1929: The patent application is made for the “pilot maker” flight trainer by inventor Edward Albert Link. Link’s first military sales came because of the Air Mail scandal, when the Army Air Corps took over carriage of U.S. Air Mail. Twelve pilots were killed in a 78-day period due to their unfamiliarity with Instrument Flying Conditions. The Link Trainer will become an essential part of every pilot’s training before the Second World War begins. (USAF Image)
