Age of Heroes Incredible Adve

A Pan Am pilot from 1930 to 1948, Keyzer-Andre here recalls his flying experiences during the early period of commercial air travel. Writing with Steirman ( Triumph: The First Flight Across the Atlantic ) in this action-packed memoir, he vividly describes trips to Siberia and China, as well as WW II missions transporting refugees across war zones. He subsequently spent 28 years with the State Department's Federal Aviation Authority, participating in diplomatic and, occasionally, covert assignments. While in Japan to assist in reviving its aviation industry, Keyzer-Andre uncovered information, documented in this book, that led him to conclude that Amelia Earhart, whose plane vanished somewhere in the Pacific in 1937, was shot down by the Japanese. Although Keyzer-Andre survived several harrowing air crashes, his enthusiasm for flying is infectious. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Apr.)