Original subtitles

Flight 79, calling Edwards Air Base.

Our ETA is 45 minutes, over.

Flight 79, read you loud and clear, cowboy.

Cowboy.

Nobody calls me that but Joe Gordon.

That's right, Steve. How you doin'?

Fine, Joe and you?

I'll be doing a lot better once you get here...

and help out running this International Pilot School.

I hear you got every nationality of pilot in the world at that school.

Will you stop jawing, cowboy and get down here to the rescue?

On my way, Joe.

All study teams report to the communications room at 0800 hours.

All study teams report to the communications room at 0800 hours.

Captain Segal, report to operations.

I can't stand that kind of music.

Eh, it's all they had.

Yeah.

Dr. Winslow?

This is Winslow, put him on.

Dr. Winslow, and?

Yes, sir.

Are the plans moving on schedule?

Yeah, he'll be doin' a fly-by tomorrow.

Is there any chance for failure?

No, no. No danger of that.

It'll look just like an accident.

Are you sure?

Some of our people feel your machine may not be fool proof.

Don't give me that!

I made the machine, I know exactly what it can do.

Positive, Dr. Winslow?

That's right.

Are you sure?

That's right.

Positive?

I promise you, Prince Sakari will die.

It looks good at NASA One.

Roger.

BCS Arm switch is on.

Okay, Victor.

Landing Rocket Arm switch is on. Here comes the throttle.

Circuit breakers in.

We have separation.

Inboard and outboards are on.

I'm comin' forward with the side stick.

Looks good.

Ah, Roger.

I've got a blowout in damper three.

Get your pitch to zero.

Pitch is out. I can't hold altitude!

Correction. Alpha Hold is off. Threat selector is emergency.

Flight Com. I can't hold it! She's breaking up! She's breaking...

Steve Austin. Astronaut.

A man barely alive.

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.

We have the technology.

We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man.

Steve Austin will be that man.

Better than he was before.

Better, stronger, faster.

Test Pilot School, Commandant's office. May I help you?

Yes, Mrs. Madden.

Well, why don't you let me see if the Colonel's free?

Colonel Gordon?

Yo!

It's Mrs. Madden.

What is it this time?

She says she's heard that we have a Chinese pilot being trained here.

She thinks he's a spy.

Spies, ay?

Well, tell the old bat that the only spying that Yang does...

is in the centerfold of girlie magazines.

And if she calls again this month, you tell her...

I've got the idea.

Spies. eh?

You still puffin' on those logs?

Hey, Cowboy! Well, about time you got here.

Air Force Reserve to the rescue.

Yeah, sit down. Sit down.

You up to a little arm wrestle, cowboy?

Oh, no, come on, I pass this time, partner.

You never passed before.

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, I'll go easy on you.

All right.

And one, two, three.

Yeah!

That easy life is makin' you marshmallow.

No, that lousy cigar smoke of yours.

Just don't appreciate good tobacco. You never did.

Well, listen.

You're supposed to be learnin' how to run this place...

let's take a little look around, whaddaya say?

All right.

A couple o' new computers...

I guess the big change since you were here last, Steve...

is we got twice as many foreign pilots.

Any problems?

Oh, yeah, the U.S. taxpayers.

Some people think we train these guys to fly fighters.

They don't realize they're pilots already...

and we train 'em at their own country's

expense to test planes, not to fight in 'em.

Some of 'em even go on to become space cowboys.

Gonna be good public relations having you in command while I'm gone.

You're impossible to work with!

Whoa, whoa!

Well, this is a major change that I almost forgot to mention.

Steve, this is Major Aram Sakari.

Major.

And Lieutenant Jan Simmons.

- How do you do, sir? - Lieutenant.

In case you hadn't noticed, one of them's a woman.

First one in the program. Fine engineer.

Thank you, sir.

She and Major Sakari are a study team.

You are Colonel Austin, the astronaut?

That's right.

Someday my people will travel to the moon.

Probably quite a bit beyond.

Sakari is from Kutan.

Prince Sakari.

But as you can see...

in your country I'm just one of the guys.

Now, you will please excuse us.

We were discussing the variables in today's flight.

We were not discussing. You were dictating.

I think this is where we came in, Steve.

Now I want to know why every time I have something...

In my country, women know their place.

You just look at me with this blank stare.

She's the best engineer in the school, he's the best pilot.

They'd make a great team if they could just got along better.

Kutan's the richest country in the world, but, you know...

the women gotta walk behind the men?

Sounds like Lieutenant Simmons has her work cut out for her.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Look at this.

