June 20, 1943
Sun. 4:30 P.M.
Dear Folks:
Well I’m back in the old rut again. I messed up a check-ride again. I had my 50 hr. check yesterday. I didn’t do so good. I don’t know yet whether I got a U or a S. If I got a S it was a weak one. I only have 2 hrs. and 50 min. left here.
Mon. 5:30 P.M. Well folks as you can see I didn’t finish this yesterday. I got a letter from Mother today.
Well I got a U on that check Saturday. I had my re-ride today. I got a weak S. Boy I just squeezed by that one. That is the last check I will have here at primary. Fact is, I have just exactly 1 hr. to fly yet. My instructor told me that I would fly that hour in the front cockpit. After I had my check-ride, I went on my cross-country flight. The plane cruised at 90 M.P.H. (airspeed) and I was gone 1 hr. 21 min. So you can guess about how far I traveled.
At Basic school we will get a lot of cross-country flying long flights. We will also get night flying and formation flying.
We expect to pull out for Basic school about Saturday. I just skimmed through Primary so you can see I will really have to work to get through Basic. I guess about 40-50% of our class washed out here at Primary. There won’t be so many wash-outs at Basic. And at Advanced school the only ones who wash out are those who get caught cutting up. Like Hedge-hopping etc. One kid got washed here because he was caught monkeying around. He was dog-fighting with another fellow. The other boy got away without being caught.
We were supposed to finish our school work today but they decided to give us a review in Navigation. One fellow in our room still has his 50 hr. check to take.
You said that Jim weighs 105 lbs. He certainly has grown. If he was a little older, he should do pretty good at football. But he is a little young for high school football. I never weighed that much until I was 14.
How many old hens did you sell to bring $150? Which reminds me we had fried chicken one day last week. It tasted pretty good too. Not as good as Ma’s though.
Boy it seems like 5 years to me since I’ve been home. A lot has happened in the last 5 months. Boy oh boy this sun is a killer down here. I guess it has been right around 100 or 105 degrees. And we have to go out and take P.T. in the hot sun.
7:30 P.M. Just returned from supper. I think we will go to Greenville, Texas. I guess that is about 100 miles from here. I understand it isn’t as nice a place as this, and it’s a tough place to get through. But getting through Primary is quite an accomplishment. Our commanding officer told us that the output of pilots had caught up with the plane output so they are more particular now.
Well folks I guess I will close now for a day or two. I hope you folks are all well and good. Take care of yourselves.
Yours truly,
Alva (Hot Pilot) Bessey
Ancestors Across the Ages 