It is the First World War. Wilhelm (Willi) Reinhart is a young aviator serving in the German Imperial Air Service. Willi, a twenty year old dreamer, feels out of place in this world of death and suffering and we follow him and his comrades, including his fellow aviator Albert Freyberg and mechanic Helmut Schorner, as they struggle to survive and outrun the angel of death. Along the way we learn about their lives and the women who change their perspective as they look forward to a future without war. First, they will need to get through the conflict alive.