The USSR – World War 2. Young pilots, Leonid and Boris arrive at military air training school only to find that they have been enlisted to an air regiment and will be going soon to the frontline.

Unfortunately the young pilots fail in their first mission. Instead of covering the Soviet attacker planes, Leonid gushes from his formation to attack the German Messerschmitts. This causes a breach in the defensive formation and, deprived of protection, the attacker planes come under fire from the German fighters and everyone is killed. Back on the ground Leonid and Boris are sent to the division’s headquarters where they are to be tried and executed. On their way to the place of execution, however, the commander of the attacker wing arrives at the military airfield and petitions personally for their release. Our heroes are given one last chance. Now they become attackers and will have to show responsibility and courage every moment of their service and execute the most complex of orders without hesitation or fear for their own lives.