What's the matter?

They park a 2,000 pound crate right here behind my car and they just walk off?

I mean, they just walk off?

Where is it supposed to go?

Over there by the fence!

Wait a minute. How did it get there?

Well, some guys came along in a fork-lift, Joe, and they moved it.

It just took a little sweet talk, you know?

Never mind.

What was that you were we talking about inside about leaving?

Oh, I thought I told you.

No, what?

You used to run this place better than anybody ever did.

So I'm goin' fishin' for a while.

Fishin'?

Ten days.

But first I'm gonna show you what's changed around here since last year.

You gotta be kiddin'.

You're gonna leave me stuck with this?

I've been stuck here enough, cowboy.

But I wanna go fishin' too sometimes!

I thought sure you're gonna wreck that car back there.

Another coat of paint and you wouldn't have made it.

And Colonel Austin comes here once a year...

to serve his Air Force Reserve duty.

And as you all know, he's somewhat over-qualified to take my job.

However, since he is here to be running things...

I thought I'd get a little fishing done.

So, as of this moment...

you will take all of your wonderful little problems directly to him.

Because I am on vacation.

Oh wait, there's one more thing.

Levy and Sakari.

That calibration fly-by schedule is wrong.

Senior officer always goes first, so, Levy, you'll follow Sakari.

And that's at 0900, gents, so you'd better get cuttin'.

Dismissed.

As you saw, Sakari and Levy have bad blood between them...

so keep an eye on those two.

Say no more, Joe. I understand.

You sure there's no way can reach you?

Nope.

I'm gonna be lost up in them hills.

Anyway, Steve, it's just gonna be routine.

I mean pure routine, pal.

Want to try again, marshmallow arm?

Well, why not?

You ready?

Go.

What'd you have for breakfast anyway, cowboy?

Roasted marshmallows.

Woo-hee.

Roasted marshmallows, my fanny.

Remember, best flier always goes first.

This experiment tests the accuracy of the plane's altimeter.

When the plane flies by the tower, it activates the camera.

Like a photo-finish at the horse races.

Then we compare the altitude that the plane was reading...

with the altitude of the calibrated camera.

Simple, but effective.

I guess you've done this a million times before.

Never with better company.

Why, thank you, Colonel.

Hmm. They're almost ready.

After you, Major Sakari.

The next set of experiments, we get to fly with them.

I guess that's as close as I'll ever get.

Close to what?

To being an astronaut. Silly dream.

Well, do you want to?

Yes... yes, I do.

I know why I call it a silly dream. I guess just to hide my ambition.

I want to be an astronaut very much, Colonel.

Steve.

Edwards tower, test flight 8-1-1-niner-1.

How do I read?

How do I read, Edwards?

Just fine, Major Sakari.

Are you ready to take off?

Yes. I trust you have film in the camera.

I trust you have fuel in the plane.

Yes, lieutenant.

8-1-1-niner, affirmative. You're clear to go.

Thank you, Edwards.

Now listen, never...

Never let that needle see red.

Right.

All right.

Approaching for first fly-by.

Roger, Major.

First fly-by at 2-7-5-0 feet.

Roger. Over.

How did I look?

You blinked your eyes.

Your turn, David.

First pass at 2-7-5-0 feet.

Roger. Be there in a second.

All right. Give me some juice.

Here comes the second jet.

I can't hold it. Losing all control.

The system's going haywire. I can't hold them.

I've lost control of the stick!

I'm out.

Eject!

Eject!

Next time you won't be so lucky.

LAX radio, World Way's Flight 101 listening one twenty-three point six.

Roger 101. This is LAX.

101 requests vector instructions.

Hold it. The controls are jammed.

Losing altitude.

Flight 101, this is LAX. Do you read?

Roger LAX. We experienced momentary loss of control.

All systems seem normal now.

Here's where Levy lost control.

200 yards past the tower.

Mm-hmm.

Flight 101 was here.

Do you think there was a connection? Flight 101 was 50 miles away.

What could have affected it, and yet left Aram's plane alone?

I was less than a mile away.

My plane surely would have been disabled.

Or is it that you are trying to save the Israeli's wings, Colonel Austin?

Aram!

Be quiet, woman!

I will not be quiet.

Levy's plane might just as well have been yours.

And he was lucky to get out alive.

I suggest you remember that, Major.

Nevertheless, I seem to be the only one in the room with an explanation.

Perhaps you have another, Colonel?

No.

Not yet.

The report says it could have been caused by an ultra-high energy coherent wave...

that's been converted into a steer-able beam... now that's what the experts say.

