Bailout at 43,000 1957

United States Air Force Colonel William Hughes asks Major Paul Peterson, who has been called back to active service, to join a team at the Air Research and Development Command conducting tests on a downward ejection seat for bombardiers in the new Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber. The program, which began with articulated dummies, now requires real human test subjects. In addition to Colonel Hughes, Dr. Franz Gruener runs the project, working directly with the volunteers, and Captain Jack Nolan is assigned to supervise the operation.

The first volunteer, Captain Mike Cavallero, suffers a broken neck when his parachute opens too early and is hospitalized after the test. The next subject is Lieutenant Edward Simmons, with Paul waiting his turn. When Mike is suddenly rushed to hospital with appendicitis, Paul is moved up the line, thrusting him into a role he hadn’t initially embraced.

Paul, who has a wife and a son at home, is reluctant to commit to the dangerous program. His hesitation deepens after the news that Captain Jack Nolan has been killed in a B-47 crash, which underscores the peril involved; as the bombardier, he might not have been able to escape the aircraft. His wife, Carol Peterson, pleads with his commanding officer to release him from the assignment. Yet, when Paul arrives to take the test, he finds Colonel Hughes himself suited up and urging him to reconsider his decision, arguing that the bailout could be possible even from a high-speed jet bomber.

The test continues, with Paul flying alongside Dr. Franz Gruener. During the bailout sequence, Paul ejects, but when ground observers ask him to indicate that he’s well by spreading his arms in a spread-eagle pose, he does not respond immediately. He is recovered by the rescue launch, and the medics determine that he is fine; his delayed response was a result of intense concentration rather than an injury.

Back on solid ground, Paul is greeted by Carol and their son, Kit Peterson. With their blessing, he resolves to stay with the program, continuing his work to advance the bailout test and to demonstrate, through careful testing and perseverance, that safe escape from the high-speed aircraft is indeed achievable.