After two flops with Ann Todd, David Lean restored his commercial record with this flyer tale. Todd's in this too but it's a 'girl' part so she can't do too much damage - I'm being mean about Todd but she wasn't very good, one of the least lively British female stars of her era. She's the daughter of Ralph Richardson, a northern plane manufacturer developing jets. Her husband is a test pilot, played by Nigel Patrick - who briefly became a sort of star (Kenneth More soon cornered the market in cocky pilots but he hadn't broken through yet). Denholm Elliot (very effective) is Todd's weak brother - he and More were going to play pilots Alcock and Brown in a film that got pulled when Korda went bankrupt.
This benefits from a decent script from Terence Rattigan (who knew plans having served in the RAF). It's beautifully shot like all Lean films - carefully composed shots, lots of love and care. There's plenty of stiff upper lip as Richardson loses his son and Todd loses Patrick (who is a bit of an annoying twit - I can see why he didn't stay a big star), and they worry as John Justin (who was a real pilot) takes up the charge via some third act "lets cross the streams" science dodginess.
So you can mock it, the Brits being noble and middle class, for all Richardson's northern accent (it is quite touching at the end when he indirectly asks Todd to stick around). . There's a white haired engineer inventor type who seems to be waiting for Alistair Sim to play him.
Todd is annoying but she gets the film's best scene: visiting the crash site where her husband crashed and seeing them scrape out what's left of him. Almost two hours long so be warned.
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