Coming in on a wing and a prayer

According to a family friend alive during Linton's time, many Pilots in training would fly over Wairau Valley and Kaituna Valley on their solo flights. Linton would "Waggle the wings of his plane when people waved to him" as he flew over where his family and friends lived.

In the letters below, Linton describes his first flying experiences...

Levin, 1941

My Dear Family,

It is Sunday night, and I would give a hundred pounds to be able to start into those forty four cows on my own. Rather a change for me isn’t it? Perhaps it’s one I should have had long ago, as it will doubtless make me appreciate my home and my people a bit more.

I hate this place as I have never hated any place in my life before, probably because being here keeps me from seeing any of you for at least three months. The only leave we get at all is Saturday and Sunday, and of course that will not permit of my coming home, and when we leave here I understand we travel straight to the next station, which I hope and understand will be Harewood, just out of Christchurch. Once back in the South Island again I may be able to get home for a few hours somehow.

We have today been issued with our equipment, and it would do your hearts good to see me in my uniform. Honestly, I think I look the funniest person in my Air Force uniform that I have ever seen. However, perhaps I imagine it to be worse than it really is.

My only hope and wish at the present, is that you shall have an early opportunity to see for yourselves just how I look.

Dec 1st, 1941

Harewood

My Dear Family,

I arrived at Lyttelton yesterday morning after the worst experience of boat travel that I have ever had. I did not have any tea and after leaving Wellington it became very rough. From then on (7.15) I vomited until 7 in the morning. After the first couple of times I had nothing left to bring up, so you can imagine just how I looked and felt when I arrived. My eyes are still shockingly bloodshot, and my tummy is still a little bit wobbly. One consolation, everyone else was sick also.

I had my first fly today. Actually we were only supposed to go up for air experience, but I imagine my instructor had an idea I was keen to try, for after a while he said “Come on then, have a go.” At first I was reluctant to move the controls much and he told me to move them about and see what happened. Still I didn’t move enough to please him, and he said “Come on, push the bloody things about and see what happens!” I needed no more, and pushed the stick hard forward, and she bent her little nose hard for the ground, with the result that I left my stomach far behind me. Not wishing to lose such a valuable part of me, I dragged the stick back, whereupon she galloped playfully skywards. After much juggling I made an even course, expecting every minute to get a blast through my phones. Imagine my surprise when he said “That’s fine, go on, find out what they do.” I made an attempt at one or two turns and then he took over again, and we came home.

Tomorrow we start in earnest, so you can tell “the dragon” that your youngest is flying tiger moths at Harewood. My instructor seems a very nice chap. His name is Hopwood. I only hope I can go solo in the required time and so keep on with the good work.

Dec 10th, 1941.

Well, after ten days, or perhaps I should say ten years of patient waiting, I achieved my long cherished aim and today flew solo. I told you in my telegram it was after just under seven hours tuition. I now find it was just over seven, still what’s the difference.

You should have seen me sign the authorisation book this morning after my solo, especially when I put the magic words R. Linton Jones in the “Captain of aircraft” column.

Dec 17th, 1941

The weather here has not been at all pleasant. Rained like hell for two days. You can imagine just how pleasant it is flying in the rain - very similar to riding a motorbike in a storm.

It rained here again this morning but didn’t stop us from flying. I had quite a long spin, consisting of flying “under the hood” by the instruments and a certain amount of aerobatics. My new instructor is a nice fellow, a good flyer, and an ardent lover of aerobatics. Spins, stall turns, loops, inverted flying, steep turns, and rolls were all on his programme this morning.

I myself did a few this morning, under his watchful eye of course. A certain amount of aerobatics is included in our syllabus of training at this school. By a strange coincidence, my present instructor is an ex-pupil of my former instructor, and of course has a similar style of teaching.

Above: Linton in front of a Tiger Moth biplane.

Below: Colorized version.

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