February 25, 1944

Ryan Field

Tucson Ariz.

Feb 25, 1944

Dear Mother:

I am going to try to dash you off a letter in what remains of a half hour.  I am trying to write in bed before lights out so try to decipher it the best you can.

I have got a bad cold and in between barks I will see what I can do.  I don't dare go to the dispensary because once they get you in that door you have a heck of a time to get out.  I can't afford to lose any time now because I have closet to 50 hours and the check rides start agin.  Also if I lose any time right now I am pretty sure of being left here another month.  That can't happen because things are running along pretty smoothly now.

 By the way I am sure of staying for the rest of my training out here in the west.  You see I have a fair chance of getting all the way through now that is unless something comes up we don't anticipate.  Therefore start saving your money so you can see me get my wings if I get them.  I guess that I am looking quite a way ahead but today I feel pretty good about my flying.

No much exciting happens around here.  I guess I wrote about the Corsair that came in for last weekend.  The pilot was a Marine Captain and the brother of one of the cadets here.  That kid sure had a swell time strutting around with his brother.  We all had a good look at the plane and you can bet we were all thrilled to get so close to such a plane.  All the instructors seemed to have the look as if they wished they could be flying Corsairs instead of teaching dumb cadets the fundamentals.  I guess everyone wants to join the Navy and fly Corsairs now.

We have a few mishaps around here such as broken "props" etc. but nothing else happens.  The lower class is not yet soloed out and so things are quiet at that end of the field.  Some of our boys still ground loop.  But not many of them.  Cross wind landings is what kept me from soloing in 6 hours and I think I have now caught on to them that they will never screw me up again.  I have at least accomplished that.

My bunk mate is leaving tomorrow for the A.T.C.  He washed out because of dangerous flying and for other reasons we don't know.  I am sure going to miss him.  We have had a lot of fun together.  He is from Kentucky and isn't much of a hillbilly.  He had a tough break.  I must stop now.

With love

Austin

Have you received your box?

February 21, 1944

Ryan Field

Tucson Ariz.

Feb. 21, 1944

Dear Mother;

I will answer your questions first because the two sheets of paper here are all I have.  

Yes the Independent comes along very regularly and I don't believe I have ever missed a number since the days of classification.  If one comes a little late because of a new address I usually get two at a time. Right now it comes on Thursday or Friday or somewhere in there.  I don't know just what day it is but it is regular.  I get quite a kick out of it so keep it coming.

By the way my address is a little bit wrong but the difference really makes little difference.  Everyone always put 44 Group on the address and it really is 44G.  It means class 44G, Graduation in 1944 on G month (July).  They only have 2 groups here that's why the address mistake makes little or no difference.  Another thing tell A.P. to put my whole address on the letters because his last letter came through all stamped up for me to tell my correspondents my correct address.  It might save a day of time.

I will try to get a card to send to Miss Worthen.  I don't know just what I can say on a card but  Iwill think of something appropriate (the right thing).  By the way you better keep up the good work of being my private secretary.  I don't get time to remember all the people I should remember.  

I am glad to hear that Mary is having a lot of fun.  I guess if she gets the chance that she can have a lot of fun at the place she works.  Every once in a while I think of her when I look at the dials as they spin around in front of me.  Do any of the dials say Pioneer on them that she paints or what do they have on them to identify them?

I will say a little about my present flying.  We are doing acrobatics.  You start with a loop, then a snap roll, then a slow roll, then a half roll.  Then an Immelmann turn {See this original training video of a P-47 with thrilling music}.  We do lazy 8's and chandelles still but not as much as before .  I make myself sick up there alone.  I climb to 6600' indicated and do a loop, then a snap roll to the right then a snap roll to the left then a slow roll to the left and a slow roll to the right, then a half roll to the left and recover to the right then a half roll to the right and recover to the left, then an Immelmann turn.  After that I am airsick and have to fly straight and level for a while.  It's a lot of fun anyway. (no more paper)

With love

Austin

February 17, 1944

Ryan Field

Tucson Ariz.

Feb. 17, 1944

Dear A.P.

I vow right now to not write later than 2000 (8:00 p.m.) because I am very tired and need the extra hour of sleep.

