2 December 1936

Dear Jean:

Tell mother not to worry about addressing mail to me. They will forward it from here if necessary. At any rate I will advise her when I go to No. 3 F.T.S. at Grantham if I do (modest me) - I shall be gazetted Acting-Pilot Officer on Probation at Uxbridge but don't give me any fancy titles on my mail, just plain Mr. will be good enough I can assure you.

I like the casual way that you have been on bike hikes - I didn't even know you had a new bicycle.

I wish I could be home for Christmas but it is impossible - I shall be very busy being fitted for uniforms, shouldering rifles and learning how to salute. You may be a pilot in the R.A.F. but you have to be a good soldier also.

We will probably get three or four days off to celebrate Christmas - at any rate pay never stops so I am all right.

You sure are lucky to be able to answer the telephone for Mr. Sinclair! It must come in handy when you can't answer a difficult answer.

I have done an enormous amount of solo flying lately practising tail spins, forced landings etc.

I go up to about 2000 feet, cut my engine, turn into a field and lose altitude by side slips - the whole side of the plane facing direction of flight -slither over a tall hedge, straighten out - touch ground and zoom off at 100 mph.

Yesterday I went on a cross country. It is amazing how accurate a compass course is. Rather a job at first - map in one hand, flying plane with the other - watching compass and at same time checking railroads, roads etc. while flying over them. Tomorrow I go to Hamble near Southampton - hope I see Queen Mary.

One of the lads went up on his height test and came down at Southampton - just a little mistake.

Flying Officer Clouston is here to give us a lecture on his flight to South Africa so must close.

Love to all
Bill
How's Ronny?