Law of averages says I'll be dead after 17 hours in the air. But they'll be dry hours...

When I stepped outside this morning, it looked almost like that. A ridiculously warm and wet winter here!

But yes, that was one of the advantages of being a pilot in the Great War. You could actually retire to a warm and dry place after flying the day's missions!

Poor bloody infantry! In my army days in the artillery, I always pitied the grunts crawling around in mud and digging holes while we drew around in vehicles.

Hallo Mama,

Army life is great... everything they told me it was going to be and more.
Please send clean underwear and socks.

Love you,

Whilhelm

As I recall, the caption said "...somewhere near Ypres." Didn't specify a date.

According to the book I am reading (Aces Falling) the average life expectancy for a scout pilot was four weeks after joining the front at France, the average life expectancy for an observer crew was two weeks. So no not great. Considering I have just died on my first solo training flight (got too slow on approach and stalled my FE2b) I would have been once of the five in training that never even reached the front.

Wait until you train on Sopwith Camels. In real life, the mortality rate for students was nearly 1 in 2, or, 50%.