Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771

If you fly or have ever flown as a passenger out over an ocean and experienced its vastness, or if you've ever been lost in the middle of nowhere without a map, at night and running out of gas, then you'll totally relate to this movie about the rescue of a solo Cessna pilot lost over the ocean between Pogo Pogo and Auckland, New Zealand. I found it suspenseful and engrossing in spite of thinking I knew how it'd end. The leads are well acted by Scott Bakula & Robert Loggia despite both of them being strapped to their pilot seats for most of the movie. I found myself on the edge of my seat at times. There characters form an interesting father-son type relationship exclusively from their conversations over the radio. I found their conversations the most interesting part of the movie. And at the end I was totally blown away to discover that this was a true story!

The fact that the movie is about a little known real-life aviation event in 1978 got me to start watching the movie. What held my interest was the suspense of finding out the fate of "the lost pilot". Scott Bakula was great in this role because he easily came across as a likable fellow who you want to root for.

Basically, the story recounts a 1978 incident near Australia in which a commercial jetliner went looking for a single occupant plane that was lost over the ocean. The small plane was still flying, but had lost navigational capability and was also running out of fuel. The pilot was planning to ditch into the sea ... and no one knew where he was.

The creative techniques that the captain of the commercial jetliner used to try and find the plane were impressive. They are also based on what actually happened - so this was pretty cool to watch. The captain's further efforts to convince the passengers to allow the search were interesting as well. The story was quite unusual as far as "plane" movies go, so this was a treat.

This movie is a pretty good story that just about everyone is likely to enjoy; I recommend checking it out. (If you're a plane enthusiast, definitely catch this one!)

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.

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.....

Dr. Sam Beckett (Quantum Leap) and Dr. Kennedy (Neighbours) attempt to fly from San Francisco to Australia in two 'toy planes' - but once I managed to get past this concept, I was hooked! A true Christmas film with plenty of spirit, 'Mercy Mission' is both exciting and believable. I don't know a lot about the technical side of the action, but that didn't stop me rooting for the characters - wanting Jay not to give in, and Gordon to win the approval of his passengers (I loved his explanation to the children on board about what had happened to Jay, and why they needed to help). And, of course, by the end, I was just as emotional as those on screen - which is how any Christmas movie worth its salt should affect an audience. Frank's battle with his plane in Pago Pago was also convincing (even if his accent was a little trans-continental), and the dialogue was both strong and funny ("How old could you be?" "This guy's really old, 771") This film is recommended any time of year, as it's easy to watch, but sharing your Christmas with Gordon and Jay really adds to the experience.