Arctic Flight

In a small plane over Alaska, bush pilot Mike Wien flies his friend Dave Karluck to a reindeer herd. From the air, Dave shoots a wolf that had been preying on the deer. The scene establishes Mike's rugged frontier world and the dangers that loom in the Arctic.

Back at Kotzebue, Mike expects his next client to be John Wetherby, who planned to hunt polar bears. The setup hints at something more dangerous looming on the horizon as new clients come and go.

Mike walks in on Martha Raymond in her underwear; she is set to be flown to Little Diomede Island to begin work as a schoolteacher and nurse. The journey to the Eskimo village promises new challenges beyond simple hunting. The meeting foreshadows the evolving relationship between them.

The trip would cross Soviet-claimed territory, and Mike initially hesitates, but Martha has a paid ticket and the government contract requires him to take her. He flies most of the way and then borrows a dog sled to finish transporting her to Little Diomede. During the arduous journey, a romance begins to bloom between Mike and Martha.

Martha is welcomed on Little Diomede by Father François and Miksook. They explain that the previous teacher wandered too close to Big Diomede and was shot, underscoring the peril of the area. The warning adds a tense backdrop to Martha’s arrival.

Mike meets Wetherby, first flying him from Nome to Kotzebue. Bad weather delays the polar bear hunt, and Wetherby expresses interest in visiting Little Diomede. He also wonders if Saranna is Mike's fiancée, while Mike admits he does not love Saranna.

Some days later, Saranna informs Mike that Dave Karluck has been mauled in a bear attack. The grim news adds tension to the already fragile frontier situation and to Mike’s personal life.

Mike and Wetherby locate a polar bear; Wetherby kills it and takes its skin as a trophy. As they prepare to leave, Wetherby’s wallet drops, and Mike discovers a Soviet identity card tucked inside. The discovery hints at a deeper conspiracy.

Wetherby injures Mike with his skinning knife and then flies him to Little Diomede where Martha can treat the wound. The attack marks a turning point as trust erodes and the espionage thread thickens.

Mike confides to Martha that Wetherby is not who he claims to be, and Martha finds Wetherby’s identification card, triggering a tense confrontation. Mike makes a rescue attempt, but is knocked out in the ensuing struggle.

In his haste to reach the Soviet base on Big Diomede, Wetherby leaves behind his photos of U.S. defense installations and his identification card. The careless departure exposes his true mission and tightens the noose around his plan.

Wetherby arrives at Big Diomede but is shot and killed by Soviet sentries. His attempt to deliver military secrets to the enemy power ends in a fatal miscalculation. The espionage plot collapses with his death.

Martha and Mike realize Wetherby was a spy, and their efforts have stopped the plan to deliver military secrets. The danger passes, and their relationship—born under fire—begins to settle in the Arctic light.