Robert M. Brantner is currently working as both a captain and a line check airman for a major US airline. He started his flying career as a bush pilot in Alaska, which later led to a job as a pilot for Trans World Airlines. He spent four years with TWA before he landed his dream job, working for the airline he flies for today.

Bob was born in Southern California and attended high school there before heading to Arizona for college. After graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he moved to Alaska when he got his first flying job as a bush pilot. During his time in Alaska, Bob first tried his hand at writing, penning a memoir on his experiences flying Cessnas in the untamed Alaskan wilderness.

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All throughout his flying career, Bob has continued to write. He penned several (unpublished) manuscripts. It was after Bob's completion of Claus: The Untold Story of Kris Kringle, that he decided to work with his younger sister (and editor), Taylor Brantner, on cleaning up the story until it was fit for publication. After some success with Claus, Bob dug out his previously edited (however, unpublished) manuscript of Five Hundred Feet. He teamed again with Taylor and re-edited the material. The reception of Five Hundred Feet was terrific and still is selling strong.

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Bob's mother's first job was as a stewardess in 1965 working for United Airlines. Through her experiences, Bob's mom Deni, instilled in him a lifelong passion for aviation. His latest novel, Skyheist is more than just an exciting aviation adventure, but is an homage to aviation's golden age of the 1960's.

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Bob is a certificated Airline Transport Pilot and is type rated in the Beech 1900, Boeing 737, 757, 767, Airbus A320 and A220, as well as the DC-9. He is also a rated Flight Engineer. Bob served in the Flight Engineer position working on the Boeing 727 during his time at TWA. He also holds a commercial sea plane rating that he obtained while in Alaska.

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Skyheist is Bob's fourth published book. He wrote the afore mentioned Five Hundred Feet Above Alaska and My Year as an Alaskan Bush Pilot, drawing from his experiences flying in "The Last Frontier."

Bob is married to Kelly Kaczka Brantner and they have one daughter, Madison, and a dog, Fergus. They live just outside of Annapolis, Maryland.

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