The Pilot (1981)

Robertson (who also directed) is a near perfect pilot with North American Airlines or whatever that fictional name is. Never even a question about a fender bender after some thirty years with Global Circumcisional Airlines, nor a whisper of one. He seems to have second sight about problems like the weather ahead. But his co-pilot and his flight attendant are uneasy, as is his girl friend, Diane Baker. Robertson has this little problem. It's nothing drastic. He doesn't have a closet full of ladies' shoes or anything but he tipples all the time. He even has a flask ("my spooker") hidden away on the airplane, thoughtfully taped to the underside of the wash basin in the head. He's as cool a San Francisco in August. Nothing rattles him and he radiates self confidence. But he needs a few belts during a flight to keep him at the right altitude. At home, off duty, his self-imposed limits relax and though he's still cool his mind drifts and his words begin to run into each other.This is a serious business. I've known pilots who wouldn't drink a glass of beer at lunch because they were going to fly later that afternoon. If National Transgender Airlines ever found out about Robertson's little habit, it would be good-bye wings and four stripes. The flight attendant suspects something is up because of Robertson's many visits to the loo and Robertson's never having mentioned a problem with Crohn's disease. She's kept a notebook timing his visits to the john. Well, she merely suspects that Robertson is drinking but his first officer, Converse, knows about it. He's been flying with Robertson a long time and the flight deck is a small community -- in which members don't squeal on one another to the authorities.After one tense flight, when Robertson's flask leaks most of his booze, he decides to gamble on a long flight even though their fuel supply is low. He needs to set down in a city where he can get a drink pronto. According to the American Psychiatric Association, what Robertson suffers from is alcohol dependency. He doesn't need to get sloppy drunk but he needs alcohol on a regular basis to continue his normal functions. It's not acute alcoholism. That's the diagnosis for people who go on binges and stay drunk until they can't take it any longer. An example is director John Ford, who would stay bombed for several weeks at a time but allowed no drinking by anyone while shooting a movie. Of course a lot of individual cases fall in between these two categories. Now, if someone will help me out of this lab coat -- thank you, Anyway, the boss at Worldwide Transcendental Airways, Gordon MacRae, who in real life was in a position to know about these things, decides to plant a mole, Binns, aboard Robertson's airplane, flying as co-pilot, just to keep an eye on him and see if anything is up. Nothing seems up at first but then, after an abruptly aborted takeoff prevents a calamity, Robertson heads straight for his spooker and is caught in the process. MacRae offers Robertson time off to get treatment but Robertson quits both booze and Escher's Infinite Airlines and returns to crop dusting where his heart has always been.The film rests on Robertson's shoulders and he carries it well. The recent movie, "Flight", with Denzel Washington, is full of action and drama based on alcohol, crack, furious fireball-fomenting airplane crashes, and Washington's self righteousness. It could be a faster-paced and more violent variation on the theme established in "The Pilot." There are no fireballs here. Kids may find it sluggish and dull. But there is an abundance of tension and Robertson's performance is quite good.His last scene with Converse has the two of them recovering from a near accident by having drinks in Robertson's hotel room. Converse says, "Now I really need this myself," but as he pours the whiskey, we see that his glass is half full of ice cubes and they get only a good splash, while Robertson's tumbler is neat and half full. That's not a picture of two people talking. It's the language of movies.

I'm not a pilot so the fact that so many reviewers appreciated the cockpit scenes is an added plus. I liked the movie because of its accurate depiction of an alcoholic and his recovery. The insidiousness of alcoholism is shown well. The relationships of people close to the alcoholic, to those who want to help and how the alcoholic hides or believes that he hides his problem are also very true to life. Not only is the movie uplifting because it shows that recovery is possible but also there is a strong "follow your heart and your passion" message. Finally, is it just me or is the new movie, Flight, by Zemekis with Denzel a total ripoff of this movie?? Seriously, saw the new movie yesterday which is a good movie but during the movie, I was going, "Wait, I saw this movie already about thirty years ago."

The story line is good. What makes this a must see is the true to life cockpit footage. This is the most real to life cockpit filming including ATC, checklist usage and procedures that I have ever seen. Thanks to Cliff Robertson, who is a pilot, this movie is awesome if you are a pilot-or a fan of aviation. Finding this movie is a difficult task. I found it once in Blockbuster in the mid 80's but nothing since. The whole movie is a struggle for Mike Hagan with drinking and keeping his edge in the cockpit. Good ending, doing what you love is what he turns to. I think this movie is underrated as the story line is a personal struggle and involves his work.

This is the most realistic flying movie I have seen for pilots, experienced veterans or future aviators alike. It depicts the real workings of Air Traffic Control, Airline Dispatch Centers, and cockpit crew coordination. The airliners used in the movie may be outdated (like me) but the movie still captures the essence and intensity of airline pilots daily life. The many melodramatic movies that tried to cash-in on the success of the original "Airport (1970)" ridiculed the seriousness and the professionalism expected from Airline Rated Pilots. "The Pilot" was refreshing story to see, a model for future aviators to emulate.The story follows the life of a senior airline pilot, member of a rare breed of aviators, the "born-to-fly" type. Captain Hagan (Cliff Robertson) has been flying all his life, he was born to fly. He flew at every "flight levels": private, military, and finally airline transport. In his time off, he flies his own airplane whereas most professionals go on to enjoy other activities. Captain Hagan has developed a sixth sense for flying as he forms a single entity with the aircraft. He feels the air flowing over the airfoil surfaces and communicates with the jetliner through the controls.Despite his safety record and his professionalism, Captain Hagan has a terrible secret, he is an alcoholic. Like a few former military fliers, he has learned to deal with the stresses of flying, the pain of loosing fellow pilots, the hardship of long war patrols with alcohol. Now he must deal with his disease and the movie follows his journey through recovery with the help of a controversial physician, Dr. O'Brian (Milo O'Shea).Back on his "castle", Diane Baker plays the role of Pat Simpson, his supportive, sensitive, and affectionate sweetheart; in a sense, not an unusual scenario for some professional pilots. Under her tender eyes, he taxis out his acrobatic airplane and takes-off in the blue yonder where he finds peace and serenity. The end of the movie is plausible and I will let the viewer make their own critique.Overall, I highly recommend this movie for anyone who wants a realistic non-Hollywood look at the rigors of airline flying along with the book "Tips to Fly by" by Richard Collins. Enjoy and fly safe!