3 November 1936
To Mother
Dear Mother:
Just when I become able to go solo in a plane, the weather goes bad. - Today nothing but a drizzle with fog to the ground. I hope you don't mind me writing letters but it is boring hear at times and one must do something.
These English chaps are lucky going home for the weekends.
What can you save on the grocery bill. If the truth was known you don't save anything. I'll bet Bob and Jean eat up the surplus. The house must be like a morgue since I left. I mean it must be very quiet and dull. Do you sit on your haunches and howl like a wolf to make a little noise? - Who moved into my room and did you renovate it. The windows of the school are always wide open even if it is cold - English are real fresh air fiends - Ed and I sit and freeze but I notice we are in the pink of condition. Sometimes in the evening we can see the huge search lights at Farnborough 30 miles away criss-crossing the sky practising - very powerful.
Nov. 4 - continued
Today was beautiful and very warm - the mist rose and sun came out. Flying Officer Wilson gave me a check flight and then I had aeroplane solo for an hour and ten minutes. I practised a couple of landings and then took off again and climbed up to 5,000 feet. Then I practised turns to the left and the right, spins etc. - generally frolicking about in the air - I nearly lost myself - I lost sight of aerodrome so I put plane into a steep turn and went round and round till I found aerodrome again. Then I turned machine towards Reading and followed the railway track and looked down on city - beautiful parks etc. I was careful to stay at 3,000 feet so as to not fall afoul of the law. For 20 minutes I did gentle turns over city and then with a disdainful flick of my tail I did a steep turn and shot home. Incidentally all landings today were 3 point so I fell pretty good.
I flew along below a thick mass of cloud today and at times could have put my glove up and into clouds. The sky on a day like this is very beautiful - away up here alone in the sky - easing through atmosphere at 120 m.p.h. I feel nearer Heaven than I ever hoped to get. - At 5,000 feet the ground seems very far below and the sense of movement goes.
I love these Haw Trainers - they react to the slightest and lightest touch on the stick and it is wonderful coming around absolutely quiet in a gliding turn - one wing away up in the air the sun hits full upon your blood red plane - real beauty. The R.A.F. don't put streamers on our planes when flying solo because it would upset stability - therefore we look the same as the other chaps.
Lindy looked over our school the other day - he didn't think the bomb racks were up to date but anyway the R.A.F. have new ones now.
My pal Ed Good went solo today - Flying Officer Roxborough told him - Well Maple Leaf you better make a good job of it or I will plant a Maple Leaf on your ____________. Anyway he came down 3 points (2 7/8) and is still alive.
Tell Jean to write more letters - also Bob should write longer ones -you can't bore me with too many letters
Our lecture this afternoon was spend on the Vickers ring sight. -Evidentially the pilot is the chap to aim for - (this is all right as long as you aren't the pilot aimed at).
Send me a picture of Ronny - he must be a lot bigger now.
Give this idea to Bob today. We were issued with the finest white silk gloves to wear inside our leather gauntlets for high altitude lying - they certainly keep the hands warm -
Another is to smear his face with grease and have a scarf over your chin - I say beastly, what!
These chaps here sing "Clementine" when under the shower - just like Canada.
It is amazing the way you change over to English slang - righto etc.
While I am this a ping pong battle is going on and I am in direct line of fire - very dangerous. The two ping pong players are Gratton Bushe, son of Sir Gratton Bushe RCMG CB and Mr. Maidment, ex bank clerk - what a gang! I still have the same shirts - collars going. - At best I will have to go without a coat or a new suit. My laundry bill is about 3 shillings a week. Messing about £2-125.-0 a week.
- Worse luck I have to buy a wrist watch to check my time while flying solo. So think I will buy a 10 shilling one to start. My other watch doesn't stand the changes in altitude the sissy. - Anyway I can't get at it under my flying kit.
Love to all, Bill
(P.S. Evening Papers just arrived)
Enclosed - pilots picture for Private License "HAWKHURST"