The entry is based on historical fact. During WWII, aerial combat sometimes necessitated pilots bailing out at sub-stratospheric heights. The extreme high-altitude, often meant death or injury to the descending airmen, but higher reaches also gave American airmen a combat advantage. Thus, medical man Captain Roberts (Beaumont) is assigned to investigate and remedy the hazards of high altitude jumps.
There's a heavy overlay of technicalities in this 30-minutes that may not appeal to everyone. Nonetheless, the series dedication to fact and respect for the audience is also apparent. There's some effort at dramatic contrast by including Roberts's family for lighter, more audience friendly, moments. All this leads up to the climax where Roberts must make a high altitude jump to test out his proposed remedies. Actor Beaumont is perfect for the role of dedicated doctor, though seeing him with a wife other than Barbara Billingsley takes some getting used to. In passing-- a movie-length treatment of the same subject is taken up two years later by the B-movie Bail-out at 43,000 (1957). All in all, this is an especially intelligent entry, of special interest to those concerned with the effects of oxygen depletion.
There's a heavy overlay of technicalities in this 30-minutes that may not appeal to everyone. Nonetheless, the series dedication to fact and respect for the audience is also apparent. There's some effort at dramatic contrast by including Roberts's family for lighter, more audience friendly, moments. All this leads up to the climax where Roberts must make a high altitude jump to test out his proposed remedies. Actor Beaumont is perfect for the role of dedicated doctor, though seeing him with a wife other than Barbara Billingsley takes some getting used to. In passing-- a movie-length treatment of the same subject is taken up two years later by the B-movie Bail-out at 43,000 (1957). All in all, this is an especially intelligent entry, of special interest to those concerned with the effects of oxygen depletion.
