Flight from Ashiya is an adventure story about 3 valiant military aviators, starring Yul Brynner, Richard Widmark, and George Chakiris in the United States Airforce Air/Sea Rescue Service. Set in post World War II 1950’s Japan at the US Airforce base at Ashiya, the men of the Air/Sea Rescue Service repeatedly risked their lives, and sometimes gave their lives, “So That Others May Live”.
The US Airforce vehicle of choice to perform these rescues was the seaplane Grumman HU-16E, designed to make open ocean landings, even during inclement weather conditions. Flying these missions was considered very hazardous peace time duty. In fact this was so dangerous that the US military no longer performs fixed wing open ocean rescue landings. This movie is one of the few films ever to feature the Grumann Albatross in action. The movie is a character study of what motivates these three men to risk their lives daily in the service. Across a series of flashbacks you are aware about their individual stories in wartime, during a very difficult and deadly ocean rescue mission.There are nice Albatross footage, showing how difficult open-ocean landings were.
At the end a good story of courage, another interesting airplane movie from the sixties. Worth to be seen, and easy to find in download on the net.