My "link trainer" as a kid in the mid-late 60's was a cardboard box I could fit in, and with a pencil drew circles to represent gauges not knowing what they were, and a stick from a tree branch was my yoke. My imagination filled in the rest. Great times!

When I was a teenager in the early 1950's, I joined the local CAP unit as a "Cadet". They had a Link Trainer at the local airport and I got to "fly" it several times. What fun for an aviation-crazed boy.

Reminds me of those little rides outside of the grocery stores when I was young. Horses and jets I remember.

I was lucky enough to get to use one at the Gary Airport in the late 50's

When I was learning out of KADS, I poked my head in another school when I was leaving one day. They had a fully functional Link trainer in their lobby. Dude treated me to a 15 minute "lesson' in it. Very, very cool. I asked him if they used it in their curriculum and he said they didn't (this was before PCATD but there were analog desktop instrument trainers). "So what do you use it for?" I asked . "To get guys like you in the door." 😂

The picture that announces this video shows a lady Airman with three stripes that were not worn until after the Air Force separated from the Army in 1947.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Yes, very true. The recruitment spot film piece at the end is a later date than the main film by a few years. Good catch!

@georgefaulk2528

2 ай бұрын

I was going to comment on this as well. She's a Buck Sergent. Then it changed to a Senior Airmen without the star when I served.

@thatguy7085

2 ай бұрын

And… yes there was a computer pre WWII

@samproud6192

2 ай бұрын

I had the opportunity to To filing trainer years ago at the Willow run airport museum. Before it burned download don't know if there's got another one. After the fire. But it was a totally different experience. But it was totally different experience in the trainer. Then it wasn't a real flight.

@zealousideal

2 ай бұрын

Yes I was about to say the same. Cool video. I’ve seen these trainers in many museums around here in CA.

I used the Link Trainer in 1991 for pilot aptitude assessment. That was in Toronto.

Been there and sweated a lot learning good instrument procedures. Saved my life many times. The original Link in the hands of a good instructor was an awesome learning tool.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing, sounds like some good memories. ~ Victor, CHAP

@billolgaau

Ай бұрын

And if the Instructor wasn't watching you could fall of the edge of the World. (Well, the tracker could fall of the table)😊

I need this level of clear headed explanation on the rest of life problems, please xD

Yes, brings back memories. I sweated in one of those boxes, a Link C-3, for 20hrs towards my instrument rating in 1980. This at "American Flyers" which, at that time, was still on Ardmore Municipal airport (K)ADM. If I dechiper his signature correctly, my instructor was a Mr Martin. Of course, the layout of the panel was the now standard "Sixpack" with the "more" modern VOR, ILS and ADF gauges. Making me make "Wingtip Curves" around a VOR was Mr Martin greatest joy.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for the great historical feedback as someone who actually used the Link trainer. Watching the original footage did make me wonder how comfortable or uncomfortable the little trainer was, and without A/C back in the day, I bet it did get quite hot. A type of training one doesn't soon forget. Thanks again! ~ VK

@cryptoslacker-464

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing 👍 very interesting. I wonder how the training is done these days 🤔

@keesvandenbroek331

2 ай бұрын

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Remember, that was 40years ago, so I don't recall the specifics anymore. But I'm sure the "wings" and "tailfeathers" were gone. But the pneumatic system was still there, so it moved "realistically". And with the hood closed, it was a bit claustrofobic. And sweating? It was called the sweatbox for a good reason!! Soon afterwards, the management of AF changed, as well as the simulators: roll in the Frasca's!! But it was good fun Nowadays, I'm still current, flying and teaching, it is all computers with realistic outside visuals etc. A much better teaching experience. For the day, it was a excellent teaching tool.

Great Video! I worked for Singer-Link and several other simulator companies from 1981 to 2018 when I retired from Lockheed Martin. During those 37 years I worked as an engineer and project manager on flight simulators. I'm amazed at the technology advancements I saw during that time. Mr. Link was clearly a brilliant man, especially since he made those original blue boxes work using organ pumps and basic electronics.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Hi @rvrrunner, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, Mr. Link has quite a fascinating history, well beyond what this little film shows. ~ Victor

I did do some time in a Link trainer when I was in South America, in 1983 they still managed to have it working

When I went through US Army flight school our UH-1 instrument simulator was made by Singer-Link (IERW 86-41)

I spent many training hours inside these boxes, sometimes frustrating until you got it right and from 50 years in the future I thank all my instructors that gave me their time and endless patience in order to make a safe pilot out of me.

My high school had a surplus one of these, complete and fully functional. It was fun to play with, and fly under the ‘hood’. A shame that there wasn’t any formal training. But we did have a ground school class.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Fascinating, about what year was that?

@rholmst

2 ай бұрын

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Early 70’s.

Crazy as it seems modern planes still use the ILS for landing, a technology from the late 1930’s

USN, 68-74, ETR-2, NAS Miramar 70-74. I was a GCA maintainence tech, maintained GCA and TACAN. I have never understood why GCA was not more popular in the civilian world. More accurate, more dependable, and of course the comforting voice of a controller. Of course you had to PAY them, and we couldn't have THAT!!

@jimtownsend7899

2 ай бұрын

"Do not acknowledge further transmissions, begin descent. On glide path...on course...on glide path...going slightly below glide path, come left heading 121...coming up, and on glide path...on course...over landing threshold, on centerline, GCA standing by..." Ah, memories!

