On September 15, 2016 Bob K, my long-time friend and business partner, said “do you want to go look at a Blue Box?” We had both worked in flight simulation engineering at Wright Patterson AFB as civilian employees for many years. From 2000 – 2021 we founded and operated Protobox LLC in Riverside, Ohio providing flight simulation support, visual displays, and specialized electronic circuitry to the simulation industry. The Link Trainer known as the “Blue Box” or “Pilot Maker” was the first real flight simulator Ed Link invented and produced to train instrument flight to pilots. Bob showed me an old ebay.com advertisement for a Blue Box located in Kentucky. Next day we took my 6′ x 10′ enclosed trailer and were off to Isen, KY for a look at a Blue Box. We knew very little about a Blue Box, other than pictures, and one we had seen at the local Air Force Museum.
The Blue Box was among several simulators Dan had for sale. His garage, barn, and carport were like a museum of old flight simulators. He had two T40’s, the first trainer I had ever supported. He even had 2 of only 18 Link Blue Box helicopter simulators ever built. — and an old Willys 1946 Jeep. Bob negotiated the price, then the adventure began. The Blue Box never fit in my trailer; we returned to Ohio empty handed. Next day we rented a 19′ Ryder truck with a lift gate and headed back to Kentucky. This time success, and the following day the Blue Box was in our high-bay building in Riverside, Ohio awaiting much needed attention.