Darlings,
Well, I just finished plotting my course for another cross country. Boy! This cross country is going to be a long one. I hope I don’t get lost-it would be quite embarrassing to run out of gas right over a mountain range.
I have some bad news. One of my classmates was killed yesterday. It was his fault though. He and another kid were up practicing the beam procedures. They got a little bored with instrument flying I guess so they decided to see how fast they could dive the plane. From what I hear they dove the plane until they were going well over 400 mph. This airplane is redlined at 300 mph. The wings were literally ripped from the fuselage. One fellow, Altland by name (Minneapolis boy), jumped in the parachute. He was so low when he jumped that his shoot opened about 50 feet from the ground-just in time to break his fall. The kid in the rear didn’t get out.
They were breaking regulations so it will go hard for the cadet who escaped. It pays to stay within orders. Then if the wing falls apart-they can’t blame you.
Well, darlings, I must go to bed. Every day that passes brings me closer to those wings and bars-
Your loving son,
Jim