A routine flight turns into a major emergency as passengers and crew succumb to food poisoning - is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane? If that sounds vaguely familiar, it's because 'Airplane' was a send-up of this forerunner of the 1970s disaster movie.. Written by Michael Brooke During WWII, Ted Stryker was an Allied (Canadian) Air Force pilot. During his last mission as a squadron leader in 1945, he feels six of his men died because of a misjudgment on his part. He has not forgiven himself ever since for those deaths. Eleven years later back in Winnipeg, his life has not progressed because of his inability to deal with that tragedy. Just when his professional life seems to be getting back on track, his wife Ellen leaves him, taking their son Joey with her. Despite not having been in a plane since WWII and feeling mentally unprepared to do so, Ted follows Ellen onto a flight to Vancouver. Tragedy strikes aboard the flight when half those on board - including the pilot, co-pilot and Joey - are stricken with food poisoning. It is not only a rush to land the plane quickly in Vancouver to take those sick to hospital (all closer airports being closed due to inclement weather), but also trying to find someone on board not sick to fly the plane. Ted is their only hope. Ted gets some assistance on the mechanics of the newer airplane technology from Captain Martin Treleaven on the ground at air control in Vancouver, Martin who was a flying colleague of Ted's during WWII. Martin also has to act as therapist to help Ted get over the thoughts of the tragedy from eleven years earlier. Written by Huggo Ted Stryker is an ex-World War II squadron leader and fighter pilot who, 10 years after the end of the war, is still haunted by a decision he made that resulted in the death of several of his men. He's been unable to keep a job and when he gets home one day, he finds a note from his wife saying she and their young son Joey are leaving him and flying to Vancouver. He manages to get on board the aircraft before it leaves but when the pilot and co-pilot - along with many passengers, including his son Joey - fall severely ill due to food poisoning, Stryker is the only man on-board with any flying experience, though not in multi-engine aircraft. He has to overcome his fears if he is to save the life of his loved ones and the rest of the passengers and crew.
