{"id":645,"date":"2017-09-28T12:11:55","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T12:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brooksidepress.org\/cartmell\/?page_id=645"},"modified":"2018-08-02T17:03:40","modified_gmt":"2018-08-02T17:03:40","slug":"40-september-29-1943-santa-ana-california","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/brooksidepress.org\/cartmell\/letters\/primary-flight-training-1943\/40-september-29-1943-santa-ana-california\/","title":{"rendered":"September 29, 1943, Santa Ana, California"},"content":{"rendered":"
\r\n
\r\n Tom receives word that he will be assigned to Thunderbird #2 Army Air Base<\/a> for his primary flight training<\/a>. He’s very happy with this assignment. He describes the Stearman P.T. aircraft<\/a> he will be flying. He gently chastises Elaine for sending him candy bars. He appreciates them, but knows how difficult they are to acquire during wartime.\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\n
\"September<\/a>
September 29, 1943, Page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tues. night.<\/p>\n

Dear Folks,<\/p>\n

Received the box today and it really came on a very happy occasion. It was really swell but really you shouldn’t send those things because I imagine candy bars come few and far between. Karen’s letter was much appreciated but the apologies weren’t necessary. Thanks alot –<\/p>\n

The news I have sounded good to me so I’ll have to tell you about it. I leave this Fri. for Thunderbird Field #2<\/a> which is just a few miles from Phoenix. I can’t think of any other place I would rather be sent. Supposedly the only disadvantage to it is that it has about a 30 to 40% washout rate, but I’ll worry about that when the time comes. It will be good to be back at Phoenix because it is a pretty nice soldier’s town especially for the Air Forces.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow we get paid and have one final pilot school track meet. Thurs. we have graduation and find out what buses we leave on and when. According to all reports we start fllying on about the third day there and they start washing them out on the 4th. We fly Stearman P.T.’s<\/a> (primary trainers) there which are a good ship to learn in. They aren’t as fast as the Ryan P.T.’s<\/a> but a little more H.P., [1]<\/sup><\/a>horsepower<\/span><\/span>