TIMOTHY RYAN enjoyed his association with the Naval Air Reserve Squadron VR773 and looked forward each month to flying with his buddies. It is 1967 and Ryan is assigned the duty of delivering a much needed C-54 transport aircraft to the Air America organization in Vietnam. The transport is needed to fly in and out of small secret landing fields in Thailand and Laos operated by the C.I.A. and Air America. Ryan's crew is composed of his reserve officers and two other members of his squadron that he has had little flight time with. SEAN CASEY , a veteran Air America radio operator and flyer is assigned to assist the reserve crew in the mission by giving advice and reducing the red tape involved with the transfer of the aircraft. Casey is an unexpected part of Ryan's crew upon departure from California. Casey adds three additional members to the passenger list when the crew arrives in San Francisco. Ryan is somewhat puzzled by this mischievous rogue but eventually relies on him for much advice in the ways of military "black" covert operations. An engine fire while the aircraft is approaching the Philippines creates a few tense hours prior to landing the passengers and crew at Cubi Point Naval Air Station . The engine is repaired and with a decision by the commander to wait until the following morning to get underway again, two members of Ryan's' crew decide to make an evening of it in Olongopo- the sin capitol of Southeast Asia. The two members waste no time in picking up two girls and while in the girls apartment, her ex boyfriend comes calling. The resulting fight lands both of the crewmembers in jail. Ryan and a friend from the Navy base negotiate their release in time to make the continued flight to Danang Vietnam. Ryan is immediately involved in flight operations to Laos and returns from his first flight with a Vietnamese girl that tried to stow away on the aircraft and a gold bar worth megabucks. He also meets a journalist named ANDREA WATKINS that is determined to connect Ryan to covert flight operations in Laos. The aircraft delivered and the Air America organization trained in its operation, the reserve crew returns home to California. Ryan is able to conceal the gold bar well enough to have it when he ends his mission. The situation at home is unsettled and Ryan finds that he no longer has a job. His friend Casey shows up at his doorstep and offers to help Ryan cash out the gold bar. Casey departs for Danang the same evening but not before making a few phone calls. The following day Ryan is contacted by the Air America organization and he eventually signs a contract to fly for them. After some required survival school training in Panama, Ryan reports for duty at the Air American operations in Vietnam. All goes well for the first few months but when the Royal Lao Army Commander of the base at Long Tieng, COLONEL KY tries to abscond with gold stolen from Humong refugees, a coups d'etat erupts. Ryan is in the middle of the action when the Colonel uses Ryan's aircraft to move the gold. The gold is removed from the aircraft just in time to keep from being destroyed in a mortar attack. The Colonel has left the plane and the gold shipment guarded by one of his officers while he is across the airport when the attack starts. Under the orders of the Colonel, the guard calls for equipment to move the gold boxes from the aircraft. The officer then leaves with the gold on a makeshift loader backhoe and operator to disappear into the nearby jungle. As Ryan is outside the aircraft inspecting it , he hears two gunshots from the jungle edge and the officer returns alone on the loader. The guard is killed in the attack and Ryan finds four gold bars on his mutilated body . Ryan takes cover in the edge of the jungle after watching his C-54 explode in a ball of fire and smoke from the mortars. He also sees the loader operator lying against a small concrete building with a bullet hole in his head. Nearby, there is fresh mar