I worked for Link in the 60's and in 1967 was at NAS Whiting Field and NAS Pensacola replacing the Blue Boxes with the new state of the art 2B21 multi cockpit digital trainers. We were amazed the Navy was still using them. Evidently they did a fine job. Thanks
My father was an enlisted man in the U.S. Army Air Corps (before the U.S. Air Force) and he was a Link training instructor teaching WWII pilots to fly and test them on this early simulator. I never knew what it really was until I was visiting a museum in central Nebraska where one was on display.
I spent 8 yrs in AF as an instructor on the C11C which was the jet version. Had a T33 cockpit. I found out that the joystick was actually one from a T33 and had a working trigger. So I mounted a small motor on the wooden board behind the pilots seat and if the trigger got pulled sounded like a machine. Had the wing commander in it one day getting his required time, and he pulled the trigger. He had me run him back up to 20 thousand and he did the approach again. Only this time when he cleared the fence he jogged left and strafed the flight line.
This is the same trainer I 'experienced' in 1966 as a Marine Aviation Cadet. One of my class mates was said to have actually crashed one. Forget GPS and holograms, this was about as basic as it gets.
As Tom Scott said on here it was either this or really nothing in WWII when it came to training the beginner pilots before they got to their trainer planes.
It’s an interesting topic that pilots today debate whether flying simulators have a positive or negative affect on their flying skills. It seems as if the technology of simulators has grown exponentially and have much greater practical use compared to some of the earlier examples. Yes it can have a negative impact if not taken seriously but, if one uses it to its full potential, experiences emergency’s, and uses it as a tool for their flying, they are at an advantage for flight training.
Holy moly, in the '70s they were still using it? I was just reading about this, funnily enough, in Replay: the History of Video Games (in the context of it being the earliest flight sim. Apparently it was created to be as much a coin-op amusement as a training device), so I had to run a search to see what it looked like! Isn't the internet cool? The for the upload! =0)
The first link trainer was In Plainfield NJ on South Ave about 80 feet from Birkman Street... He ( Link) had the left hand side of a building with one of the "Blue" trainers inside, My Step father rented the Right hand side ( a mirror image ) Where He sold Hot dogs, Cigarettes , News Papers etc. The same side of the street on the other side of Birkman Street was a Wonderful large Factory that was Walker Turner.. Maker of many drill presses, that are still running 70 years later.... Some of you know of them...... I was a very early test pilot at that location.. Mr Link, When there were no customers used me to "WORK OUT" any bugs in his system... ( This was #1 I am sure ) And at about 7 years old, I feared NOTHING, but I could not Kill that machine... Mr Link had a few sons, one was killed in a Imploding deep diving Bathysphere .... The other I knew very well.. Frank Links, He was like Andre the Giant, He could cover my head with one hand a touch both my ears at the SAME TIME...... He had a large car and standing next to the drivers side, wash the passenger side window... For a while he became a Wrestler...but was only a problem when an opponent made him mad...
@@Raindropsinvalencia thanks, ime guessing some of the same wood pneumatics found in link pianolas are also found link flight simulators . Another piano manufacturer who made AMPICO pneumatics supplied air pumps to corrilion makers , I base this on the fact the Corrilion at Bathurst NSW .AU replaced the original pneumatic system with direct electric now said not to play as loud since the 1980,s. at that time a deceased friend of mine got a discarded AMPICO pump from Bathurst. Have just done a Google search on the Corrilion , has had work done recently the English Bell repair specialist mentions pianola parts were used in the original build 1933.
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I worked for Link in the 60's and in 1967 was at NAS Whiting Field and NAS Pensacola replacing the Blue Boxes with the new state of the art 2B21 multi cockpit digital trainers. We were amazed the Navy was still using them. Evidently they did a fine job. Thanks
My father was an enlisted man in the U.S. Army Air Corps (before the U.S. Air Force) and he was a Link training instructor teaching WWII pilots to fly and test them on this early simulator. I never knew what it really was until I was visiting a museum in central Nebraska where one was on display.
