Diary And Letters Of A World War I Fighter Pilot, The (2 page)

Extracts from Guy's letters written from his first Flying School at Catterick, Yorkshire where he went after about three weeks preliminary training at Reading, having joined there on March 12th 1917 . He got his Commission in the R.G.A. on Feb. 28th & having applied for a nomination to the Royal Flying Corps while at the Royal Military Academy Woolwich, obtained it a few days later & after a short leave, spent with us at 8 Marine Parade, Dover, he reported himself at Reading according to orders, in company with three other young officers from “The Shop” & so took his first step towards his Flying Career. The course at Reading was supposed to last a month, but owing to the unexpected advent of a batch of Russian Cadets it was curtailed & they got a sudden order on the morning of March 30th to report at Catterick in Yorkshire that same evening at 8 o'clock. Guy had just had his second inoculation for enteric the day before, he was living in a “billet” & was glad of his landlady's help with his hurried packing as he only had an hour to do it in. He had to leave Reading before he had finished his exams.

Mrs Janie Knocker, GMK's mother.

At last my wish has been achieved! I went “up” last evening for 15 minutes. I was with the Flight Sergt who is a very good flyer. I was in a dual control “bus” & sat behind. There are two sets of controls, I rested my hands on one set & Sergt Gay worked the other. We “taxied” into the open & faced the wind, then he opened the engine full out & we tore along the ground at about 60 miles per hour; then we rose in the air. You can't tell the exact moment when you “take off” but suddenly you look down & see the ground about 50 ft. below you & the sensation is perfectly gorgeous. For the first minute after leaving the ground I felt a little “seasick” but that soon went off & now it has no effect at all. The wind is rather cold on your face but otherwise I was perfectly warm as I was in a leather flying coat & wearing a safety helmet & big gloves which I borrowed.

Helmets, Flying, One, Officers, for the use of.

We got up about 500 ft & then Sergt G. turned round, he put over the left aileron control & pushed forward his left foot. Instantly the “bus” tilted up to the left at an angle of about 40° & began to turn round to the left, this is called “banking”; it is rather a funny feeling as you think you are all “skew whiff” & leaving part of you behind! Then we went on straight & when we came over a farm, which looked very funny from above, he switched off, or rather throttled down the engine & put her nose down, at the same time doing a “banking” turn. This is a priceless feeling like going down a watershute! Then we glided down and landed beautifully with no jar at all. The aerodrome looked fine from above & you could see other aeroplanes on the ground & in the air.

Then Sergt Gay said he was going to let me work it, so we got off again & then he took his hands off the controls & put them on the sides thus I was working the “bus”! Then her nose began to get up so I put forward the joy-stick & brought it down but I put it forward too much & the “bus” started to go down again however I soon pulled her up, then we came down. We landed and went “up” three times running.

The weather was not very good but rather “bumpy” this means that every now & then as you went along the “bus” would bump & drop a few feet or perhaps would bump up. This is due to a kind of “air pocket” which always comes if the day is not nearly perfect, it is quite harmless but makes it difficult to feel what you are doing. I found it quite easy to breathe as we were only doing from 60 to 70 m.p.h. and there was absolutely no feeling of dizziness at all as the motion & wind prevents that, you never think of that & just feel that it is quite impossible to fall out. I just love it & there is no sensation in the world equal to flying.

This morning I was down again for early flying and got up for 10 minutes. This time I sat in the front seat where it is not so windy owing to having a wind screen. I tried a turn myself however it was a bad turn as I hardly “banked” at all & used too much rudder. I will know better in future, it was a bit “bumpy” too. The control consists of two foot plates which work the rudder, one stick in the centre which works the elevators and two handles at the top which work up & down for the ailerons – so it is really very easy. The engine is behind in these machines & they are termed “pushers”.

The Maurice Farman ‘Short horn' Biplane shewing ‘Nacelle'

Control System in a Maurice Farman

I think the bank was something like this.

