I first saw this on television (on the afternoon "Million Dollar Movie") in the Boston area when I was a kid and I loved it. I thought it was better than "The High and the Mighty."
The situation is believable only if one considers the era in which it was made; that is, in the days of propeller-driven aircraft, one could believe that the flight attendants might ask a passenger to take control of the plane when the pilot, co-pilot and navigator are all out of commission.
When "Airplane" came out in 1980, I told my friends it was based almost exactly on "Zero Hour," but no one believed me -- they all thought "Airplane" was based on "Airport." I can't watch this movie now without thinking of Airplane, but I still think it's great.
The situation is believable only if one considers the era in which it was made; that is, in the days of propeller-driven aircraft, one could believe that the flight attendants might ask a passenger to take control of the plane when the pilot, co-pilot and navigator are all out of commission.
When "Airplane" came out in 1980, I told my friends it was based almost exactly on "Zero Hour," but no one believed me -- they all thought "Airplane" was based on "Airport." I can't watch this movie now without thinking of Airplane, but I still think it's great.