Ens. Alan Drake arrives in San Diego, fresh from Pensacola, and is assigned to the elite Fighting 8 squadron, the Hellcats. His start is bumpy: a near-disastrous landing in heavy fog against orders and a clumsy miscue during a competitive shoot that effectively disqualifies the squadron. He also blurts out a date with a woman he’s just met, Lorna Gary, not realizing she is the wife of the squadron commander, Billy Gary.
Despite the rocky entry, Drake’s earnestness helps him fit in with the pilots, and he’s welcomed into the Garys’ large house, which serves as an unofficial officers’ club. His flying starts to improve and his social missteps are forgiven; the men nickname him “Pensacola” as a sign of their growing respect. He soon proves his value by lending a hand to Jerry Banning in solving a problem with a blind-landing device Banning has been developing.
Tragedy strikes when Banning tests the device in fog while Gary is away. The apparatus fails and Banning is killed. Drake, working with Banning’s assistant, identifies the fault, but no further testing is allowed until Gary returns.
Meanwhile, Lorna Gary sinks into a deep depression, knowing Gary expects her to hide her feelings and carry on, which is not her nature. Drake visits her and their bond deepens through walks, drives, and tennis, with him lightening her mood with jokes. She gradually realizes she’s falling for him, and in a restaurant, she reaches for his hand and then pulls away, confessing that she cannot see him anymore.
When Gary returns, Lorna tells him she needs to leave for a while. She explains that she cannot keep hiding her feelings and pretending after a tragedy, as he expects. He is surprised, but tells her to go if she must, adding that he still loves her and hopes she will come back only if she loves him.
Because Drake and Lorna were seen together, Dusty Rhodes and the squadron confront Drake, accusing him of trying to take Lorna from Gary. Out of respect for her privacy, Drake says nothing, but the accusation angers him enough to file a letter of resignation. Gary tries to discourage him, but the resignation is processed. While waiting for word, the squadron is called to an emergency search-and-rescue, during which Gary’s engine fails and he crashes badly. Drake, defying orders, goes to his rescue, using Banning’s equipment to land in the fog, removing his radio, and placing Gary in the tail of the plane. He then uses the gear to guide the five-down through the fog to a safe landing.
A telegram about Gary’s crash brings Lorna back to San Diego, where she visits him in the hospital. Rhodes witnesses her praying for him, and the pair share a tearful reunion. Rhodes tells Drake that his resignation has been turned down and apologizes for his earlier behavior. Still feeling angry, Drake contemplates a transfer, but the squadron’s encouragement—led by Mugger Martin with the rallying cry “Come on Pensacola, give in!”—persuades him to stay.