No 14 Reserve Squadron. R.F.C.
Catterick

I suppose you will by this time have got my letter describing my first flight; I had another yesterday evening lasting 23 minutes. It was just “topping” & not at all cold; I had complete control most of the time & took her off the ground & did several turns. I have got the “banking” all right & put on about the right amount. The Sergt who was instructing, told me to fly level at 500 ft, it is very hard to do this as you generally tend to climb or go down, however I managed it rather well & the Sergt was quite “braced” but he remarked it was probably a “fluke” as even the best pilots find it hard. We went over the surrounding villages & the view was gorgeous.

The Sergt started “stunting” once, he did a “turn” over a village & instead of doing an ordinary “bank” of about 40° he did a jolly nearly vertical one. I was scared blue & found myself looking down on a church & wondering when I would drop out! But that of course is quite imposs as going round a “turn” the centrifugal force keeps you glued to the further side of your seat. Well it was rather fun but don't worry, I shan't try any stunts myself yet. Then I tried landing but I wasn't very good at that as I flattened out too much & am a bit too heavy handed at present, still that will all come in time. (Both Mc Elroy & Maitland are in my Squadron. “Mac” is in my “Flight” & Maitland is in “B”). I passed the “Vickers” exam all right yesterday & got full marks for the sequences part of it. I played hockey this afternoon & it was great fun. No 14 & No 6 the latter won 7-6. Well I must stop this now.

R.F.C. Catterick

Thanks very much for the parcel & cigs. which were very welcome. I haven't been “up” since I last wrote as the weather has been absolutely “dud” for flying & today the snow is thick. (I went to Middlesboro' on Monday & took a holiday as did nearly everyone else, I had quite a good time. I & four other fellows are going there to a dance this evening in aid of wounded Tommies as there will be no flying today & there is nothing else to do. ) I passed in Artillery Observation yesterday in the written part & have yet to pass in the practical part in “sending” & “signalling”. Well I have no more news to give you, thanks for the hockey stick & stockings also for your last letter. I am afraid your “last hope”, that my nerves couldn't stand it, is gone as they are quite all right!

R.F.C. Catterick

Thanks most awfully for your letters & parcels, the gloves were “topping” also the books – I have read most of them but still I will read them again! The dance on Wed. night was great fun but the drive home was jolly cold we got back about 2.30 a.m. There is not much news; there has been no flying since I last wrote as the weather has been a “dud”. Yesterday I played “Rugger” for the Squadron against the H.L.I. We got badly beaten as we were two men short & had never played together before but it was a great game if a bit rough, the ground was rather stoney [
sic
] & we nearly all had cut knees. The Glasgow Highlanders were an awfully nice lot of chaps all broad Scots, we hope to play a return match against them some time soon.

I went to church this morning but I don't think I shall go tonight as you can never tell if the wind will drop & if it does then there will be flying. I have some topping flying kit – a huge leather greatcoat lined with fleece, a pair of sheep skin thigh boots with the fleece inside going right up my legs – gorgeously warm, a safety helmet – padded – a fur-lined flying helmet like a leather Balaclava helmet; this is lined with beaver, a pair of goggles & a pair of fleece lined gauntlet gloves but these have no fingers and are most clumsy to grip the controls with so I think I am going to get a pair of fur gloves with fingers, they cost £1.1/- but are worth it. I am never strapped in flying because it is far safer not to be strapped in a “pusher” machine as in the event of a crash you are often thrown clear whereas if you were strapped in you would probably get the engine, which is behind, in the small of your back, if it carried through as it likely would, you can't fall out. Well I have no more news so will stop now.

The length of my course here depends entirely on the weather. You have to do altogether 3 or 4 hours in the air “dual” & then 5 hours “solo”. With good weather I may get out in a month & if the weather is bad I may be here 3 months. You see a “Maurice” is not a very stable “bus” like a “Vickers” & I can't fly it in bumpy weather or at any rate it can fly but it is no good for “instruction”.

The Safety or ‘Hun' Helmet. Fur lined helmet.

Catterick