The adventures of a young pilot in a war torn country. Shin Kazama was duped into singing a three-year contract at Area 88, a secluded mercenary air force base. Determined to earn $1.5 million to buy his way out of the obligation and return home, killing becomes second nature to Shin as he quickly rises to the top rank at Area 88. He begins to question whether he is still fighting for survival, or like his fellow mercenaries, for the sheer excitement and camaraderie of battle.
Sky Blue - Desert Wings
Jan 9, 2004
Photographer Makoto Shinjou arrives at Area 88, an airbase for mercenary flyer's in the Kingdom of Aslan which is fighting a war against anti-government forces.
Boris - Tombstone of the Setting Sun
Jan 16, 2004
Pilot Boris is called the Angel of Death because he always loses his companions on missions and returns alone, and therefore nobody wants to fly with him.
Shin & Makoto - Finder of a Blue Sky
Jan 23, 2004
Shin and Kim shoot down an enemy transport plane, and McCoy tells all the men on base there was gold on board, so the pilots go out in a feeding frenzy to find the downed plane.
Desert - Skies of Betrayal
Jan 30, 2004
Shin engages a large number of enemies all alone and his Crusader is destroyed. He manages to eject just in time to run into a sandstorm.
Lip Stick - Unyielding Rouge
Feb 6, 2004
Kitri Parvaneh, cousin to Saki Vashtar, makes her first appearance just in time to save the lives of some of the Area 88 pilots, Kim in particular.
Cross Over - Intersection of Solitude
Feb 13, 2004
Shin's new fighter arrives and he sets out on a training flight to break it in, just as Kanzaki is piloting a commercial flight nearby under the watchful eye of Captain Shibukawa, who is evaluating him.
Hungry Boy - Sweet Soldier
Feb 20, 2004
Kitri expresses doubts about Kim's abilities as a pilot, and Kim's Harrier is in bad need of parts and repairs, but when an enemy bomber squadron draws near, the shortage requires her, Shin, and Kim to fly out alone to defend the base.
Sand Glass - Sand's Bullet
Feb 27, 2004
A lone sniper brings operations at Area 88 to a halt with a few well-placed shots. A plan is conceived to get Shin up in the air using a decoy (Saki) to buy him time.
Canyon - Tightrope at the Speed of Sound
Mar 5, 2004
The Area pilots are ordered to attack a well-guarded base that defends a rebel oil refinery the government wants to capture.
Fire Ball - Contrails of Destiny
Mar 12, 2004
Area forces are sustaining heavy losses due to a rebel pilot with a lizard mark on the nose of his plane. This pilot turns out to be Patrick Reed, who flew under Mickey's command in Vietnam.
Truth - Truth of the Sand
Mar 19, 2004
Shin shoots the final plane he needs to buy his freedom, but then crashes on landing. Kanzaki fires Shinjou, because Kanzaki and Ryoko have become engaged.
Lock On - Wings of the Wind
Mar 26, 2004
Because of expenses related to his crash, Shin can't buy his freedom. Shinjou is expelled from the Area. Shin finds out Kanzaki and Ryoko are getting married, so he buys a new plane and attempts to desert.