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Hi @fourfortyroadrunner6701, Thank you for the great feedback and history info! - I had to look these up myself: GCA = “Ground-controlled approach,“ a ground observer monitors the course and descent angle of an aircraft via radar, enables pilots to land under extremely adverse weather conditions. TACAN = “TACtical Air Navigation,” a military UHF navigation aid operating around 1000 MHz. ~ Victor, CHAP

My dad ran a link trainer when he was in bomber command during the war, there is one at the Bull creek RAF museum in Perth West Australia. Think it is in working order.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Hi @colinsouthall2411, that sounds very interesting about your dad running a link trainer. Very cool. Interesting that there is one in Perth too. There aren't many left now. Thanks for your feedback! VK

Air Marshall Robert Leckie (wartime RAF Chief of Staff) said "The Luftwaffe met its Waterloo on all the training fields of the free world where there was a battery of Link Trainers".

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Hi @nickdanger3802, that is an interesting and thought provoking quote! Thank you. ~

Dne a few hours in the old Link box of terror!😂👍

I actually racked up about 20 hours in one in the early 1980’s working toward my instrument rating.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

Ай бұрын

20 hours! That must have been a record of some kind! Pretty impressive. :)

@redbird444

Ай бұрын

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Actually, it was standard. You needed a minimum of 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument flying, 20 of which could be in an approved simulator, which the Link was.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

Ай бұрын

That makes sense, but how many hours do you typically do in one continuous stretch?

@redbird444

Ай бұрын

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Most “lessons” are 1-1.5 hours of flying or simulator time.

I remember when all the women in the service looked just like this young lady. I married two of them. Not at the same time, of course.

Very interesting for us aviation+history enthusiasts, many thanks, Keep Up The Good Work ! 🖖🤩👍

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Hi @philpeko1796, Thank you. Your kind feedback is appreciated! ~ CHAP

06:18 “No visual reference of the field” might not be true even with the modern instrument landing rules, but still interesting to watch the earliest innovation

The University of Illinois Institute of Aviation had at least one of these (I think maybe two or three) in operation back when I learned to fly in 1982. Those were the days. Parkland College now runs the program. I wonder if they are still there

I have logged time in this Link trainer

I know it’s a real and serious device representative of that era, but it looks like one of those rides in front of the supermarket back in the day. 😁

CORDIC FTW!

I never flew a Link trainer, but did get to train instrument procedures in simulators that actually plotted the flight track on paper. Good days long gone.

Damn! is sad but I did my Instruments rating on one of this 25 years ago! Luckily for me Flight Safety has a little more better ones!

@balmori.hangarage

2 ай бұрын

Link GAT II

As demonstrated, a decent flight computer is very important especially when flying at high supersonic speed or even hypersonic flight speed, naturally you gotta understand the hardware limitations back in the 1940s, up to early 60s which you were limited to whatever computer technology were available during that time.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

@Dr_Mario2007, yes, exactly so! Thanks. : )

Well, they already feel for it.

Got 20 hours in a Link GAT1 in 1988 toward my instrument rating.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Hi @ClausB252, Very cool! GAT = "General Aviation Trainer" introduced by Link in the early 1960s to meet market demands for training pilots for small aircraft. It was Link's first use of transistorized electronics.

Please correct the thumbnail. The United States Air Force was established in 1947 with distinctive enlisted rank insignia. The female buck sergeant on the left of the thumbnail is clearly wearing the rank of a USAF E4 - NOT the insignia of a USAAF sergeant.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Yes, you are correct. The Link trainer film is about 1943, and the woman USAF E4 promo film clip is a few years later. The Air Force became its own branch of the service and they beefed up recruitment in the late 1940's. I think that we tried to clarify that in the "description" section. Good point though. Thanks very much.

@ironnads7975

2 ай бұрын

They clarified that homie

Cool simulator.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Yes, and the history books say Link's first customers were not the military, but amusement parks. Kids loved it too! I'd drop a nickel in the slot just for fun if I could. : )

@frankowalker4662

2 ай бұрын

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Ha ha. Yeah, it would make a fortune. I'd definately have a go.

@cyberyogicowindler2448

2 ай бұрын

​@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject This simulator hardware was basically an analogue computer made from orchestrion parts, operated by compressed air instead of electricity. Interesting is that the plotter was free rolling on the map, so it only had a relative position and was mechanically quite similar like the early "turtle" drawing robot that was used to demonstrate the LOGO programming language.

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

2 ай бұрын

Hi @cyberyogicowindler2448, good info. Thank you!

Training plane looks a bit like something from Wallace and Gromit

Now? CAT III you just let the autopilot land the plane.

Meet the grandfather of MSFS2020 😂

Tromendos technically of the days. …even today. It works. 2024.

Whew! High work load, sparse standards and lots of uncertainty. No thanks.

@johnstudd4245

2 ай бұрын

When that was all there was you made it work. It was not all that long ago.... before widespread usage of GPS and or ILS in general aviation aircraft, that we were doing pretty much the same thing. I am not a pilot but a hard core simmer, you could say. When I started simming, in GA aircraft, it was pretty much all VOR navigating....procedure turns....radials....then an ILS if you were lucky.