The Wings of Eagles

I guess down at Pensacola...

... they still talk about the day

of the admiral's tea party.

It was one of what came to be called

"Spig's Big Days."

Spig Wead and I were in Annapolis

and World War I together.

But all along,

Spig knew he wanted to fly...

... and I knew I wanted

whatever Spig wanted.

So we wangled our way into the first

regular flying class the Navy ever had.

Not bad, not bad, not bad.

Question, Mr. Dexter.

The same question, Mr. Wead?

- The same question, sir.

- Same answer, Mr. Wead.

I suspected as much, sir.

What was the answer, Mr. Wead?

We are not to engage in solo flight...

...until our instructor feels

we are ready, sir.

And the reason, Mr. Wead?

Planes and funerals are expensive.

They cost the taxpayers money, sir.

Attention.

I shall see you

at the admiral's tea party.

Dismissed.

- Come on, let's go.

- Spig, will you quit riding him.

Hey, right.

Hey, can these things really fly?

- Where did you leave your motorcycles?

- What?

- There's no smoking on the base.

- What about you?

Cigars only.

How do you like that.

What's the Army doing around my plane?

Who cares what

the Army's doing, Spig?

Min told us 3:
00. She's waiting.

The admiral's tea?

Hey, you.

You wanna buy her?

This pile of junk?

Can anybody get it up in the air?

Now, why don't you just hop right up

in there with me and we'll find out.

Now, why don't we just do that.

Trip over your spurs?

Put your foot here. One foot there.

- Back over here now.

- Spig, you idiot.

- Jughead, let's go.

- Go where?

Taking the Army for a ride.

- Taking the Army for a ride? Just like that?

- Just like that.

You've never been

at the controls by yourself before.

And right now you owe six payments

on your furniture...

...three on your Stutz Bearcat,

two on your baby.

If anything goes wrong,

there'll be a court-martial.

They'll kick you out of the Navy.

And I'll wind up a second-class seaman,

just like this dope.

- Think of the future, Mr...

- Shut up, Pincus.

Spig Wead.

Never listen to anybody else.

Just do exactly what you wanna do

all the time.

All right, you wanna fly that thing?

Go ahead.

Go ahead, kill yourself. You'll wind up

busted and broke.

I can always join the Army.

Why don't you be quiet

just once in a while?

Mr. Wead wants to fly,

didn't you hear him?

Get a line. Hurry up. Get a move on.

- Ready, Army?

- Ready, Navy.

Crazy idiot, Spig.

No, don't do it.

- Come back.

- Spig, don't.

All right, Johnny. Where is he?

I told him 3:
00.

Did I have to specify what day?

Who's that idiot?

That's Spig, honey.

Spig?

Hey.

Hey, how much time have you had?

- About 11 seconds.

- What?

Eleven seconds.

- But the admiral's tea party was this...

- I couldn't help it, Min.

- I couldn't help it. I tried...

- Well, you ought to know better.

I did everything I...

I did everything I could.

- Go get that crash boat.

- Yes, sir. Let's go. Now.

Come on. Let's go. Let's go.

Put it down, down.

Hey, there's my crew.

Let's buzz them.

Come here.

Lookit there.

Hey, lookie there.

Hey, did you ever

fly through a hangar?

- No. Oh, no. Oh, come on, fella. No, no.

- Neither have I.

That's my wife.

I'm sorry, ma'am.

I did everything I could.

- Hey, let me have the stick.

- What?

The stick. I'm taking over.

No.

- What's the matter?

- We're out of gas.

Well, set her down, you idiot.

Watch this landing.

No, on the water. On the water!

Hang on.

Spig!

You all right, sir?

Sorry, shorty, I missed it.

- You all right, Spig?

- Here, give him a hand. Get him out of here.

Are you alive?

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