It goes on to say in the sixties, several private corporations...

were working along these lines, but no weapons systems came out of it.

Too unreliable. Problems of overloading.

The project was dropped.

The beam jams the electronic parts?

Right.

An unreliable energy wave.

It's possible part of it could have bounced off Levy's plane...

and been reflected back to the ground.

Maybe that's the problem you had with your bionic eye.

Yeah.

I wonder what would've happened if I'd taken the whole ray.

Still doesn't explain why somebody would want to knock off one of our planes.

What do you think? Is it a test?

It's not the plane they were after, Steve.

What?

Prince Aram Sakari has been under our protection for the past two months.

Sakari?

As I understand it, Colonel Gordon changed the schedule at the last minute.

Now if he hadn't, Sakari would've been on this plane...

the second plane.

Then whoever's behind it has access to our flight schedule.

Right.

Well, what do you think? Who wants him dead?

Our theory is Kutan's Prime Minister Chadal.

With the Prince out of the way...

he could take over the country easily when the king dies.

Of course, we have no proof.

Well, there's only one way to prove your theory.

You think he'll stand still for it?

Nope. But then I wasn't gonna ask his permission.

No! Levy's crash was only due to pilot error.

I will not allow you to take my place in the air!

I came here to fly!

That's right, but not to die.

No one is trying to kill me.

My people, the entire country, would be at the throat of whoever tried it.

But what if the murder was planned as an accident?

Aram, who would benefit the most by your death?

Chadal, our prime minister.

Okay.

Now we can't pinpoint what went wrong in Levy's plane.

The analysts think that the stability system may have been electronically jammed.

The only chance we have of finding out is...

if I go up in your place and see if it happens again.

Look, I ask no one to risk his life in my place!

I'm not gonna argue with you.

Now until further notice, you're confined to your quarters...

and you're not to mention this to anyone.

What?

That's all, Major.

You seem prone to mistakes, Dr. Winslow.

Even if you had chosen the correct plane...

the pilot was able to escape with his life.

Now listen... Don't raise your voice at me.

No one else in the world would touch your project.

I suggest you remember that.

I will accept no more mistakes.

You know, I don't think Aram took it too well.

Oh, he'll get over it.

He always does.

About you taking his flights...

What about it?

I want to go with you.

No way.

Now look. I've beat my brains out with Linear Control Systems...

and Analog and Digital Computations...

and Aero elasticity and Performance Data Reduction...

to make it as a flight test engineer.

Furthermore...

if you don't take me along, they'll say it's because I'm a woman...

that'll make you a sexist.

Well, we can't have that, can we?

Have you been checked out in a glider spin yet?

No, but we could do that tomorrow.

All right, what about tonight? You busy?

No.

Well then I would suggest you brush up on your egress procedures...

and then how about dinner?

That would be nice.

Oh, that's okay.

Oh, sorry.

Now you were saying about Nebraska?

Oh, yes.

Well... I was at the top of my class...

in chemistry and calculus and physics.

But all that meant in Grand Island, Nebraska...

was that I would be a smart housewife.

And now?

I'm shooting for the stars.

An astronaut.

Mm-hmm.

That's a long haul.

The voice of experience.

I know, believe me.

You wanted to know what it was like being the only woman in a company of men?

Mm-hmm.

It's like being one of the guys.

One of the guys?

With none of the privileges.

And then there's always Aram to put me back in my place.

A male chauvinist.

Oh, he's the worst.

Did you know that in Kutan, the women...

Walk behind the men?

Right.

It's not funny, really.

Isn't that Levy?

Oh, yes, it's David.

Do you know it's a shame he's been kept in the dark about the crash.

Excuse me a minute.

That stuff'll eat away your liver.

If I live long enough, Colonel.

Well, I've got some good news.

Looks like the stability system went haywire.

The accident review board's gonna lift your grounding next week.

And in the meantime?

Barrows and I fall behind while Sakari and the others fly.

Well, I'm sorry.

Did it ever occur to you, Colonel, that my crash might not have been an accident?

You should know, that before I came here, I

was flying patrols over the Sinai desert...

and I shot down Sakari's best friend.

"An eye for an eye," the Scripture says.

Why don't we talk about that when your mind's not swimming in that drink.

The rumors are that it was sabotage, Colonel Austin.

Against Sakari? I doubt that.

If his life was threatened...

the first thing you Americans would do would be to ground him.

I was the intended victim, Colonel.

Let me tell you something, Levy.

You want to make it through test pilot school...

you'd get your head out of the Sinai Desert, you understand me?

