Haunted by memories of the Korean War, pilot Lloyd Tredman leaves his wife and indulges in hedonistic excesses among fellow Americans in Madrid. When an ill-advised bet on a racehorse robs him of his savings and also results in a jockey's death, an impoverished Thorpe is forced to work for the manipulative Bert Smith. As he pilots Smith's rogue smuggling plane to Egypt, Thorpe struggles with a crippling fear of flying -- and with his own conscience.