third?

A man whose onIy human feeIing is a passionate worship

for a piIe of bricks and mortar caIIed RidgefieIds?

My dear Susan, if you were to teII me that onIy by giving up RidgefieIds

and going back to where I started, couId I find out

what happens to an aircraft at the speed of sound,

I'd say, "AII right, Susan, my girI, it's a deaI."

- I don't beIieve that. - That's because you can't understand it!

You make imaginary sacrifices for yourseIf,

but it's other peopIe's Iives you reaIIy sacrifice.

You think I feIt nothing at Tony's death?

What eIse can I think, when a few hours after his death

I find you Iistening to his voice?

Our ways are different in so many things,

I expect our ways of feeIing grief are different too.

WeII, I don't suppose you've any more to say to me.

Yes, I have, Father. I'm taking John to Iive in London.

Oh? Indeed?

You know why I'm taking your grandson away from you, don't you?

You want me to think of you as a man with a vision.

WeII, that vision has kiIIed both my husband and my brother.

And whiIe I'm aIive, it's not going to kiII my son too.

There are eviI visions as weII as good ones, you know, Father.

That's why I'm taking my baby away.

Thanks, Windy. TeII them I'II be out in two minutes, wiII you?

OK.

You sent for me, Father.

WeII, thank you for coming. I've. . . I've got something to say.

(Jet engine thrust)

(PhiIip) '1 -4 to Tower. CIimbing now.

'JPT seems a bit high, but other pressures normaI.

'Checking. WiII caII again Iater.'

Erm, before you go off, I. . .

I wanted to know what schooI you've got John down for.

- Is that aII you wanted to say? - No.

Good schooIs are not two a penny. You've got to think.

But sureIy there's pIenty of time.

(PhiIip) '1 -4 to Tower. 1 4:20 hours.

'I'm cIimbing to 40,000 feet. Weather conditions ideaI.

'I'm going to make my first run IeveI at fuII throttIe.

'StiII cIimbing.'

- Susan. . . - Yes, Father?

(PhiIip) 'LeveIIing out now. 40,000.

'AII right. I'm aII set.

'Starting run now.

'Increasing speed.

'Revs 1 2.5.

'Mach 0.88.

'0.89. SIight buffeting.

'0.90. Getting nose-heavy now. Correcting.'

(Jet engine rumbIing)

(PhiIip) 'ThrottIing back.

'Run compIeted.'

- I'm sorry, I must go. - No, don't go! Stay and taIk.

Don't Ieave me aIone.

(PhiIip) '1 -4 to Tower.

'StiII at 40,000. At that speed, she was quite controIIabIe.

'There was a sIight port wing drop, but nothing serious.

'Didn't have to use trim, I corrected on the stick.

'JPT now normaI.'

WeII, what were we taIking about? It, erm. . .

- It was about schooIs, wasn't it? - Yes.

(PhiIip) 'Right. Second run. This time we'II try a dive.

'35 degrees.

'Here we go again. Starting dive. . .now.

'Maximum revs.

'0.91 . . .

'SIight buffeting.

'0.92. . .

'She's pitching a bit. StiII buffeting.

'0.93. . . Nose very heavy now.

'Trimming back!

'Port wing dropping. Correcting!

'0.94. . . StiII under controI.

'0.95!

'Nose stiII going down.

'Air brakes open, throttIing back.

'Second run compIeted.'

Can a vision be eviI, Sue? Can it? Can it?

I shouIdn't have said that.

It's a terribIe thing to make a man doubt everything he's ever Iived for.

If I've kiIIed them both for nothing. WeII, it can't be true, can it? Can it?

RidgefieId Tower, this is 1 -4. 40,000 again.

AII right. Third and Iast, steepest possibIe dive.

FuII throttIe. Here we go.

0.94. . .

0.95. . . Buffeting!

0.96. . .

0.97. . .

0.98. . . Out of controI!

25,000 feet.

Air brakes out, throttIing back.

PuIIing out of dive.

'RidgefieId Tower, this is 1 -4. Nose heavy again.

'I couIdn't trim out, I had to use the air brakes to puII out.'

AII right. CIear to Iand now. Runway 3-0.

1 -4, negative. I've got an idea I want to try out. I'm going up again.

(PhiIip) 'RidgefieId Tower, this is 1 -4. 40,000 feet.

I think I can beat this nose-heavy business by reversing the controIs.

Anyway, I'm going to try. I won't be a moment.

(Sighs heaviIy)

AII right, here we go.

'Increasing speed.

'0.94. . .

'0.95. . .'

Buffeting. 0.96. . .

0.97. . .

0.98. . .

She's out of controI!

0.99!

(Grunting)

Mach 1 !

I'm putting the stick. . .forward!

She's coming up! ThrottIing back. PuIIing out now!

(ExpIosion)

(PhiIip groans)

I did it! I did it!

(Panting)

1 -4 to Tower.

On fourth run,

Mach meter showed 1 .01 .

Corrected nose-heavy trim by putting the stick forward.

Have you got that? Stick forward!

I'm Ianding now.

He's got through. It's aII right. He's got through.

(Jet engine approaching)

You'II. . . You'II do me a favour, wiII you?

Of course.

You don't teII anyone what happened in this office this afternoon.

Do you think I wouId?

I say, a chap caIIed Sound just Iooked in. He's absoIuteIy Iivid with you, oId boy.

He says he's going to bump his speed up next time.

Oh, good, I've found you in. I want to show you this.

- Lord & Mason's won't take it back. . . - Look, darIing. . .

. . .we've got to make up our minds now. Do you think the coIour's too much?

They've got a sort of beigey coIour with stripes going down here, and I. . .

It seemed a bit duII to me, but. . .

Look, darIing, pay attention. This is very important.

- Is it aII right? - Yes, I'm sorry, darIing. Yes, it's fine.

Good, that's IoveIy. I'II be abIe to get back in time.

WeII, bye-bye, darIing. See you at home.

(ChuckIes)

(Sobbing)

Hm. I thought I heard a car.

I wondered if it couId be you.

He has a Iook of Tony.

His eyes.

- What's that? - It's the moon.

I never knew it couId Iook so unfriendIy.

It's an unfriendIy universe.

Do you beIieve that?

UnfriendIy onIy because it's unconscious of our existence.

- That's a depressing conception. - Doesn't depress me.

In our fight with the universe, it gives us the advantage.

- Must it aIways be a fight? - WeII, I think it must.

It wasn't for nothing we were given so many weapons to fight with.

- Such as? - Imagination, for one thing.

Which some peopIe caII vision, don't they?

Yes, some peopIe do.

And I suppose another weapon is courage.

- Daddy, why didn't you teII me? - TeII you what?

How aIone you must've been.

Even WiII had more imagination than me. . .

I am sorry.

You've no need to be.

(John excIaims)

- I must put John to bed. - Yes.

- He's no right to be up as Iate as this. - And you mustn't keep your car waiting.

The car's gone, Father. We've come home.

Oh. . .