In a one-week timeframe, life at the front in a RFC squadron is documented. The background story begins a year before, in October 1916, with fighter Flying ace Major John Gresham (Malcolm McDowell) speaking to a class of pupils at Eton College. One year later, a new recruit, 2nd Lt. Croft (Peter Firth), arrives at Gresham's temporary base in northern France. Gresham had been his house captain at Eton and is also the boyfriend of his older sister.