It has the distinction of often being credited as the first Hollywood film glorifying the American military to be released after the outbreak of World War II in Europe, a year before the U.S. entered the conflict.

[2] Hotshot ensign Alan Drake, fresh from flight school at Pensacola, Florida, gets off to a bad start with the pilots of an elite Fighting 8 squadron (VF-8), nicknamed the "Hellcats", to which he has been posted in San Diego.

Making a nearly disastrous landing attempt in heavy fog against orders and disqualifying the squadron during a competitive shooting exercise by colliding with the target drogue does not endear him to his fellow pilots.

He mixes with the Hellcats at the Garys' large house, which the sociable couple have opened as an unofficial officers' club.

Working with Banning's assistant, Drake soon identifies the problem, but no further testing is allowed until Commander Gary's return.

While waiting for a response, they participate in an emergency search and rescue, during which Gary's engine fails, and he is badly injured in a crash-landing.

Learning that San Diego is fogged in, he arranges to use Banning's equipment to land, and then removes his radio and places Gary in the tail of the plane.

Flight Command had impressive aerial scenes due to the full cooperation of the US Navy, with the loan of VF-6 squadron, flying Grumman F3F biplanes.

[4] Noted film pilot and aerial sequence director Paul Mantz was the "air boss" on the production, in charge of all the flying scenes.

[8][N 1] Flight Command was received as a mild attempt to bolster patriotic spirits, but as Bosley Crowther of The New York Times observed, the film had some obvious strengths as well as annoying encumbrances."...