Volo 771 - Missione Norfolk

Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771 is a tense rescue drama, made-to-order for aviation buffs! The movie starts off by introducing the main character, Jay Parkins, (played by Scott Bakula), as a kind of a rogue, itinerant pilot, unwilling to settle down to the daily grind of an airline cockpit, and preferring to take on risky flying jobs where and when he can find them. Jay and his friend Frank (Alan Fletcher), take on the task of ferrying two Piper Ag Cats, which are crop dusting aircraft, on a long-haul over the Pacific Ocean all the way from San Francisco to Australia. Obviously, the premise is ridiculous, but the movie is supposed to be based on a true story, so somewhere, there had to be two pilots crazy enough to actually try this stunt!

Predictably, problems plague the mission. First, Frank cracks up on take off from Pago Pago, leaving Jay to continue the rest of the trip alone. Then, through a combination of mechanical failures and poor judgment, Jay gets over the Pacific Ocean on the last leg of the trip. Fortunately, both his HF and VHF radios still work, and he calls for help from an Air Traffic Control center in New Zealand. This is where Captain Gordon Vette, played by bad-guy Robert Loggia in a refreshingly non-type cast role, comes to the rescue. Utilizing a very plausible air-to-air search procedure, Capt. Vette and his Air New Zealand flight crew locate Jay, and ultimately help navigate him to safety. I won't give away any more of the plot details, but suffice it to say that as a highly critical aviation movie buff, this movie did very little to annoy me, or insult my intelligence as someone with more than a passing knowledge of aviation. Technical assistance was very good.

The "goofs" note the transformation of the ANZ commercial aircraft from a B-737 to a B-767, but that sort of continuity problem is common and pretty much must be overlooked, since stock footage is cheaper than setting up a location shot just to depict a jet airliner take-off.

The thing I enjoyed most about this film is the likeability of the characters, which were developed just enough to let us get to know them enough to care about them. The real Capt. Vette, an American Ex-Air Force pilot stationed in New Zealand after marrying a local girl, seems to be the ideal of the individualistic, capable, yet compassionate airline Captain -- someone into whose hands you would gladly trust your life. This is what film does best -- portray the human condition in a manner which makes the viewer identify with the characters and the situation. The rest of the plot elements -- Jay's long-suffering wife, who would prefer the financial security of her husband's boredom in an airline cockpit, Jay's side-kick Frank, who wasn't thrilled about the "mission" in the first place, and the people on the ground and aboard the Air New Zealand flight who work together to make the rescue mission work -- are all done just right, and greatly help the viewer enjoy the film!

I give this movie 3 1/2 propeller blades out of four! It is a very interesting movie which I recommend to all aviation enthusiasts!

This film is a pleasant enough way to while away a Sunday afternoon. It's becoming something of a cult classic with students (in Britain) due to the casting- Scott Bakula will forever be associated with Dr Samuel Beckett but the more legendary of the two doctors surely has to be Dr Karl Kennedy.....

I have watched this movie every Christmas since it came out. And the copy we have is a very old video! It's impossible to find in DVD form--I don't know why,because it is one of Robert Loggia's best movies, and Scott Bakula's as well. It's hard to believe a movie that is mostly a conversation between two pilots flying in separate planes over the ocean can be so moving, but it is. It is also suspenseful-keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. This movie is a great example of the ability of one person to encourage another through difficult times. Brings to mind "Flight of the Phoenix" (the one with Jimmy Stewart), in how people work together to solve a seemingly impossible situation. What adds to the specialness of this movie is that it is based on a true incident.

My husband doesn't usually like the normal type of Christmas movie, but this is one film we watch every year. We are usually both sniffling by the end. Robert Loggia is simply great as Gordon, and Scott Bakula his usual likeable self. Also love the passengers on the plane, the mistletoe good luck charm, etc.

BTW, the two guys grinning and celebrating up in the tower when Jay finally lands are the real Jay and Gordon!

This is an aviation movie bathed in emotion and adventure. The acting is superb. Scott Bacula captured the desperation of a young husband and father-to-be without enough monetary support for his family He was willing to make the Christmas sacrifice of being away in an effort to give to his family. The Christmas spirit was woven throughout the movie including the small angel chime hanging above the window. Many aviation rescue movies are unbelievably filled with technical errors. This one was on the mark. I always enjoyed it on TV during the holiday season, however I can't seem to find it. I would love to purchase a copy if anyone has an idea how to do this. I appreciate any help.