14 June 1937

Dear Mother:

You want to know when to omit acting on my rank. Well we are not playing at soldiers. Advancement isn't like that. I have to have a full year's service before I become Pilot Officer.

You also talk about nerve being needed to get wings. That's all rot to one who really loves flying. Only those who haven't flying really in their blood get afraid. Every moment in the air is bliss for me. For instance, today I did four separate trips of one hour each doing formation flying with single-seater Furies. We, of course, practise flying in different formations. We always take off and land in formation to save time. I led the first one this morning, a flight of three Fighters, a

formation.

We warm up and rev engine up, then I taxi out and Hoare takes up the right hand position slightly behind me and Thompson the left hand slightly behind me. We taxi out and face into the wind in formation. I stick my right thumb up into the air. When they are ready to stick their thumbs up too in acknowledgement. I slowly lower my hand and ease the throttle open and as my wheels start revolving, they keep right with me across the ground and into the air. Of course there are a complicated list of signals for turns, climbs, dives, etc.

Turning is a very nice manoeuvre. The inside man banks over and goes around slowly - the leader is slightly higher, and the outside man higher still. All wings are parallel, so when you are on the outside you can look down at the leader and inside man. To give you and idea, it is like this

You fly so close you can easily see the pilot's expression.

Today fog kept us at 1,000 feet, and you have no idea what a tight formation of fighters does to your morale and spirit.

I am due for night flying take-off at at 5 minutes to 2 tomorrow morning. I think I'll quit.

Love Bill
(Yours for faster single-seater fighters)