Fire Birds

Fire Birds originally titled Wings of the Apache and released internationally under that name is a 1990 actionthriller film directed by David Green and produced by William Badalato, Keith Barish and Arnold Kopelson. The storyline was conceived by retired Lt. Colonels Step Tyner and John K. Swensson and retired Marine Capt. Dale Dye and developed into a screenplay written by Paul F. Edwards, Nick Thiel and uncredited David Taylor. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Tommy Lee Jones and Sean Young. Cage is cast as a helicopter pilot attempting to help dismantle a drug cartel in South America. Jones plays his pilot instructor and senior ranked military officer during his flight training, while Young portrays his love interest.

Pilot Jake Preston Nicolas Cage is subsequently enlisted in the Apache airtoair combat training program. Earlier, Preston was the sole survivor of a previous airattack by Stoller. Upon his arrival at the training course, he encounters his exgirlfriend Billie Lee Guthrie Sean Young, who broke off their relationship to pursue a separate career flying OH58 Kiowa scout helicopters which often work alongside the Apache as target identifiers and designators. Jakes arrogance and loose improvised style quickly earn him the mixed respect and chagrin of veteran pilot and flight instructor Brad Little Tommy Lee Jones. During the training schedule, Preston is revealed to be suffering from an eye dominance disability, which makes it difficult for him to utilize the Apaches visual input. Using an unconventional but effective training method, Little helps Preston deal with his handicap.A formation of military aircraft consisting of four Apaches and Guthries Kiowa, flies down to South America to provide air support for a DEA mission to hunt down and arrest drug cartel leaders. However, they are soon attacked at their base camp, and one Apache is destroyed. With another Apache left to protect the DEA personnel, Preston, Little and Guthrie attempt to seek out Stoller. They soon locate his position, as well as a pair of Draken jet fighter aircraft who are also protecting the cartel. Little destroys one aircraft, but is shot down in aerial combat by Stoller. He survives, but his Apache is disabled. Stoller later targets Guthrie, but Preston reaches their coordinates and engages him in a fierce dogfight. Using the Apaches maneuverability near a mountainous peak, Preston manages to trick Stoller into flying past him then attacks and destroys his helicopter. Meanwhile, Guthrie uses one of the Stinger missiles onboard Littles downed Apache to destroy the remaining enemy aircraft. With no air support, the cartels defenses cease, and their leaders are later apprehended. As an injured Little

Source: Wikipedia