American state banks prepare to fire old leader, getting high-flying duo (6,3,5)

I haven't cracked this one yet — but the brilliant team at Fifteensquared have:

A (American) + LAND ("state") banks COCK ("prepare to fire") + (Gordon) BROWN ("old leader") John Alcock and Arthur Brown were British airmen who made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919 in a modified WW1 bomber biplane.