Editing Iron Eagle (section)

==Plot==
Doug Masters, son of veteran [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] pilot Colonel Ted Masters, is a hotshot civilian pilot hoping to follow in his father's role. He receives a notice of rejection from the [[United States Air Force Academy|Air Force Academy]], and his father has been shot down and captured by the fictional Arab state of Bilya while patrolling over the [[Mediterranean Sea]].

Though the incident occurred over [[international waters]], the Arab state's court finds Colonel Masters guilty of trespassing over their territory and sentences him to [[Hanging|hang]] in three days. Deciding that the U.S. government will do nothing to save his father's life, Doug devises his own rescue mission. He requests the help of Col. Charles "Chappy" Sinclair, a [[Vietnam veteran]] pilot currently in the [[Air Force Reserve]], who, though not knowing Colonel Masters personally, had a favorable run-in with him years before meeting Doug and "knew the type." Chappy is initially skeptical, but Doug convinces him that, with his friends, he has full access to the airbase's intelligence and resources and can give him an [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16 fighter]] for the mission. To Doug's surprise, Chappy had already begun planning a rescue operation after learning the outcome of Colonel Masters's trial. The team of Chappy and Doug devise a meticulously planned mission and the procurement of two heavily armed F-16B jets, with Doug flying the second unit.

On the day of Colonel Masters's scheduled execution, Doug and Chappy fly their jets to the Mediterranean Sea and cross into Bilyan airspace. The Bilyan military responds, and in the ensuing battle, Doug and Chappy take out three [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23|MiG-23]] fighters and destroy an airfield, with Chappy's plane being hit by anti-aircraft fire. He tells Doug to climb to a high altitude and play the tape he made the night before. Doug then listens as Chappy's engine fails and crashes into the Mediterranean Sea. Chappy's recorded voice gives Doug encouragement and details that help him to complete the mission and rescue his father. Making the enemy believe he is leading a [[squadron (aviation)|squadron]], Doug threatens the enemy state into releasing his father for pickup.

Before Doug lands his F-16, Colonel Masters is shot by a sniper, causing Doug to destroy the airbase and engulf the runway with [[napalm]] to keep the army at bay while he lands and picks up his wounded father. Just as they take off, Doug and his father encounter another group of MiGs led by Col. Akir Nakesh, himself an [[ace pilot]]. The lone F-16 and Nakesh's MiG engage in a [[dogfight]] until a missile from Doug finishes off Nakesh. Low on fuel and ammunition, the F-16 is pursued by the other enemy MiGs when a flight of U.S. Air Force F-16s appears, warding off the MiGs before escorting Doug and his father to [[Ramstein Air Base]] in [[West Germany]].

While Col. Masters is being treated for his wounds, Doug is reunited with Chappy, who had ejected from his plane and was picked up by an [[Egypt]]ian [[fishing trawler]]. The two are summoned by an Air Force judiciary panel for their reckless actions. Seeing that any punishment for the duo would expose an embarrassing lapse in Air Force security, the panel forgoes prosecution as long as Doug and Chappy never speak of their operation to anyone. In addition, Chappy convinces the panel to grant Doug admission to the Air Force Academy. Days later, a plane assigned by the President returns to the U.S., reuniting Doug, Chappy, and Colonel Masters with family and friends.