Air America (1990) - John Eskow

September 11, 1988

AIR AMERICA

Screenplay by John Eskow

Synopsis by Brian Aldrich

Laos, 1971. Nixon tells the American people that there is NO war going on in Laos. Meanwhile, civilian pilots employed by the CIA, the "Air America" forces, are dropping bombs and getting shot down over Laos. ROB DIEHL is the CIA representative. GENE RYACK is a weary pilot, bitter towards the CIA, but having three native wives and massing munitions for his own profit. Rob needs more pilots. BILLY COVINGTON is a young helicopter pilot who checks on the freeway traffic for a radio station. He makes a crazy scene on the radio and loses his license. A CIA rep signs him up for Air America. Arriving in Laos, he finds himself to be the straight man in a world of crazier pilots. Gene befriends and guides him. Billy has eyes for Rob's woman, CORIENNE, an American who tries to help the natives. Billy gets into the swing of things, dropping food, pigs, and the CIA's psychological weapons to the natives by day and getting roaring drunk at the local whorehouse by night.

Rob is in league with MAJOR LEMOND, an American, and GENERAL SOONG, a Laotian who wants to open a Dairy Queen in America. The trio are running Soong's opium in the Air America planes (unknown to the pilots) in return for Soong's armies assistance in the "secret war". Billy is shot down and crash lands onto an abandoned airstrip. Soong shows up to rescue Billy's cargo of heroin. Gene arrives to save Billy. Gene and Bille become aware of the drug scam. Meanwhile, Lemond and Rob are worried about the arrival of SENATOR DAVENPORT, a moralist looking for problems. They romance the Senator and tell him that there is a drug problem, but the pilots are responsible. Billy helps Corienne rescue a tribe of natives by flying them to a refugee camp. Their village was destroyed by Lemond's bombs because they wouldn't sell their poppys to Soong. Rob decides to set up Billy as a drug runner to satisfy the Senator.

Gene decides to sell his hidden munitions and move to Thailand with one of his wives. He loads up a plane with his cargo and goes off to sell it. Billy loads up his plane with cargo for his daily drop. Unknown to him, Rob has planted heroin and shorted his gas supply. Rob, Lemond, and the Senator wait to catch Billy at an airstrip near the one where Billy crash landed. Rob senses the setup. He crash lands at the airstrip and hides his aircraft inside the cargo bay of the previous wreck. Rob and Lemond can't find him. The Senator senses a setup. Rob is rescued by Gene who is enroute to his last drop. Corienne radios for help as the refugee camp is about to be massacred by Soong's army. With Billy's bidding, Gene lands, pushes out his cargo, and loads the natives. Lemond shows to arrest Gene, but Gene blows up the weapons and sails off with his cargo of natives.

Summary Criticism: Despite some pointless red herrings and contrivances, the script works, but is rather boring and laborious.

Air America - imdb