June 27, 1943

                                                            June 27
Dear Folks:
            We’re using a different auxiliary field this week — Oates Field, they call it. It is bigger than the one we used last week so we can make running takeoffs when practicing spot landings. That is, instead of stopping after landing and taxing around to the end of the field for another takeoff, we just give it the gun after landing, make a short run and take off again.
            The farmers are combining oates this week. The 2 farmers next to Oates Field use combines like George Potter had and Farmalls on rubber. They sack the oates on the machine and drop the sacks around the field. Also near Oates Field is a big dairy with about 150 head of Jersey milk cows. Every windmill has a large covered tank about 10 ft off the ground beside it. The houses are small and there is usually just a shed for a barn. All of them seem to have good tractors & equipment. They grow alfalfa, sudan grass, cotton, oates and some kind of cultivated maize.
            Did my first night flying this week. The air is really smooth compared to day time. The plane has the red & green & white wing tip lights (running lights) you’ve probably seen. The instrument numerals and pointers are painted with a florescent paint. A florescent light is played on the instrument panel and the only thing that can be seen are the things painted with the paint. There are also a powerful pair of landing lights in the edge of the wing but we won’t use them just yet.
            The runway has a string of dim boundry lights around it and at the end of the runway is a big flood light by which we land. The cities are easily seen because of the lights. The exhaust shoots out a plume about 5 ft. long just beside the cockpit. The instructor rode for 3 landings and then crawled out and we had to go around alone for another hour of landings.
            Also getting instrument flying now which is application of the Link trainer. The instructor rides in the front seat and me in the back seat which is covered with a hood so that all one can see is the inside of cockpit.
            Got your letter & Jo’s, also the Dispatches. I see some sunflowers in bloom along the roads here. The order came out last week that we don’t have to wear neckties in the heat of the day. Of course we didn’t wear them with the flying suit but to ground school and chow.
            43-J, the under class, just arrived last nite. Quite a few from Ft. Stockton that were our under class there. We are going on another cross country Monday, to Harpersville, & Curtis Ranch and back. Am sending $1 for Karen’s war bond.
            Tell Wright to get a picture of his combine & “crew” and send it along if he can. This plane has 450 H.P. Yes we can get cool water most of the time. There is also a coco cola machine in the orderly room and one in the flight building.
            No, Jo, I don’t feel a day older. And what do you mean, “surprise”? I heard rumors from the West coast 2 months ago. You might put dark glasses on Karen in the day time to get her “orientated.” No, we wont get any target practice until we get to Advanced. Did Loren go to single-engine or twin-engine advanced school?
                                                            Yours truly,
                                                                        John