May 13, 1943
Thurs. 6:45 P.M.
Dear Folks:
Well we didn’t fly today. It was foggy so we couldn’t go up. I sent my shaver the other day but it came back. It seems that airmail stamps are not supposed to be used on anything else. So I will send it out again tonight and hope that it gets home. I got a letter from Dort today and one from Pug. My my. Dort is smart. Getting all those A’s. I got a snapshot of myself today. I will send you the negative in case you would like to get a picture developed or something. I had my flying jacket and helmet on for that picture.
Yesterday I had my pre-solo check ride. I was Sgt. Knucklehead himself for that ride. I messed everything up. When I got down the check rider read a list of the things I did wrong. It was a nice long list. He said that my air work would pass for the time being but I needed work on my landings. When I came in to land the plane I overshot the field. I almost landed in a fence on the other side of the field but he opened the throttle and we went up and around again. This time I landed in the right place but I bounced about 15 ft up in the air. I then went up for my regular ride. My instructor was sick so we had another one. I made a mess of that one too. One of the four boys did so bad on his check yesterday that the instructor told him that if he didn’t improve in the next hour that he would be finished. So he is practically washed-out. After the showing I gave yesterday I can understand why there are so many wash-outs. One of the boys in our room is up for an elimination check-ride. There is quite a few boys like that. If they don’t do good on these checks they are finished.
My instructor told me today that I am sort of a freak. On the landings most of the cadets level off too high off the ground and then they fall in. But I always dive it into the ground. I don’t level off quick enough. So my front wheels hit first and I bounce way up in the air. Most of them try to land before they get to the ground. When you do this you don’t bounce so much but you hit the ground with a thud.
So folks don’t be too surprised if I write some day and tell you that I washed out. But I still think that I can fly that plane as well as anybody. I really got a kick out of that flying yesterday. Oh boy! But I certainly hope I don’t pull so many boners in one day.
You know I was surprised today. There was an order on the bulletin board today. We don’t wear ties anymore on the post between Reveille and Retreat. Isn’t that something though? Wow!
8:45 . Just returned from a hard game of football. I should have been studying for a couple of tests we have tomorrow. Dumb guy!
Well folks I guess I will close now.
So long,
Alva
“Hot Pilot” Bessey
Ancestors Across the Ages 