21 November 1936

Dear Bob:

Today was very misty and visibility was zero or 3 minus as they say in England so my instructor and I went up to do blind flying for an hour. This got boring so we climbed out of the clouds at 5000 feet and then we got introduced to real acrobatics. Without a word he did a loop without engine. He then asked me if I was well fastened in my Sutton harness - OK. He did a roll. Dust, dirt etc. rose off the floor. I was hanging on my harness, plane above feet off rudder bar and nothing between my dernier and seat of cockpit. We straightened out.

Bill - Do you mind if I bring this harness up a few notches?

F/O - No, go ahead.

Bill - OK go ahead.

We did slow rolls, flick rolls, rolls off the top of loops, half rolls, stall turns.

Boy, it was glorious. We were up in the clear blue sky and below was the blanket of white cloud covering the whole earth.

Instrument flying is very monotonous but very necessary in good old foggy England. You sit in your cockpit cover over your head. Engine roars on and you keep checking on countless instruments - no mean job I can assure you in bumpy weather. Nothing moves in your cockpit except the flick of the dials. You rest your eyes by looking at your legs, floor etc. and back to dials. No sound from instructor as it is part of lesson. At the end of 3/4 of an hour - yes very good, and he tells you to uncover and then he flings the ship about to clear your cobwebs.

This afternoon I flew above clouds zooming up and down the valleys and over the hills formed by the clouds. You get a very real idea of speed flying on clouds.

This afternoon I blacked my eye at rugger practise but feel fine now.

We got the pleasant news that the next course here at Woodley goes to Abbessoir Egypt for flying training instead of Grantham - the lucky dogs.

Your loving brother
Bill