Link Trainer Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Link Trainer Building
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
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| NRHP reference No. | 98000454 |
| Added to NRHP | 20 May 1998 |
The Link Trainer Building is a special historic place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It's also known as the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum today. On May 20, 1998, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important part of history.
This building was once part of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale (NAS Ft Lauderdale). During World War II, it was used to train pilots who flew torpedo bomber planes. They learned using special machines called Link Trainers, which were early flight simulators. As of 2018, the building is a museum where you can learn about its history.
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Exploring the Historic Link Trainer Building
This building was constructed in 1942. It is a one-story building made of wood. It has a flat roof covered with tar and gravel. The building sits about 30 inches (76 cm) above the ground on concrete supports. Its outside walls are covered with a special siding. The roof hangs over the edges by about 3 feet (0.9 m).
The building is 114 feet (35 m) long and 41 feet (12 m) wide. It has two main sections, or "wings." The total floor space is about 4,674 square feet (434.2 m2). The main entrance is between the two wings. Above the entrance, there's a small room that rises higher than the rest of the building. This room separates the taller left wing from the shorter right wing.
The building has many windows, some grouped together. The main entrance has double doors, each with a diamond-shaped window. There are three entrances in total, all with wooden steps. Inside, the floor is made of wood. By 1998, some changes had been made to the building, and it was not being used.
Moving the Link Trainer Building to a New Spot
The Link Trainer Building was first located at 4050 Southwest 14th Avenue. This was part of the old NAS Ft Lauderdale. In late 1999, something amazing happened. The building, which weighs 300 short tons (272 metric tons), was carefully cut from its old foundation. Then, it was lifted using powerful hydraulic jacks. It was moved out of the airport area to its current spot at 4000 West Perimeter Road in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is still on the grounds of the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.
World War II Training at Fort Lauderdale
The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale was set up in 1942. It used a regular civilian airport to train pilots for World War II. These pilots learned to fly torpedo bombers for the war in the Pacific Ocean. Training in the Link Trainer Building started on December 28, 1942. This air station helped a lot in the war effort. Up to 3,600 people worked there.
The Link Trainers were early flight simulators. They taught pilots how to fly only by using their instruments, even if they couldn't see outside. A student would sit in a dark room with controls and gauges. A connected map would show where the "plane" was going using a small "bug."
Pilots and Famous Trainees
The building held up to six Link Trainers. Each student spent four hours training on these machines. They also had four hours of video lessons in Building #8. The pilots were learning to fly the Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber. Most airmen trained at NAS Fort Lauderdale then joined squadrons. These squadrons flew the planes from large aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
One famous person who trained there was 19-year-old Ensign George H. W. Bush. He later became a President of the United States.
The air station stayed open for some time after the war. In 1948, the United States Navy said it was no longer needed. Slowly, the air station became civilian property again. Building #8, the Link Trainer Building, became owned by Broward County. During the war, there were 110 naval buildings. Over the years, most of them were torn down. By 1998, only the Link Trainer Building remained. The NAS Fort Lauderdale had become the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.
The Link Trainer Building Today
After the war, the building was empty from 1945 to 1955. From 1955 to 1980, it was rented out for private offices. From 1981 to 1987, it was used by consultants. They were planning how to expand the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.
The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association worked hard to save this historic building. They wanted it to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. This association was started in 1979 by Allan McElhiney, a World War II sailor.
The association first got a $10,000 grant from the City of Fort Lauderdale. This money was used to fix up the inside of the building. In 1995, the Broward County Aviation Department asked for a federal grant. This grant would help restore and move the building. The grant was only given if the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Finally, a $200,000 grant from the United States Department of Transportation helped pay for moving and fixing up the building.
Since it was moved, the building has been the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum. The museum now has one Link Trainer on display. They got it in 2007 and fixed it up the next year. The museum also has other interesting exhibits. These include "The George Bush Room," which looks like a soldier's barracks. There's also "Broward Goes to War" and a memorial to Flight 19. Flight 19 was a group of Grumman Avengers that flew from NAS Fort Lauderdale and disappeared without explanation.
