June 12, 1943

Dear Mom, Pop, brother, sisters, relatives and friends, That covers everybody I hope!

This is to let you know I'm still alive, healthy and confined to quarters this lonely Saturday afternoon. There isn't a soul left in my barracks. Every last one of then have gone to town. The reason I'm here is that last lights out, myself and some of the boys in my section had a pillow fight with the mattresses from all the empty beds. The beds of the washouts. We were carrying on having a grand time when the commissioned O.D. walked in and caught us. I guess I told you I was made cadet flight Lieutenant, well me, being in charge, I'm supposed to keep law and order. How they expect us to sleep with the sun in our eyes is beyond me. After all it's still dusk at lights out. I don't mind taking the blame because cadet officers are only confined whereas if the rest of them would have had to walk the ramp.

I'm fine except for having an exam at least every day in Navigation, Meteorology, Aircraft Identification, etc. Here's how just one class goes. The teacher on out first period says "Today we'll take up all the American planes, tomorrow all the German and Jap planes and the third day we'll take up the English planes alone with our final exam on aircraft and be prepared to start on out new aircraft." The final exam is just a flash of any number of planes, perhaps 50 in all, upon a screen for a half second for each one. Then you write down the nationality, type and name of the plane. Anyway, I got a one hundred on it. Day before yesterday I got 100% in Meteorology but yesterday I got my lowest mark yet. I only got 88% in my Navigation test. I guess I'll have to get back on the ball. Among all these tests we have check rides from both Army and civilian check pilots to see how out progress is coming in flying. If they things it's not good enough, out we go. I had a check ride with the Army this week. Passed it OK, Phew!! In the last three days there has been only two boys pass their forty hour checks. I was supposed to get mine yesterday bit I'll get it Monday I guess. I have about 53 hours in the air now.

On me Army check ride, I flew over the field at 1500 feet to look at the "tee" to see which way to land when the Army check pilot said, "Mr. McKinley, see that little white square down there on the field". I shook my head yes. He said, "Let's see you land on it". This my friends, is one of the hardest things to be because the spot on the ground that you land in is determined by the base leg of your traffic pattern. This leg is about half a mile from the field and at 500 ft. you have to guess how hard the wind is blowing and set this leg in the proper place. After you turn in the field off this leg, there is nothing you can do to change the place you're going to land in. You have no power on. Well ofter telling all that "Greek", I landed smack in the middle of that life old square. He turned around and gave me a big grin. Even the instructors can't do that good and he knew it. Of course I didn't tell him it was just luck on my part.

On stage landings you're allowed to use your power to keep you off the ground until you want to drop down on the stage or painted square. My instructor was showing me how to do it. The first one he missed completely. The second one he cut the power too late. We missed the square and also dropped it from about 12 feet. When we were taxiing along with the motor idling, I put my head inside the cockpit and yelled to him, "Where did you of last night?" He just laughed. He stopped the plane by the stage, got out and told me to try it. He said he couldn't hit it. I made six running take-offs, came around each time and plunked it right in the center each time. He congratulated me on my "stages". All this doesn't mean a thing. One bad ride and you're out. For more yesterday. In my section we had 31 to start with and now we have only six. We go out for drill and at least two go for haircuts and another has some excuse. This leaves only four of us. So we go out and talk about flying. Another improvement since they made me flight Lt. is the abolishment of that foolish "revelry". Sleep at that hour of the morning is too important to waste on a formation.

Love and Kisses, As ever

"The Prisoner"