I spent 8 yrs in AF as an instructor on the C11C which was the jet version. Had a T33 cockpit. I found out that the joystick was actually one from a T33 and had a working trigger. So I mounted a small motor on the wooden board behind the pilots seat and if the trigger got pulled sounded like a machine. Had the wing commander in it one day getting his required time, and he pulled the trigger. He had me run him back up to 20 thousand and he did the approach again. Only this time when he cleared the fence he jogged left and strafed the flight line.
I remember learning to fly in one of these as a cadet in the A.T.C. in the 70s loved it, would just love to have another go.
Same here, we had 2 at our unit, they were good fun.
This is the same trainer I 'experienced' in 1966 as a Marine Aviation Cadet. One of my class mates was said to have actually crashed one. Forget GPS and holograms, this was about as basic as it gets.
RIP thank you for your service
It's an amazing material! Thank you so much for sharing that! 🙏
Sat in one the other day just like this at the Suffolk aviation museum they have a great display well worth a visit
As a direct member of the link family its nice to see it kept the name!
As Tom Scott said on here it was either this or really nothing in WWII when it came to training the beginner pilots before they got to their trainer planes.
Came here from Tom Scott.
Glad he is highlighting an important part of aviation history.
It’s an interesting topic that pilots today debate whether flying simulators have a positive or negative affect on their flying skills. It seems as if the technology of simulators has grown exponentially and have much greater practical use compared to some of the earlier examples. Yes it can have a negative impact if not taken seriously but, if one uses it to its full potential, experiences emergency’s, and uses it as a tool for their flying, they are at an advantage for flight training.
In Colorado Springs, the WWII Aviation museum has a working trainer.
The dramatic whipping off the sweat 🤣
Holy moly, in the '70s they were still using it?
I was just reading about this, funnily enough, in Replay: the History of Video Games (in the context of it being the earliest flight sim. Apparently it was created to be as much a coin-op amusement as a training device), so I had to run a search to see what it looked like!
Isn't the internet cool?
The for the upload! =0)
This is fantastic... I'm researching Link trainers for a podcast episode about a WAC who trained pilots during WWII. Thank you for posting!
Did you ever publish your PodCast? I would like to give it a listen.
I was an IFR instructor at Hanchey Field, Ft. Rucker, from 1969-1970. Then ATC tower at Lowe Field.
Link is still around; it's part of L-3 Communications.
The first link trainer was In Plainfield NJ on South Ave about 80 feet from Birkman Street... He ( Link) had the left hand side of a building with one of the "Blue" trainers inside, My Step father rented the Right hand side ( a mirror image ) Where He sold Hot dogs, Cigarettes , News Papers etc. The same side of the street on the other side of Birkman Street was a Wonderful large Factory that was Walker Turner.. Maker of many drill presses, that are still running 70 years later.... Some of you know of them......
I was a very early test pilot at that location.. Mr Link, When there were no customers used me to "WORK OUT" any bugs in his system... ( This was #1 I am sure ) And at about 7 years old, I feared NOTHING, but I could not Kill that machine...
Mr Link had a few sons, one was killed in a Imploding deep diving Bathysphere ....
The other I knew very well.. Frank Links, He was like Andre the Giant, He could cover my head with one hand a touch both my ears at the SAME TIME...... He had a large car and standing next to the drivers side, wash the passenger side window... For a while he became a Wrestler...but was only a problem when an opponent made him mad...
Hi everyone..the Aerialclub where i'm flying has one of these old trainers just for sale...
Link trainer connected to Link player piano manufacturer ?
Per wikipedia, father owned the piano company, son used knowledge from that company to create the Link Trainer.
@@Raindropsinvalencia thanks, ime guessing some of the same wood pneumatics found in link pianolas are also found link flight simulators .
Another piano manufacturer who made AMPICO pneumatics supplied air pumps to corrilion makers , I base this on the fact the Corrilion at Bathurst NSW .AU replaced the original pneumatic system with direct electric now said not to play as loud since the 1980,s. at that time a deceased friend of mine got a discarded AMPICO pump from Bathurst.
Have just done a Google search on the Corrilion , has had work done recently the English Bell repair specialist mentions pianola parts were used in the original build 1933.
What music is playing in the background?
link GAT.....