20 May 1938

Dear Dad:

Those pictures I sent you were taken by Press photographers while we were practising for Empire Air Day.

This morning and afternoon were taken up with Squadron drill - a rather tricky business moving at terrific speed and close enough to pat the other fellow's wing with yours. In the air the machines sway gently in the bumps and one is quick with stick and rudder.

First squadron vis.

PPP PPP PPP

Sections line astern

P

P P P

P P P

P P P

half rolls and dives vertically after leader.

One by one each one peels off and tumbles straight down.

The leader levels out at 50 feet over centre of aerodrome at + speed.

Each one flashes past, engines roaring, wires shrieking. The noise is terrific - nothing can live.

It is the prettiest manoeuvre in flying. It is rather shaking and one hopes there is a little space below the one in front to pull out before touching the aerodrome. The squadron reforms and comes back over the aerodrome at nought feet. I certainly wish you were here to see us do our stuff.

Taking a squadron off the ground is very pretty and a highly skilful task.

P

PP

P P

P P P P

x

Taking off - Taking off go

Leader opens throttle very gently and you ease forward 5-10-15-20-25 tail comes up

Speed increases

30-40-50-60

Slight sway and bumps

70-75

Squadron takes off

80-90-100-110

Over the hangars with a deafening roar and

110-120-130-140-150- +++

As soon as you are in the air the speed rockets.

PPPPPPPPP

(x) marks Willy

Sections abreast

PPPPPPPP

Squadron sections line astern

PPPPPPPP (stepped down)

Squadron echelon starboard

PPPPPPPPP 123

Over the aerodrome vertically at 3,000 feet. Then "Squadron peel off in succession.

The leader half rolls and goes straight down flat out. No. 2 waits a second.

Did I tell you the other day the Squadron did a battle climb to 30,000 feet. Our best climbing speed is 125 mph.

We headed north to Richmond and we go there and then steadily drifted back over the aerodrome and when we finally arrived at 30,000 feet we had drifted 40 miles downwind to Northalberton. The Air Ministry figured that the wind upstairs must have been 136 miles per hour.

One fellow had his oxygen tube come loose and he had to hold his breath and dive down to get a good sniff again. Got a real ticking off for carelessness.

If you have a cold at all you are not allowed to go up to substratosphere because all your air tubes have to be absolutely clear so that you can pop your ears out easily.

26 A.C. Squadron are doing mass dive bombing supply (dropping by parachute). Message picking up etc. Their 24-cylinder jobs make quite a satisfactory racket guaranteed to give the tax payer a good thrill.

Every time I see a Squadron go by I say to myself, "There goes $600,000 through the air."

It gives one a great kick to think of the crack young R.A.F. officers handling those machines.

I have just finished a game of squash. We are having a good time playing hardball here and the airmen like it very much.

By now you should be on the road. I might go to New York and home this November with Blatchford, but I haven't planned anything yet.

I certainly enjoyed my last stay at home. The trip was wonderful and a grand holiday both ways. I always managed to get in a good crowd.

Love Bill
(Ace Martyn)
Hah! Hah!
Haw! Haw!