The rise of transport airlines stems from the final days of World War II, when airplanes were used mostly by the military and for Government mail. Juan Trippe's idea of an "Empire of the Air" transporting people was a distant dream. There were no footsteps to follow. Beyer, working himself up through the ranks, cast his practical eye at the many aspects of how an airline could run and prosper, and became known as an efficiency wizard.

During his international career, he says what it was like dealing with government regulations, he describes the fleets and their maintenance, and at one...