31359264
Hdgs. 95th C.T.D.
Beloit College
Beloit Wis
Beloit College
Beloit Wis
Sept. 12, 1943
Dear Pop: (oops I mean A.P.)
Boy!! I have really hit the part of the training that I have waited for ever since June 7. Just 3 mos. after entering the Army Air Corp I went to the field to get my first official log time and you can bet that I was the happiest and also the gladdest boy to be alive. But worst luck we were grounded because of too high wind. This was Tuesday; Wednesday were grounded as well as Thursday except for one flight. Friday I got my first ride and it was really "the nuts". The periods last 45 min. and you can bet you can learn a lot in that time. My instructor took me up and shot a landing. We went up again and after following through a series of turns etc. he told me to do the job. Well you have never really lived until you have flown. At first you go about it in a very mechanical way. You know that to make a left bank you give left stick and left rudder but as long as it is mechanical you never get the coordination necessary. When you get the feel of the ship and she begins to fly for you that is really when you live. When you get so that the rudder and stick work together with out a lot of thought you are really flying; the plane really acts for you and you become a part of it. The plane is no longer a device to be played with but a part of you. When you bring the plane out of a 45 degree bank and it comes back on line with none of this wishy-washy back and forth stuff you really feel like a hot pilot.
Every day you get better and better. Things begin to come more easily. On my second flight I did turns to the left and right and left and right gliding and climbing turns. It was on this second flight that I really got the feel of the thing. I have a strong tendency to not give enough rudder when I turn and I must have a lot of other faults but I think I am coming along.
Some of the fellows are having a real rough life of it. Two can not get over air sickness. One has been sick twice and heaved over the side. The other has got air sick twice and heaved once. That once was rather disastrous. He heaved into the slip stream and got most of his dinner back on his face and all over the inside of the plane. It was no fun to clean up after himself and I felt rather sorry for him.
The plane is a Cub J3 65 H.P. N.C. 37900. They are equipped with gosports ( I think that's how they spell it), an instructor to student communication system (no back talk) some have brakes and others don't. The instrument panel has only a few things to watch. The tackometer, the altimeter, oil pressure, oil heat, and a few others. It has no turn or bank indicator, no rate of climb indicator, but is rather fit for contact flying. We wear a back parachute for reasons of regulations rather than safety. Civil Air Regulation states that during acrobatics you must wear a chute so we wear one. It is really a good way to get you used to wearing one. I have taken some pictures with one on and I will send them as soon as I get them developed and printed.
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| Cockpit |
We are restricted to what we can take pictures of so that unless I get permission I can't show you a picture of my plane. It is a cub with a sliver finish. It has the R.A.F. insignia and is called the "Delaware Flitfire". It is an easy thing to take off and I did that on my second flight. I didn't fly it in I guess because I forgot my flight pattern and didn't know I was over the East boundary when I was asked where I was.
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| One of the few original planes left in 2013. |
We went on parade last Friday night on the streets of Beloit. The people gave us a good ovation as we went by. You can easily see that the Enlisted Students are the ones that rate around here. I couldn't write after parade and last night I went over to help out all the new students that just came in.
Training is really beginning to smooth out. Our hours are still bad but the schedule is not rough. We only get 3 classes a day and a fourth that is a swim period. You go to the field at 12:30 and the first flight goes up at 1:30. There are 3 flights and 3 students on our plane so you fly every day, weather permitting. The discipline is letting down and we are beginning to give the officers the works. In fact they stay away from upper classmen as much as possible and only when they have the upper hand where their authority means something do they get tough. It is rugged but wonderful. Tell Ralph to do anything possible so he can get in. He won't regret it a bit.
With love,
Austin (The hot pilot)
A short video of a J3 cub flying in England. Wikipedia has some interesting tidbits to share too.
Grandpa also sent home his first flight log.
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