Colorful daredevil air racer Smoke Burnham is known not only for his ability to cross the finish line ahead of the pack, but also for his unusual flying companion, a pet cheetah named Patty.

On the eve of entering an international air race to win much-needed prize money, Smoke and Patty face the usual and the impossible. The race involves a dangerous, grueling flight down Central America, over the Andes and across the Brazilian jungle—that's typical. The real challenge is that a publicity-hungry newspaper mogul is trying to sabotage Smoke's plane, the "Super-Comet," and make sure that this race is his last. Plus, the beautiful woman he loves resents his supposed infatuation with height and speed. Now Smoke must somehow win her over, against lethal odds piled high in the turbulent sky.