Air date: Feb. 5, 1960
After getting lost over France, fighter pilot William Terrance "Terry" Decker lands at the American Lafayette Air Base in Reims, France, where he's met by a pair of soldiers in a jeep. They identify him as British, but is quite taken aback by their advanced aircraft. He's taken into the base and questioned by the commander, Major General Harper, and his provost marshal, Major Wilson. Decker identifies himself and his squadron, which he names as the Royal Flying Corps, and claims that he was intending to land at the 56th Squadron. Recognizing the name, Wilson asks Decker what the date is, to which Decker replies March 5th, 1917. Dumbfounded, Wilson tells him that it's March 5th, 1959.
Taking a look through the window, Decker notices a strange cloud that he had passed through earlier. Harper isn't so quick to believe his story, but Decker swears by it, that he was flying with Captain Mackaye. Decker is baffled that he knows the name. Harper identifies the name as Alexander Mackaye, who is now an Air Vice Marshal en route to the base for an inspection. Decker states that this is impossible because Mackaye is dead.
Decker is taken into custody, his belongings apprehended. Harper is quick to write off the whole thing as a hoax and Decker as delusional, but Wilson is willing to hear him out. He asks Decker how he knows Mackaye is dead and the lieutenant tells the whole story. Before he disappeared into the cloud, he and Mackaye had been fighting German aircraft and he didn't see any way Mackaye could've gotten out of it. Wilson states that he must have, since Mackaye was one of the greatest heroes during the Blitz. Decker panics and tries to escape, but is stopped by Wilson. He refuses to see Mackaye and admits that he's a coward, and always has been. On the day when he and Mackaye were attacked by the German planes, Decker abandoned him and flew through the cloud to flee. He has no clue how Mackaye could've survived when there were no other planes for 50 miles. Wilson suggests that he must've gotten help somehow, which leads to Decker speculating that maybe he was the one who saved him. That maybe time brought him here and gave him a second chance. He insists that he needs to get back to 1917.
When Wilson refuses to let him go, Decker knocks him and a nearby guard unconscious before making a break for his plane. Just before he's able to take off, he's stopped by Wilson, who threatens to shoot him. Decker decides he'd rather die like a hero than live like a coward any longer. Wilson can't bring himself to shoot and Decker takes off, disappearing into the cloud once again. Wilson holsters his gun and walks back to the base.
Later, as Wilson is being reprimanded by Harper for his actions, Mackaye arrives. The two introduce themselves and Wilson asks if he ever knew a man named Willam Terrance Decker. Mackaye tells them the story of how Decker saved his life when the two were ambushed by German planes. Mackaye thought Decker had flown away, only for him to come flying in and take down three of the planes before being shot down himself. Harper asks if his personal effects were recovered from the crash, which Mackaye denies. Harper takes out the file containing all of Decker's belongings. Mackaye asks what this is all about and Wilson asks him to sit down before they explain.
The Last Tropes:
- An Aesop: Your existence touches countless lives both present and future, whether you realize it or not. What impression you leave is up to you.
- Artistic License – History: Decker, who traveled forward in time from March 5, 1917, mentions the disappearance of French flying ace Georges Guynemer — who would not disappear until September of that year, months after Decker's experience.
- Bittersweet Ending: Decker dies, but in the process he saves Mackaye's own life and countless other lives over the years.
- Chromosome Casting: This episode does not feature any speaking roles for women.
- Dirty Coward: Decker, by his own admission. He manages to redeem himself by going back to 1917 and saving Mackaye's life.
- Double-Meaning Title: According to the author, the title has two meanings. It refers to Decker, a pilot, flying a plane for the last time, and it also refers to him overcoming his cowardice.
- Embarrassing Nickname: Decker gave Mackaye the nickname "Old Leadbottom" after an incident where, while flying over German lines, got hit in "a most embarrassing spot."
- "Eureka!" Moment: Decker left Mackaye to die, yet he somehow survived. Wilson believed he must have gotten help, but Decker clarified that there were no other planes around for miles, except himself...
- Face Death with Dignity:Wilson: Stop this plane, or I'll shoot!
Decker: Then shoot! I'd rather die! - Fish out of Temporal Water: Decker finds himself flung 42 years in the future after flying through that cloud.
- For Want Of A Nail: A variation. Decker learns how important and valuable he is to his friend Mackaye. He chooses to go back to his own time to redeem himself through sacrifice.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Upon returning to 1917, Decker immediately opens fire on the German planes attacking Mackaye. He was able to bring down three of them before being brought down himself, but he successfully managed to save Mackaye's life.
- Negative Space Wedgie: The cloud. Decker described it as being swallowed into a vacuum, one where he couldn't even hear his engines.
- Redemption Equals Death: After spending his entire life as a coward, Decker decides that he'd rather die than live as one any longer, especially after hearing all of Mackaye's accomplishments. He returns to 1917 and performs a Heroic Sacrifice to save his friend's life.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When Decker and Mackaye were ambushed by a German squadron, Decker abandoned him. The end of the episode reveals he then made an epic return to save Mackaye's life, at the cost of his own.
- Shot in the Ass: The "most embarrassing spot" where Mackaye took a bullet back in the Great War, according to Decker.
- Stable Time Loop: After escaping from his and Mackaye's battle, Decker flies through a mysterious cloud and ends up in 1959. He learns that Mackaye, who he'd left for dead, not only survived the ambush, but became a highly respected war hero. Decker realizes that he's the only one who could've saved him and, deciding that Mackaye's life is more valuable than his, returns to 1917 and sacrifices himself to save him.
- Time Travel Episode: A frequent Twilight Zone trope. A World War I fighter pilot from 1917 flies into a strange cloud, and finds himself in 1959.
- Trust Password: Mackaye is already rattled after seeing Decker's personal effects, but the clincher comes when Major Wilson calls him "Old Leadbottom", a private nickname that Decker bestowed on Mackaye 42 years before.
- You Better Sit Down: Wilson tells Mckaye to sit down before he hears how they got Decker's belongings.
