Biggles and co get sidetracked into an Egyptian adventure whilst on their way to a squadron reunion dinner in South Africa.

They meet a threatened scientist and agree to help him find a lost oasis (called Zenzura) in the middle of nowhere. Their quest is hindered by the requisite bad guy who has claimed the oasis, and the antiques buried there, who gets off to a spectacular start by marooning them at the oasis by erasing their supply (camel) train.

It turns out an ancient tribe (remnants of a persian army lost in a sandstorm) calls the oasis home, and after running around in separate groups trying to look for each other, the entire team end up captured by them. However Biggles turns their lack of knowledge of all things modern (like gasoline) to escape and reverse the tables.