Flight Angels

Cleared for takeoff: Flight Angels, an aviation programmer steeped in man-woman attitudes of its time.

The story is centered on commercial pilots eager to fly higher (during off-hours they’re designing a high-altitude plane) and up-in-the-air attendants eager to land a man (exchanges between the femmes in the Stewardess Lounge are exceptionally catty).

Virginia Bruce and Jane Wyman portray two of the title’s Angels. Dennis Morgan plays the pilot whose eye problems result in him being grounded by his superintendent (Ralph Bellamy) and sent to the classroom to instruct future flight attendants. He refuses to stay grounded, test-piloting his experimental stratospheric aircraft without authorization. Wayne Morris, inspired by his role in the film, became a real-life pilot and went on to become a decorated WWII flight hero.