April 8, 1943

Dear Mother:

Spring has really arrived now and it has been grand weather for flying. All the snow has gone now and this has uncovered the runways on the airdrome which opens up new difficulties. There are runways in three directions so that very often you are landing slightly out of wind which isn’t easy to do well. Another thing, the runways are tarmac and there is a great tendency for the ship to bounce. Most of my flying lately has been cross country—solo flights of about 200 miles. They are rather fun but you are busy all the time keeping up the log. So far they have gone very well. I don’t think there has yet been a moment when I haven’t known within a few miles of where I was.

Today I had a dual trip. On the first leg I had to find a wind which I used on the second leg to figure the course. On This second leg I had to fly under the hood. On E. T. A. the hood is removed and you must find yourself and estimate a course home.

Miraculously I was in gliding distance of my objective. This was pure luck and probably won’t ever happen again. But I hope it will for this trip is almost exactly the same as our pilot navigator test which I get very soon.

My hours total 96 now. Under our present syllabus we will have about 170 hrs. before we finish. My cumulative link mark is 72.55% which is high enough to suit me as the average marks are not high. I am getting on to more interesting work now. Today I did a 22 approach which is an absolute type of blind flying landing. From now on I will do nothing but the standard blind approach of which you shall hear more later.

I had a 48 last weekend. Sunday was a perfect day and we went for a long walk—all of twelve miles I should think. We were certainly ready for the T-Bone steaks we had afterward. I may get another 48 this weekend as I have just had a change of instructors and you get 48’s when your instructor does.

The shoes you sent Dick might have been mine. I had a pair with a sort of pebbled surface. Also I don’t think Dick ever used to buy a brogue type of shoe.

Thank you very much for the cake. It was as fresh as if it had just come out of the oven.

We do seem to get more eggs now. I don’t mind this as this station cooks them properly—all other stations I have been to absolutely ruin eggs.

I had a letter from Bunny a few days ago. With only 15 days leave one would have to fly home.

With love from
Tony

[Note: Transcription provided by collection donor.]