Plot
In 1948, John Bolan, a 30-year-old successful experienced pilot for Federal Airways, is about to make a landing at a New York airport. As he and his 28 passengers glide easily toward the runway, Bolan suddenly experiences visions of participating in an aerial dogfight over World War I France, 30 years earlier. He then undergoes the vivid, painful sensation of being machine-gunned. He reacts by snapping his SPAD biplane into a quick dive. Bolan, thus, is no longer conscious of the fact that he is a commercial airline pilot coming in for a landing. Nor is he aware that his actions have spread terror among his passengers. His co-pilot, Russell, must administer a knock-out blow to Bolan in order to take over the passenger plane's controls and land safely. Miraculously, no one is injured except Bolan.
As he regains consciousness in a city hospital, Bolan is asked his name. He responds, "Lt. Peter Stevens." Apparently, Bolan is still back in World War I France. It isn't until later that he finally snaps out of it and returns to the here and now. Bolan then learns he has been temporarily grounded pending an investigation. However, he is obsessed with his alternate identity. He wants to find out all he can about Peter Stevens. Is he real? Did he exist? Did he fly over the skies of 1917 France? Did he survive? Is he still alive? Or dead? His only lead is a middle-aged woman, Jane Stone, who coincidentally was a passenger on that same plane that Bolan almost piloted into destruction. There's just one problem though. Jane, who claims to have been engaged to marry a pilot named Peter Stevens in 1917, refuses to answer any of Bolan's questions. It takes a meeting with Bolan's fiancee, Lois, and an interview moderated by Dr. Bryant that Bolan finally succeeds in solving the mystery of Peter Stevens.
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