After his friend is killed in Vietnam flying a Marine helicopter, young Paul Stone gives up his dream of becoming a fighter pilot. Instead, he decides to follow his friend's example flying a helicopter to save lives rather than take them. As a grown man Paul follows the first of his friends footsteps and becomes a Marine officer. Taking the next step he pins the gold wings of a Marine helicopter pilot on his new dress blue uniform. It appears to him that he is well on the way to his goal. But the Marines have far different plans for him. Those plans will take him down a steadily divergent...

Finding himself a newly minted civilian in Los Angeles, former Marine helicopter pilot Paul Stone finds the least regimented job he can do in a helicopter. Working for John, an old hippie with a surprising past, Paul learns valuable lessons in living and enjoying his new life. He takes these lessons with him to settle quietly in the hill country of Central Texas. Life is easy until his old flight student and protege, Arlen appears. With him Arlen brings Paul the answer to a long forgotten prayer. Soon, Paul is immersed in the life and work of an air ambulance pilot "Flying the Lifeline." See...