When it comes to flying gliders, ace pilot Breeze Callaghan is as smooth as they come. He perfects a skill that will prove vitally important for decades to come—even into the jet age, as demonstrated by Captain Sully Sullenberger, who famously landed his disabled passenger plane on the Hudson River.

Sully’s jet was brought down by a flock of geese, while Breeze is going up against a vulture named Badger O’Dowell. Both pilots are vying for a Navy contract, and Badger would love to shoot the Breeze … literally. Short of that he’ll do everything he can to sabotage Breeze in flight.

It’s game on, and as Breeze is about to discover, Badger’s an expert at playing dirty. And there’s much more than money at stake: there’s his reputation, his life, and his love of a beautiful woman.