▁prop eller - dri ven ▁B - 3 6 ▁was ▁then ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁its ▁service ▁life ▁and ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁jet - power ed ▁B - 4 7 ▁Str ato jet , ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁Bo eing ▁B - 5 2 ▁Str at of ort ress . ▁The ▁aer ial ▁foot age ▁was ▁accompanied ▁by ▁a ▁dram atic ▁and ▁so aring ▁musical ▁score ▁composed ▁by ▁Victor ▁Young . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁made ▁with ▁the ▁full ▁co operation ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁partly ▁fil med ▁on ▁location ▁at ▁Mac D ill ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base , ▁T ampa , ▁Florida ; ▁Low ry ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base , ▁Colorado , ▁and ▁C ars well ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base , ▁Texas . ▁ ▁The ▁baseball ▁scenes ▁were ▁fil med ▁with ▁the ▁co operation ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Card inals ▁at ▁their ▁spring ▁training ▁home ▁of ▁Al ▁Lang ▁Field ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁Florida , ▁just ▁across ▁T ampa ▁Bay ▁from ▁Mac D ill ▁A FB . ▁ ▁Stewart ' s ▁character ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁real - life ▁military ▁career ▁and ▁an ▁actual ▁mission ▁flow n ▁by ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁Cl iff ord ▁Sch oe ff ler , ▁who ▁crash ed ▁during ▁an ▁Ar ctic ▁B - 3 6 ▁mission ▁and ▁surv ived . ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁Sch oe ff ler ▁was ▁on ▁site ▁at ▁C ars well ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base ▁during ▁the ▁film ing ▁of ▁Str ateg ic