A Los Angeles police officer who served as a pilot in Vietnam is given the job of testing an experimental hi-tech super-helicopter equipped to deter airborne terrorist attacks. Instead, the test pilot suspects the chopper will be deployed by the government and the military in a plot to conduct illegal surveillance of US citizens. Action adventure, with Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell and Daniel Stern.

Los Angeles, California. Officer Murphy, a veteran Metropolitan Police helicopter pilot suffering from severe trauma due to his harsh experiences during the Vietnam War, and Lymangood, his resourceful new partner, are tasked with testing an advanced and heavily armed experimental chopper known as Blue Thunder.