Dear Mother,
I just put in a long distance phone call to you - right now I'm sitting here sweating "it out." According to my figuring, it is now exactly one month and 22 days. The time fairly flew at first, but seems to be dragging right now. I just can hardly believe that I'm actually coming near to graduating! (I'm trying to write on an armchair - not losing control of my right hand.)

Speaking of hands, I'm really lucky to be flying twin-engined ships. The controls are so constructed that you actually fly left-handed. The seats are side by side, with a wheel for each man. The throttle, prop pitch, mixture control, etc., are on a pedestal between the seats. I being the pilot, fly from the left seat, so that means I handle the wheel with my left hand. (We have a wheel, not a stick in twin engine.)

The wheel works very similar to a stick, however. With a stick, you move it from side to side to effect control to bank the plane. With our planes, you merely turn the wheel. Simple, isn't it?

To go up or down, you merely push or pull on the wheel. The hard part comes in handling two engines. They are operated by separate throttles and controls, but have to be kept synchronized most of the time. At least I now have two power plants, so - if one goes bad, I always have the other to get back on.

That fact has saved many lives. Bet you that in ten years, all high-speed planes will have at least two engines. Our planes really need those two engines, because without any power, she glides just like a streamlined man hole cover. And that means, she comes down!

Tonight is the first night that I've actually had completely free since being here. We usually have classes - last Monday we were allowed to go to town in the evening to purchase any uniform needs. I bought a trench coat - it's really a beautiful coat - and will last for a lifetime. Don't get mad now - I paid $50.00 for it. But it's really worth it. Most of the boys are buying the best, because a poor uniform is practically no good at all.

My uniform buying is now all finished - oh happy day! I still hate to try on clothes.

Well, I've waited for two hours and no luck yet. I'm back in good old Texas now, so telephone connections aren't too good. Guess I should say something about Ellington Field. Beside being a flying school, it is a base for anti-sub operations along the Gulf Coast. You see, we're located within ten miles of the coast and lots of shipping passes along near the shore.

Naturally we students aren't supposed to fly over the Gulf, but we do, but always keep Galveston peninsula or Matagorda Island within sight. This is the first I've seen of real ocean-going shipping vessels - also destroyers and cruisers on anti-sub patrol. We have lots of Douglas Dauntless and Curtis Helldivers located here. They are dive bombers and are used on Coast Patrol. Every once in a while, we notice one comes back without its bombs. Guess you know what that means. Subs don't stand a chance if spotted by a plane, cause they can't fire a torpedo up in the air. They also have very little anti-aircraft firepower. Of course, this is very confidential information, so just keep it "under your hat."

I'm going to have to close for tonight. It's nearly bedtime and I still need lots of sleep.

Lots of love,
Jack

 return to top

  return to advanced flight