Dear Dad,
I have really neglected you in the last few days but we have been doing a great deal. Our squadron got passes today but most of us had tours to walk. I had to walk 3 hrs., two last night and one this morning. However, I got alot of rest so it didn’t matter very much if I got our or not.
Well basic is just about over, I have just about all my flying completed. Have about 1½ hrs. of dual instrument flying to get and about four hrs. of solo. I have completed formation flying, night flying, acrobatics, stages, and all the rest of the dual time. I have about 65 hrs. in here now which gives me about 130 hours in the air. We got to fill out or choice papers yesterday, that is the choice in the type of planes we’d like to fly. My first choice was single engine fighter, (2) single and twin engine standard, (3) twin engine fighter. The single and twin eng. standard is either instructor, or air transport command. They say you usually get your first choice and if not that your second. It doesn’t make an awful lot of difference to me but I have got my heart set on flying a P39 or P51. From all reports our squadron here will got to Luke Field for advanced. That is near Phoenix and a single engine base. They fly AT6’s and P40’s there. It doesn’t seem possible that in a few weeks we will be flying combat ships. The AT6’s are a pretty hot ship. We will get gunnery training in them while at Luke.
I think out of all that we have done so far I like formation flying the best. These instructors really take their lives in their hands when they give you one hour dual formation and then put two students on each wing flying with about 3 ft. from wing tip to tail. Formation take off and landing are the most tricky, everything the lead ship does you do.
You asked about the noise that these planes made. You are wearing headsets all the time you are flying which keep out most of the engine noise but I have taken them off and they make plenty of noise, especially in low pitch. However, the noise is alittle different than a model T. The thing that seems funny at night is that flame coming out of the exhaust reaches clear back to the cockpit. At first you would swear the plane was on fire. It is a good thing they are all metal.
From all I have been hearing you must be quite a handy man to have around when it comes to moving.
Your job sounds as if it is as interesting as you had expected it to be. I am glad things are going to well.
I sent some cards the Elaine’s that I picked up at the PX. Hope you are able to get in on using them. I am also sending you alittle lapel pin.
I’ll try to do alittle better on this writing from now on. Should have alittle more free time. So long –
With love,
Tom
