Birds of Prey (1973)

...and then some. David Janssen plays a military-vet-turned-newschopper-pilot in Salt Lake City who happens upon a bank robbery involving the baddies, a female hostage and an Aerospatiale Llama; Thus, it's off to the rescue in his trusty Hughes 500D, tailing the baddies and along the way: Rescuing the female hostage, blockading a fuel truck on the freeway for a fill-up, and camping out under the stars in the desert wilds (Flying helos that low at night isn't entirely safe, as the Army can adequately prove). In the climactic ending, both helicopters duel it out at an abandoned desert airstrip where the baddies and law converge, and finally, David's character's Hughes 500 collides with the Llama in mid-air. But the story resumes in a dare-to-sequel ending as the awaiting baddies flee in a Cessna 206, with the law in hot pursuit. Excellent action/adventure movie from the '70s, should be archived alongside the greats as "Two-Lane Blacktop", "Vanishing Point" and "Duel".

This is THE BEST helicopter action movie ever made! When two helicopters (Harry's Hughes 500 and the Vet's Aerospatiale Gazelle) fly into the hangar Harry's hiding in (co-incidentally at Wendover Field in Nevada: where the Enola Gay and her crew practiced delivering the atomic bomb) they orbit around each other like giant mechanical dragonfly's.They did a truly amazing job making this movie.I don't think they could remake a better movie than this.The piloting and potentially deadly maneuvers in addition to a heart rending story about "remembering the best times of your lives" make this a great movie. There's also a subplot of a May/December, unfulfilled romance between the very sexy Harry and the very cute "22" (played by Elayne Heilveil). I'm convinced that in the scene where she asks Harry (David Janssen) if SHE CAN KISS HIM: the young Ms. Heilveil nearly passed-out and probably got just a little bit wet! She first says the kiss definitely doesn't feel like her dorky fiancé's. It definitely doesn't feel like kissing her father. Then shortly before she practically mounts ol Harry with EYES AS BIG AS SAUCERS, well: YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

I saw this TV movie when it first appeared on television. I was riveted. The flying scenes were superb, and it was fast moving. One of David Jansen's best performances. The main character seemed to come alive, and you were able to see what events in his past shaped who he was. Just wish it were available on video.

This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I just loved the flying-scene and the cool hardened look of Jansen. I think it´s too little helicopters in movies now a days. Helicopters are probably the coolest and most impressive vehicle ever invented. Maybe, the morrow-accident recalls too much bad memories to the directors? Nevermind this is a good film (especially because it´s TV-film from the 70´s) recommended especially for teenagers and war-veterans..