July 11, 1943
Sun. 10:30 P.M.
Dear Folks:
Well I guess I will write you a few lines. This has been sort of a rough week. I had to go to Code class every night until 8:45. So I didn’t have much spare time. I guess I told you I soloed Wed. I think it was. I now have 12 hrs. and 5 min. in the air and I’m liable to get my 20 hr. check any time. This is a check to see if we have made the switchover to these planes satisfactorily. Later on we have a check on instrument flying and one on night flying. This first check will probably be the hardest to get by. A lot of the fellows haven’t soloed yet. They have the old washing machine starting to work already. They have washed a few boys out and quite a few more are up for elimination rides. This plane is just a little too much for them to handle. We can’t make many mistakes because these planes aren’t to be fooled with.
I still don’t get along with my instructor very well. He put one boy up for elimination because he couldn’t handle this plane. He usually tells me he is going to wash me out about 5 times a day. But I’m getting used to him blowing. It is pretty hot down here and the dust is always blowing. We got paid yesterday and I think I will send some money home as soon as I get time to get a money order.
Well folks let me know how everything is. I’ll try to write as much as possible.
So long,
Alva
- According to the website for the National Museum of the United States Air Force, “The successful completion of pilot training was a difficult and dangerous task. From January 1941 to August 1945, 191,654 cadets were awarded pilot wings. However, there were also 132,993 who “washed out” or were killed during training (15,000), a loss rate of approximately 40 percent due to accidents, academic or physical problems, and other causes.”
Ancestors Across the Ages 