16 October 1936

Dear Mother:

I had real instructions to get dinner jacket for next Thursday so think I can manage by borrowing £1 from a friend but I have only one dress shirt and collar and will have to have another for next Thursday. Washing is picked up each Wednesday and returned Monday. I am only one of 18 not to have suit, all others are English and are convenient to family credit. I am very careful and spend no money.

Flying is going ahead like anything . I have done nearly 9 hours now. - Personally I think I could pull off a solo fairly nicely but - if nothing happened. I can land fair, take off, climb, glide and do all turns. Today I did steep turns putting wing right over vertically and spinning on my ear so to speak! Centrifugal force pushes one right into seat with many pounds pressure. Tell Bob he is crazy about business of flying - there is a lot to it, just let him try.

Then Flying Officer Wilson and I climbed to 5000 feet and did 5 tail spins, two to the right and three to left - Mother.

I was standing up on rudder bar and dash board was spinning in front of me. We did three and he asked me through speaking tube how I felt. Bill: "Say, those were swell. Let's do a couple more" (a little groggy) - me.

I was being a tough guy so he did one more and then asked me to do one.

I shut off motor, eased stick back till stalled, kicked on full right rudder and bottom dropped out and we were in spin to right. Then I kicked on full opposite rudder and eased stick forward till we were diving to earth at 150 mph and then eased stick to neutral and out we came. OK. "Proud of myself." My landing had one little bounce.

There is no howl of wires on the Miles Hawk so dives are relatively quiet. These planes are very sensitive and very like service types.

My tummy felt a bit weak but a cup of tea at mess fixed that up.

Imagine doing stall spins in six minutes (real fun).

Tomorrow I will probably feel nothing in a spin.

I sleep like a rock till batman comes into room in morning and "Good morning Sir, your tea" (what a life!). When I get a little money ahead I shall send you pictures of this place. It is like a castle run over with vines, iron French windows down to the floor - too pretty to describe. Meals are very high class - real tablecloth etc. Warm baths, showers etc. The R.A.F. supplied us with more new helmets individually measured today. The air is very bumpy at this time of year and cold but heavy fur-lined sidcots and high sort of moccasins keep one's feet tolerably warm but wind cuts into face and makes it tough.

There is hardly any horizon to fly on, it is always obscured with huge banks of clouds but the heavens are beautiful to say the least.

There is an amazing amount of instruments in these machines. Cheese-cutters for tail trim, flaps to steepen glide, etc.

I should like to send you a picture of myself in full flyingkit, parachute, etc. - you look like an altitude flyer.

Enclosed find a few pictures of school.

A Hawker Fury from RAF passed us today in the air at 5000 feet and left us going practically backward. With this fighting harness you can hardly move a muscle and only turn head about neck. It is impossible to turn shoulders so it was hard to seel.

Love to all and I wrote Uncle Ross all right.

So long for now

dinner is served, Gentlemen

- Bill

Form 488 (1847-10M-11-29)

Canadian Pacific Express Company

Transfer of Money by

Telegraph and Cable

Purchaser's Receipt

No. A 30239

"HAWKHURST"

R.A.F. CIVIL TRAINING SCHOOL

(Phillips & Powis Aircraft, Ltd.)

WOODLEY, BERKS.

Phone : Sonning 76.