Hut 12A,
31 S.F.T.S.,
Kingston, Ont.
Aug 18/41

Dear Dad and Mother,

It is again sometime since I wrote to you but time really does fly here so that unless one keeps concentrating it seems that you are liable to let a lot of time slip by. Thanks very much for the letter Dad. I was so pleased to get it with all the news and also to hear that you enjoyed my last letter.

Well you will be interested to hear that I passed the examinations with an average of 79.6 %. That wasn’t too good considering some of the marks but it is a good pass so I don’t mind. I have also done all my flying except my final test with the Chief Flying Instructor. I will get that tomorrow. He takes you up and you go through everything you have learned and he gives you marks on your flying ability. If we pass that and no one ever fails it we get our wings and are supposedly full-fledged flyers. But since the course is a bit behind we start right in on Tuesday in Advanced Training School with no time off. I had hoped to get a few days so that I could get out of here and see my relations but I can’t.

I think I told you about night-flying. I went solo night-flying on my second night. It was pretty thrilling. I thought I was a goner once as I suddenly noticed this great blue flame down across the wing. I thought the plane was burning up so I rushed back and landed as quickly as I could. I decided however when I saw another plane with the same flame coming out that it was just the exhaust and nothing to worry about. I felt kind of silly about that.

I also did what are called cross countries the other day. We have to do two of them before we can finish the course. On one of them we go to Peterborough and back. On the other one we go to another aerodrome at Picton, land and report there and come back. Another thing I just finished up today was Instrument Flying. In instrument flying you go up with the instructor and put a hood over your head and fly just by instruments. I had to get five hours of that in.

One other thing I did the other day was Formation Flying. That really is a lot of fun but you must concentrate all the time. We had three planes flying like this [sketch inserted here of three planes in triangular formation]. Well the plane in front has to concentrate like the dickens to keep flying absolutely straight and without climbing or losing height in order to make it easier for the following planes. The other two have to be very careful or they will drift away or something. If you are in one of the following planes you watch the leader’s wing tip and keep your hand on the throttle trying to keep your correct position all the time. I enjoyed it a lot but I was pretty tired after an hour of it. Well that’s enough about flying. We will be starting bombing and gunnery and all that sort of thing so it will be more interesting in my letters.

You got pretty enthusiastic about the girl in the picture, Dad. Tibbie, that’s the boy is pretty worried about it. He says there are enough people in love with her now without people starting falling for her picture. She left for her home in Fort Frances today and Tibbie is pretty broken up. They used to go together in High School but they broke up seven years ago. Now she has been at summer school and they have fallen in love pretty hard. She has far overstayed here in Kingston and she has to face an irate boy-friend of hers back there. But they are a dandy couple. Both of them are completely unselfish and natural and I for one think it is a good match. But war-time spoils so many of these things. It is too bad.

The Bradley boy was pretty lucky. He managed to get through his flying early and is now down at Rhode Island with his Mother visiting. But he is the only one though. All the rest of us have odds and ends to finish up. By the way dad you asked about the difference in the caps. Tibbie had a white one on which is just a summer cap and doesn’t look very good with a white cap-band. I just had the one I had on when I was home.

I got a short letter from Grandpa the other day. He seemed quite delighted with the letter I sent him. He always seems glad to hear from us. I also got a letter from Phyllis enclosing Jack’s letter. I am so glad to hear that Phyllis has found a place to stay as she was not sounding too satisfied with things. And Jack too sounds a little happier. I can just see him buying those scrub cherries. I am glad that he has found some friends, too. They help a lot over there. I have tried to find out from some of the English fellows what they do at Heston but no one seems to know. If I can find out I shall let you know.

Al Johnson was a bit amused Mother when I told him you seemed a bit young. He thinks he is old enough.

I got a letter from Peter today and am enclosing a note for him. Could you give it to him please.

I am going to stop now.

Love to all at home,
Hampton.