I headed for home alone and decided to try to get under
the clouds as I couldn't get above them. When I came down out of the
clouds I was about twenty feet above the waves of the North Sea. The
waves appeared to be about fifty feet high and I was flying Just
above them. Suddenly a big bomber went across in front of me in the
mist and clouds. I don't know if it was enemy or friendly but I
couldn't have found it again anyway. I was having enough trouble just
flying my own plane. I was tense, my heart was in my throat and
really pounding I flew across water all the way to England so it
didn't much matter that I wasn't crossing the Channel at the
narrowest point (my usual effort). I gained altitude when I thought
England was near, went back on instruments in the overcast and called
the base for a heading. The base would give you a heading to fly for
couple of minutes then change to another heading so they could pick
you out of the other planes on the radar screen. They could then
determine your position and give you a heading home. When you are
headed properly you pick up a steady beep on your radio. You try to
keep the beep increasing in loudness as it gets fainter if you are
turning to either side. You could fly a straight line to the base and
when you approached you would be given an altitude to fly in at. They
even gave instructions as to when to let the wheals down. The radio
truck was parked at the end of the runway and when I came down out of
the overcast I was about ten feet above the truck lined up with the
runway And able to make a perfect landing.
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