I got your letter today and as I haven't written to you for some time I guess this one is due to you.  I got 4 different letters the day before yesterday but I can't answer them for a couple more days because I am again short of paper but have enough envelopes for the whole outfit.

A "Link trainer" isn't much of a plane.  It has all the instruments in it for cross country blind flying.  It has a two way radio although we only use it one way, instructor to student, no back talk.  They have 10 or 12 of these in a hanger and the instructors are non-coms who have had the training required to train others.

The instruments in the plane have identical sets upon the instructors table so that he can watch your altitude, air speed, rate of climb, etc while you watch them in the little plane.  You get a series of exercises on each lesson so that you get so that you can control your speed with the stick and not the throttle.  In the last lesson you get a chance to fly a course and to trace circles on a paper.  They are drawn by a machine that is synchronized to the trainer so that you can fly a course and have it traced for you to show your mistakes.

Link only lasts 5 hours so that every thing we learn is very elementary and little or no use in our present flying.

In our planes we have one way communication and it is of course from the instructor to student, again no back talk.  They use gas ports which is a rubber tube more or less that is attached to the helmet in such a way that the instructor can be heard very well.  The planes are equipped for electrical communication but we are not so we don't worry about it.

Today I had a check flight and it was not very much of a ride.  I gave him a pretty good ride and all he had to say afterwards that I had no dangerous characteristics and that my sight for a "forced landing" was not quite what he had picked out, my lazy 8s were appropriately what he wanted.  He didn't have any unfavorable comments however.

3 days ago I had a civilian check ride which was not quite so good.  He said that my torque correction in stalls was weak, my chandelles were not too good, my forced landing field was not too good but otherwise all right.  I also didn't try to gain enough altitude after a spin recovery.  I passed it all right. I don't have to sweat out any more check rides until I have completed 40 hours or more and that is not too long from now as I now have 36 hours to my credit.

From now on we will have to get 2 hours a day to finish on schedule.  I have 12 hours of solo now but must have 30 before the course is over so you see I have quite a way to go yet.  Everything is going according to schedule.  I have passed the 90 degree stage and the 180 degree as well and have only the 180 degree cross wind stage to go.

I got a letter from Aunt Emma the other day and she seemed to think that grandpa was coming along very well considering.

Well I must close now.  Tell Mother to write as soon as she gets her box and tell me what she thinks.

With love

Austin.

February 12, 1944

Tucson Ariz.

Feb. 12, 1944

Dear Mother:

I guess I never wrote from a U.S.O. before but while I wait for my friend form Kentucky I use the paper and ink provided for such occasions.  This is the second trip to the town and I hope I do not get as disgusted as I did before.  I guess I can have some fun if I look around for it.

I flew 2 hours today and got in an hour and 5 minutes of "Link" trainer so I am rather tired.  The "Link" is the harder of the two because it requires much close study and the little dials on the instrument panel are not too interesting.  Today I did precision turns maintaining air speed and altitude.  The turn is made with a gyrocompass because a magnetic compass is not too reliable.  If you can maintain a special type of turn called a "needle width turn" you can make a perfect circle.  However if you vary the turn the slightest it does not come out right, the way you like to have them.  The instructor in charge said I maintained my speed and altitude very well.

You know you get some very peculiar sensations while flying "blind".  When you have the cover down, as it is most of the time, you often feel that you are climbing when you are gliding and turning after you have stopped.  As you have no visual reference points pressure means a lot.  When you stop a  turn you feel like you are starting one the other way.  This must be rather boring to you because you don't know enough about the subject.

I have 28 hours of flying now but I am still a long way from being a "hot pilot".  Even so I am working up to the point where the time is beginning to count.  I have enough time for a solo pilots license and soon (at 35 hours) I can get a private pilots license.  After that you can carry passengers with you so maybe after I get home you all may get some free rides.

It is time for me to get a few check rides but each time I get cheated out of them some how or other.  I wish I could get them over because then I could start on something else.  It is getting bearably boring to go up and do stalls, spins, 'S' turns, figure 8's, and the like every day.  I have been doing them solo for the last 12 hours and although I don't have them down perfect I am coming along.  

