A close-knit group of young friends rescues a downed aviator and, after caring for him on a nearby island, becomes embroiled in a sequence of aviation-centered mysteries and escapades. Interwoven with school-year worries about college choices and one girl’s controlling guardian, their summer includes daring flights, crashes and repairs, races, searches for missing parties, encounters with intruders, and periods of being stranded. The narrative emphasizes teamwork, ingenuity, and youthful independence as the teens confront physical danger, puzzling setbacks, and social obstacles while protecting one another and pursuing solutions.