Yes, sir.

You mean you're actually keeping Prince Sakari captive?

Yeah.

Can't risk him showing his face here on the ground...

when he's supposed to be up in the air.

Do you really think someone sabotaged the plane?

Yeah.

It could happen again?

Look, Jan, you don't have to go with me tomorrow.

I twisted your arm, remember?

Besides, you'd just have to get another girl.

Although in these outfits, I don't think anyone could tell the difference.

Well, I can.

Thank you.

Well, let's give it a try.

You're on your own, Colonel.

Have a good flight and I'll see you on the ground, sir.

And this is what we call a spin.

Better get used to it. We do it tomorrow in a jet.

Jan, as soon as I check in with the tower and change...

I'll meet you... for some final notes.

Right, Steve.

And then at 15,000 feet, we begin our first spin.

Assuming a ten second recovery interval you should finish at approx...

May I buy you a soft drink, Colonel?

Hey, I think it's about time we let a little

air outta this thing, before it explodes.

I know that rumors are flying hot and heavy...

and I wish I could explain things, but I can't.

But until I can, I expect both of you to

behave yourselves like officers and gentlemen.

And leave your politics at home.

Is the lecture over, Colonel?

Yes, it is.

Excuse me.

About that soft drink...

I want to apologize, Colonel Austin, for the way I behaved in your office yesterday.

Well, what about what just happened?

You are an American.

I can't expect you to understand.

You got some change?

Yes.

Typical American machine.

Y'all ready?

This is just a stupid game.

Now don't leave the room, Major.

Now, Steve, we've monitored every inch of that plane.

If anything's been tampered with, we'll know about it.

And Jan, at the first sign of trouble...

you and that lug in front of you get out... and fast.

Roger, Oscar. I'll do my best.

All right.

Let's go.

Everything looks peachy, four-three.

Come out to 15,000 to begin your test.

Roger.

Ready for the spin, Jan?

Whenever you are.

Here we go.

Steve, the stability systems have gone crazy!

Get out!

Oscar, my eye... Steve? What's happening?

Steve! Get out of there!

It's a jam, Steve. It had to be.

How's your eye?

Same as before, Oscar.

What's the matter with your eye, Steve?

I'll explain it too you later.

All right. Halt.

All right. Close that door.

Move!

All right, drive!

Come on, move!

Probably a mobile transmitter.

Seal off the base, Oscar. We're gonna go down and take a look.

What the heck is that Arab doing?

So it was Sakari that you were trying to kill.

Oscar, there's a soft drink truck headed for the west gate!

Now listen to me, Steve, let us take it from here.

Roger, Oscar.

We'll bring it in after this pass.

And I was so sure that Sakari was after me.

Huh. Who are you? The King of Persia?

Levy. The man you almost killed the first time.

Well, your friend's not gonna be so lucky.

Steve, get that plane on the ground!

Jan. I can't see.

Read off the altimeter.

8,000.

9,000.

10,000.

1 1,000.

Steve, do you hear me?

Steve? Are you all right?

Well, I think so.

Oscar?

Thank, God.

Steve, get that plane on the ground.

Just get it out of the air.

Put it down anywhere.

I can see him, Oscar. He's driving across the lake bed.

Don't take chances, Steve. It's not worth it.

I'm goin' after him.

I can't see a thing. What are you talking about?

Stick around, you'll find out.

What the...

You want me? You got me.

It's gonna blow!

Somebody's gonna die...

Winslow!

Shut up!

Where did he go?

Steve!

Steve! It's David.

Get him out of here!

Goodbye, Colonel.

And thanks again.

Good luck, Major.

And David... what can I say?

Try I'm sorry.

I'll do the same.

You nearly gave your life for me, twice.

I'll not forget that.

Thank you.

I think we both have learned.

I never thought I'd be sad to see the world's biggest male chauvinist leave.

Can't you stay and finish school?

With my prime minister in jail, my country needs me.

Perhaps next year... or the next.

And what about you, Lieutenant Simmons?

Who will take my place as your pilot?

Well, if Oscar doesn't mind, I could use a refresher course.

Say good-bye to Colonel Gordon for me.

Tell him I hope he caught as big a fish as we did.

Was that Sakari?

Yup.

Doggonit, cowboy!

Year in, an' year out, all I ever get is routine.

You come down here for two weeks, I go on a vacation... and what happens?

Everything!

You space cowboys have all the fun.

C'mon. Jump in. No sense wearin' out your feet.

Did you catch any fish?

Whadda you think, marshmallow arm?

Come on!