Loosely following a young American Air Force pilot from his young boy dreams to a new career in the Air Force, the film documents the world's most intense air-training event: OPERATION RED FLAG. According to the production, pilots say RED FLAG exercises are more challenging and more dangerous than actual combat.

Fighter planes and pilots from multiple countries join Americans to simulate real dogfights, real missions, real combat above the canyons in America's southwest.

Airplane's roll and dodge, cameras mounted inside and outside; most of the action is interesting, relaxing up in the sky, some is very cool. Capturing two planes at 600-mph roll and dodge is admittedly a daunting task, but I could have used more of that and less landings, less of our dashing young pilot head-on in his craft looking around for the "bad guy" on his tail.

The film flies the fine line between edutainment and propaganda for the Air Force. Our star fighter esteems his grandfather who flew and fought in WWII. In narration, he strives to tame the "glory" of fighting with respect for the enemy and quell the swell of ego with the rewards of working as a team. Either way, overall, "Fighter Pilot" successfully educates as it entertains.

I particularly enjoyed the "mission control" aircraft, stocked with computers and operators keeping track of the various squadrons. Serving as an airborne controller station, everybody looks to them to keep soaring jets from smashing right into each other.