Kelly Rossiter is the most willful of Bob Rossiter's five children. This time she has gone against her father's wishes and applied for the Women's Air Service Pilots (WASP) program. Upon discovering that her father had opened her telegram of acceptance, Kelly storms out of his office in a fit of pique. In the process she runs into, then manages to insult, Army Air Force Lieutenant-Colonel Kirk Singleton who is visiting her father's company, a subcontractor of Boeing Aircraft, on business. It quickly becomes apparent that they are mutually attracted to each other despite their initial confrontation. Their developing relationship provides a romantic thread that runs the length of the novel but the primary focus of the story is on Kelly's drive to carve out a meaningful role for herself in a male-dominated career field. The novel begins with an incident that occurs several weeks after Kelly graduates from the WASP pilot training program. She is sitting by herself in the Long Beach Army Air Force Officers club when Lieutenant Maynard Magnuson, a young, slightly inebriated, fighter pilot sits down at her table and proceeds to make disparaging cracks about the piloting ability of women and tops it off with a cruel comment about the WASP pilots who were killed in aircraft accidents. Kelly, whose best friend was killed due to an irresponsible act by a fighter pilot, attacks and tries to strangle Magnuson. Kirk pulls her off Magnuson and Kelly then challenges the fighter pilot to a mock dogfight to take place the following morning to determine who is the better pilot. The story focuses on Kelly's flying adventures as well as her ongoing problem with male pilots who resent having to compete with women trained to fly military aircraft. Kirk Singleton at first encourages her pursuit of a flying career but, as time goes on, seeks to discourage her from pursuing a test pilot's career.