AMcom (Sylvain Moisan) wrote in message ...
On Thu, 08 Jan 2004 16:41:27 -0000, (Cameron Laird)
wrote:
.
Devices included the Link Trainer, Celestial Navigation
Trainer, Silloth Trainer, instructional fuselage, ...
"Flight Simulator" was a label used on both sides of the
Atlantic for the category; I think it appears in official
military descriptions. I don't know of any device whose
formal name was "flight simulator", though.

Ed Link received a patent for a "pilot trainer" in 1929. In 1934 the
US Army Air Corps purchased 6 trainers.

Sylvain

The problem here seems to be that these "Armchair Joysticks"
are laughingly called Flight Simulators. I can only go back as far as
August 1966 and the first full digital Flight Sim built by Redifon. It
was the RAF's VC-10 simulator. Experienced pilots would step out of
that cabin abosolutely soaked in sweat after being subjected to a four
hour flight from Brize Norton to Cyprus with an engine fire before V1,
engine fire after V1, cloud base at 60 feet and a total electrical
failure on approach, drop the ELRAT and come in on the standby horizon
and compass. We had it tough!

Today or even years ago you have to have so many flight sim
hours in order to keep your ticket.
Chris.