Transcribe
Translate
Nile Kinnick correspondence, December 1942-March 1943
1942-12-27: Page 03
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
2 available then get on the ball. I shall respect your decision to desist in the matter, for whatever reason, as quickly as your decision to buy. Since you have both asked about M.E. 109 I shall tell you. When we first arrived in Jax there were a good many crackups, and these combined with a deferred forced landing of his own seemed to shake him up mentally. Not so long afterwards he nosed one over on its back during his landing run. This was followed by considerable trouble with field carrier landings, which he did finally get in the extra hours given him. However, by then he had dropped behind his regular flight and was finishing up with us. One very dark night when the ceiling was unusually low we were scheduled for night carrier landings. While taking his distance upwind Marv. evidently got too high, became enveloped in a cloud, got excited, perhaps, an attack of some vertigo, couldn't interpret his instruments, so he bailed out. He landed safely, but the plane, of course, was completely demolished when it crashed. The board decided that all things considered he wasn't fit too be a fighter pilot and proceeded to ground him; perhaps, for the duration. This seems a little harsh, for he most certainly could handle V.O. planes or "P" boats alright. Nonetheless, he is now at Cecil field, grounded, and just helping around the office. Please keep all this sub-rosa and don't let it disturb you. The whole thing may work out for the best, because if Marv was uneasy in fighter planes he shouldn't be flying them. A letter from Pettit a couple of weeks ago
Saving...
prev
next
2 available then get on the ball. I shall respect your decision to desist in the matter, for whatever reason, as quickly as your decision to buy. Since you have both asked about M.E. 109 I shall tell you. When we first arrived in Jax there were a good many crackups, and these combined with a deferred forced landing of his own seemed to shake him up mentally. Not so long afterwards he nosed one over on its back during his landing run. This was followed by considerable trouble with field carrier landings, which he did finally get in the extra hours given him. However, by then he had dropped behind his regular flight and was finishing up with us. One very dark night when the ceiling was unusually low we were scheduled for night carrier landings. While taking his distance upwind Marv. evidently got too high, became enveloped in a cloud, got excited, perhaps, an attack of some vertigo, couldn't interpret his instruments, so he bailed out. He landed safely, but the plane, of course, was completely demolished when it crashed. The board decided that all things considered he wasn't fit too be a fighter pilot and proceeded to ground him; perhaps, for the duration. This seems a little harsh, for he most certainly could handle V.O. planes or "P" boats alright. Nonetheless, he is now at Cecil field, grounded, and just helping around the office. Please keep all this sub-rosa and don't let it disturb you. The whole thing may work out for the best, because if Marv was uneasy in fighter planes he shouldn't be flying them. A letter from Pettit a couple of weeks ago
Nile Kinnick Collection
sidebar
