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Richard Dehmel, Ph.D. (1904-1992) Curtiss-Wright Corp., Caldwell Richard Dehmel, inventor of the Dehmel Flight Trainer/Simulator, was granted U.S. patent No. 2,494,508 for "Means for Aircraft Flight Training" on Jan. 10, 1950. The invention was the first to solve the equations of flight and have the controls and instruments of the trainer respond as an accurate equivalent of a real airplane. The trainer/simulator dramatically reduced the cost, time and risk to train aircraft crews. It also allowed a significantly higher level of training in "extraordinary situations." For example, Pan American World Airways trained 125 flight crews, plus 46 British Overseas Airways and 85 military transport crews during 13,000 hours of simulator time. The simulator enabled Pan Am to reduce crew training costs by 60 percent and in-flight training time from 21 to eight hours per crew. Dehmel spent much time building a multi-talented team to accelerate the design and production of this critical tool for use during the latter half of World War II. Dehmel earned master’s and doctorate degrees from Columbia University after earning a mechanical engineering degree from the University of California. He was a 1991 inductee into the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey.