Airplane

PLOT

Ex-fighter pilot Ted Striker is a traumatized war veteran turned taxi driver. Because of his pathological fear of flying and "drinking problem" (being unable to take a drink without splashing it on his face), he has been unable to hold a responsible job. His wartime girlfriend, Elaine Dickinson, now a flight attendant, leaves him before boarding her assigned flight from Los Angeles to Chicago. Ted abandons his taxi and buys a ticket on the same flight to try to win her back. However, she still continues to reject him during the flight.

After the in-flight meal is served, several of the passengers and the flight crew fall ill, including Captain Oveur. Passenger Dr. Rumack discovers that the fish served onboard caused food poisoning. With the flight crew incapacitated, Elaine contacts the Chicago control tower for help, and is instructed by tower supervisor Steve McCroskey to activate the plane's autopilot, a large inflatable pilot dummy dubbed "Otto", which will get them to Chicago, but will not be able to land the plane. Elaine and Dr. Rumack convince Ted to take the controls. When Steve learns that Ted is piloting, he contacts Ted's former commanding officer, Rex Kramer, now serving as a commercial pilot, so that he can help talk Ted through landing the plane. Ted becomes troubled when Rex starts giving instructions, and briefly stresses out from flashbacks to the war. Both Elaine and Dr. Rumack bolster Ted's confidence and he takes the controls under Rex's guidance.

As the plane nears Chicago, the weather worsens, making landing difficult. With Elaine's help as co-pilot and Rex's guidance, Ted is able to land the plane safely with the passengers suffering only minor injuries, despite the landing gear being sheared off. Rescue vehicles arrive to help unload the plane. Impressed by Ted's display of courage, Elaine embraces and kisses him, rekindling their relationship. The two watch as "Otto" takes control of the plane, inflates a female companion, and takes off.

CAST

Robert Hays as Ted Striker

Julie Hagerty as Elaine Dickinson

Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack

Peter Graves as Capt. Clarence Oveur

Lloyd Bridges as Steve McCroskey

Robert Stack as Capt. Rex Kramer

Lorna Patterson as Randy

Stephen Stucker as Air Traffic Controller Johnny Henshaw-Jacobs

Frank Ashmore as Victor Basta

Jonathan Banks as Gunderson

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as Roger Murdock

Craig Berenson as Paul Carey

Barbara Billingsley as Jive Lady

Lee Bryant as Mrs. Hammen

Nicholas Pryor as Jim Hammen

Joyce Bulifant as Mrs. Davis

Maureen McGovern as Nun

Kenneth Tobey as Air Controller Neubauer

Marcy Goldman as Mrs. Geline

Barbara Stuart as Mrs. Kramer

Rossie Harris as Joey Hammen

Norman Alexander Gibbs as 1st Jive Dude

Al White as 2nd Jive Dude

David Hollander as the young boy with coffee

Michelle Stacy as the young girl with coffee

David Leisure as First Krishna

Jason Wingreen as Dr. Brody

Jill Whelan as Lisa Davis

Ethel Merman as Lt. Hurwitz

Lee Terri as Mrs. Linda Oveur

Jimmie Walker as Windshield Wiper Man

James Hong as Japanese General

Howard Jarvis as the Man in the Taxi

Michael Laurence as a Newscaster

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

a parody of the disaster film genre, particularly the 1957 Paramount film Zero Hour!, from which it borrows the plot and the central characters, as well as many elements from Airport 1975 and other films in the Airport series