Joe's girlfriend, Vanessa Bender, has introduced the Hardys to an old friend of her family, Brett Cooper. Brett is the pilot and designer of Brett's Beauty, the high-powered piston-engine prop plane set to compete in the upcoming Bayport Unlimited Air Races. But while he's aiming to break the world speed record, someone else has targeted him for terror!

The key to the case is the mystery of Brett Cooper himself -- his hidden past, his hidden enemies. For Frank and Joe, the investigation quickly turns into a crash course in danger, as they fly blind into a web of blackmail, sabotage, and murder. They're about to learn that in a world of daredevil pilots and death-defying stunts, risks can be sky-high.