Chapter 16 - "A Pretender - How One Fine Man is Ill-Used by Fate and Another Dares Deceive It" Summary and Analysis

Gann logs many long flights between Greenland, Scotland, France, the Azores, North Africa, Brazil, and Bermuda. As the war continues, other pilots die in accidents, including Watkins who apparently dies in a controlled flight-into-terrain accident. Then, Germany surrenders; Gann has logged 6,572 hours, 27 minutes of flight time by the fateful day. He has the dubious distinction of flying General Mark Clark from Paris to Chicago; he has the notable distinction of flying many loads of wounded men from Europe to the United States. Then the Japanese surrender and the war is over. Gann takes a leave of absence but misses the sky. He temporarily returns to...