21 October 1936

Dear Mother:

I have just come in from flying. We have practised circuits and landings all day. Today I put in 1 hour 45 minutes flying.

There was very little wind today and was good for practising landings. Today is Wednesday and I have about 2½ hours flying instruction already so you see the speed we go ahead.

Tomorrow is Dining-in night with instructors. Suit has not arrived yet so I am fuming a bit. Your money just arrived in time to help me. The suit should be here all right tomorrow.

Pilots with private licenses never were or are classed higher than ordinary flyers here. There are two classes.

Pupil - Pilots who are officer trainees

Airmen - Pilots who train as Sgt. Pilots.

My face is very ruddy and healthy from the air upstairs. In straight-ahead flying we shoot ahead at 140 m.p.h. Our landing speed is high - 60 -65 mph. The machines are very delicate to handle.

Up in the sky you feel nearer Heaven than I ever hoped to get.

Today one chap got over Maidenhead Aerodrome - thought he was over Woodley. He was puzzled about strange hangars etc. but finally snapped out of it and got home all right.

Our school is the newest in England. Our flying machines are the very latest and are the most beautiful in the sky. The way the red fuselages flash in the sunlight is wonderful. Today a Hawker Hart passed about 100 feet over my head as I was flying along. He was so close I nearly smelled the oil from his engine.

Watching other planes in the sky is very fascinating - they bob about like boats on the water.

Don't let other people read my letters - I blow too much.

Your loving son
Bill
Love to Ronny, Jean, Bob, and Yourself.