The plane stalls and they are forced to eject, narrowly missing a B-50 Superfortress piloted by navigator 'Tank' Sullivan ( James Garner) as they parachute to safety. Air Force pilots and aspiring astronauts, William 'Hawk' Hawkins ( Tommy Lee Jones) and Frank Corvin ( Clint Eastwood), are testing a modified X-plane when Hawk decides to try to break a height record.