Next I shall learn how to do chandelles, lazy 8's, pilon 8's, loops, snap rolls, slow rolls, etc.  These are acrobatics and will be a lot of fun.

You would be surprised at the caution they use around here.  I guess the Army wants all the pilots they can get but they want careful pilots rather than hap-hazard H.P.'s.  Before you can go up alone you must be able to recover from a spin or most any other position the instructor can put you in and they really know a lot of them.

I have got both of the boxes that were sent.  Esther's other came the 10th.  I opened them both when not too many were around and still have some cookies left.  I will finish them when I get back to the post.  Have my war bonds been coming through?  If not please write as soon as possible so that I can get the situation clarified on this end.  It seems they have had a lot of trouble in Chicago where they are shipped form and if I am behind too many I can get them sent home a lost at once.

I hope Grandpa is getting better.  He seems to have come through an awful lot in all his years.  He is such a grand person I could really enjoy coming home to see him.  As far as that goes who here in this U.S.O. would not love to come home.  This is rather a poor substitute for home.

I guess I am getting to write a book here but as long as my friend doesn't show up I guess I can continue to write.

As long as Esther is going to read this letter I can thank her for the candy.  What I got of it was really swell and I can guess just where you got it.  That doesn't detract form it's taste does it.  It sure is swell to get such things from home.  You can't guess how much they are appreciated.

Those cookies sure are good too.  They were somewhat of a surprise.  I expect a small box but that is a little on the larger size.  They are packed so close there are a lot of them in a small place. (as I look at what I have done I guess I have written a book)

If I can ever get around to it I will send home a box that ought to interest every body but you especially.  I won't tell you what it is but I will get it off as soon as possible.

I am going to get my name and serial number; and address engraved on my watch so that if anything happens to it I have a chance of getting it back.

Also if anything happens to me they will have some means of identification other than my "dog tags".  It's such a swell watch I would hate to have anything happen to it.  Do you think I ought o have it cleaned oftener than is prescribed because of the dust we have out here.  I can see traces inside already.

Well I will close now because my friend is here.  His name is Charles E Rowland.

With love

Austin

February 6, 1944

Ryan Field

Tucson Ariz.

Feb. 6, 1944

Dear Esther:

Esther's high school graduation picture

I forgot all about your birthday until about a week ago so I couldn't send anything home.  The civilian canteen here has no cards or anything so I guess this letter on your birthday will have to do.  I should keep a stock of cards and such on hand for occasions but I have to get around to it someday and that is the trouble.  I probably never will.

We got out last night for the first time on an overnight pass but strange as it may seem I did not stay out but came back at 12:00 on the last bus.  I came on the last bus because I wouldn't stand on an earlier one and not because I hated to leave the town.  Tucson is the worst city I have been in.  The town is too crowded with officers and enlisted men from other camps.  One big B24 base just a short way from the town must send all its men in town every week-end.  You can see that if these fellows get in town ahead of you, as they do, you don't have much of a chance of getting a place to sleep or anything.  Not only that but every other man in uniform is either a naval officer or a 2nd Lt. with pilots or bombardiers wings.  What chance has an aviation cadet have in a town like that?  

We get in town rather late and that means that about all you can see is lit by lights and even so you can see a heck of a lot.  Of course you can always stay in all day Sunday and look around but I was so disgusted with things last night I came home.  You can go in again but the bus leaves every 3 hours and you have to be awake to get on and as I have been sleeping most of the day I could hardly make the bus.  I am glad now because it is raining very hard now and there is nothing to do in town in such weather.  So I am sitting listening to the radio and helping the civilian morale.  I don't know but what there is something in it after all. 

Well "happy birthday" to you and all that.  I don't know how old you are and I suppose if I hazard a guess I might embarrass myself or maybe you.  Anyway I guess that doesn't matter much.

I guess everyone is remembering my birthday coming up soon and I am sorry I couldn't have remembered yours a little earlier.  The next time such a thing happens I hope I am a little ahead of whats next.

Well I must close now and listen to Jack Benny.  I can't concentrate with all his noise.

Video of Jack Benny and Groucho Marx

With love

Austin

{And just for fun, more pictures of Great-Aunt Esther through the years!}

Cute baby girl!

