Wed. night
5-24-44
Dear Folks,
I probably won’t be able to finish this right now but did want to get a few lines started so I would be sure and finish. I have to go to a meeting at 7:30.
I am expecting a telegram at anytime so be sure that Dad or Stan get on the ball and inform U. Tom how things are. As for now, the chances of my getting to see the newcomer are pretty slim, 200 cadets arrived on the field today and they are going to be all the shorter on airplanes which at the present means no long trips.
Tomorrow I take a low altitude crosscountry to Boise which is about 1100 or 1200 miles round trip. We don’t land anywhere and make the trip in about 5:00 or 5:30 hours. We are suppose to fly at 200 ft. above the ground. One plane came back with bent props the other day and the pilot and co-pilot are up for courtmartial. They are really getting strict in this buzzing and low flying. One of our instructors buzzed a school house, they court martialed him and fined him $100.00 a month for 24 months. I think he deserved it for buzzing a school house but $2,400.00 is alittle stiff. Doesn’t leave an awful large pay check.
Just got back from the meeting, they have a new compass developed which the night fighter planes are equipped with. You might have hear of it, “Flux Gate Compass.” It is suppose to be the real thing no precession, no lead or lag, no deviation, no variation and holds a constant heading in rough air. It sounds like a pilots prayer, but it has alot of stuff that a bullet can knock out of commission. I have 7½ hrs. of instruments in this ship now and they don’t seem nearly as hard here as they did at Luke. However, we still have about 18 hrs. yet to get, also 20 hrs. of link trainer.
I haven’t been to Berkeley yet because we haven’t gotten off any. Don’t know just when I’ll be able to go.
Thanks alot for sending the pictures and also the shoes and advocates. I received the latter today. Sorry more of the pictures didn’t turn out. The photos I had taken out here will be ready on the 7th of June so will send them then.
Stan it sounds like you and Norm had some golf game. Have you been out any more?
Well it is 2310 (11:10 PM to you folks) which means 6 hrs. sleep. However, as you can probably tell I am in bed now so it won’t take much to roll over and drop off.
Give Karen a kiss from “ga-ga”.
With love,
Tom