Cute as a button

A Single Working Woman

Always helping!

Her Wedding Day

All the siblings together!

Esther and Pat

February 3, 1944

Ryan Field

Tucson Ariz.

Feb 3, 1944

Jan 2         .    

Dear A.P.

You were not home when mother wrote her congratulations for the solo.  Well I guess your letter will be along soon so I will be a little ahead of you.  Yes, it was quite a victory but it was not so great as you think.  It is much the feeling of learning to drive so that after you do get so that you can go alone it gets to be an old story.  In getting to be an old story you also get very sloppy and don't learn as fast as you could if under instruction.  However you do learn confidence and self reliance.

All the time you are learning you are under constant tension but up alone you can really relax and get so that flying becomes second nature.  You no longer feel wrong to dive at the earth, or see it above you instead of beneath you.

Around and around and around you go

I never got sick until I had my first unsupervised solo the other day.  I went up to do stalls and split S out of several.  When you pull out you are going so fast that it feels like your stomach is going out through the seat.  I got sick after a while and had to come down.  I had never been sick before.  you really want to get out.

Video on how to do a split S turn

You can't get too laxy up there because your will to live is stronger than your laxness.  Unconsciously you keep looking for other planes, beside you, above you or climbing up beneath.  You never can tell if some dumb son of a gun isn't looking for you.  I really keep away from the others.

Now that the lower class is doing a lot of solo work the junk yard out back is getting larger.  Broken wing tips are out there galore.  One fellow spun in from 500' and luckily wasn't killed.  The airplane absorbed most of the slack and he only lost a few teeth on the head safety.  One other fellow nosed over on a forced landing and broke a prop and tail.

To see more airplane boneyards, click here.

There really is no need for anyone getting seriously hurt because the planes are practically fool proof.  They can completely pull out of a spin if you keep your hands off the controls.  They will fly themselves.  They are unpredictable but if you can climb, dive, fly straight and level, and can turn or recover correctly from either of those altitudes you can flit a P.T.  Of course wind makes a difference on landings but the only thing you can do there is drag a wing.  

I get a heck of a kick out of flying.  You are really free to do what you want within reason.  If only the plane didn't make so much noise you could really live while you fly.

Today I really scared the wits out of myself.  I had to make a cross wind landing and consequently nearly scraped a wind.  When I had recovered completely I took off again and wished to heck I hadn't after it was too late.  After I was up 300' I wished I had stayed on the ground instead of coming around again and trying to figure out the wind.  Well it all worked out O.K. because the next landing was very good and no trouble at all.  It was rather a victory for me.

Some of the fellows are riding the old "Maytag Washer".  None seem to know just why they are up there except that they give pretty enough rides or that they continually or occasionally break regulations.  They are given a good chance to prove themselves because they get 4 check rides before they are washed.  They get 3 civilian check rides and an Army ride.  If they flunk all the civilian but give the Army a good one they pass them all.  If they flunk the Army and pass the civilian they still stay.  Right now I do not worry too much but everyone worries about them at some time or another.  You wouldn't be normal if you didn't.

Today I got an hour of training that is worth about $25 an hour if you tried to buy it.  I rode for an hour in a Link Trainer, an instrument worth $25,000, often called the "infernal machine" because you could go bats if you stayed in there too long.  You probably know what they look like from pictures.  You get in and pull down the hood and you could swear the plane is diving, climbing, turning, or anything but the dials don't move which means you are going straight and level.  They are a lot of fun but will be a lot of work to figure out the new instruments.  There are a lot of misconceptions of instruments made but get straightened out after a few rides.  You can see that the training I am getting is invaluable right now.

Link Trainer controls taken from this rebuilding effort.

Not much room here!

A tight fit!  I hope you're not claustrophobic.

I sure would like to come home and give you a ride in a plane.  We could really get a ride.  I guess planes are scarce right now so there is not much sense in coming right now.  I could give you some low level flying that would make your hair stand on end. (Here I am talking like a veteran.)  Well anyway I could have some fun.  The more you fly the more confidence you get and the quicker you learn to make decisions.  That's what makes pilots I guess.

With love

Austin