Frasca International was founded in 1958 by Rudy Frasca. Rudy began taking flying lessons at the age of 14 and soloed shortly thereafter. In 1949, Rudy joined the Navy and was stationed at Glenview Naval Station, where he worked as a flight instructor teaching pilots on the early Link trainers.
After the Korean War, Rudy left the Navy to attend the University of Illinois, where he did research in Aviation Psychology and honed his interest in the field of flight simulation. The more he worked with that early generation of pilot training devices, the more he realized that there had to be a better way. In 1958, putting together everything he had learned in the Navy and the University, Rudy built his first flight simulator at home in his garage and Frasca Aviation was founded (the name later changed to Frasca International to reflect the emerging character of the business).
The aircraft featured on this page are part of the Frasca family’s historic collection of antique aircraft including; a P-40, a Spitfire, a Wildcat, an SNJ, a T-34, a Fiat and a Zero replica. These aircraft illustrate the companies grassroots genesis into the world of aviation training and the passion for flight in general.
In his flying days, Rudy was active in many aviation organizations. He has loaned several of his aircraft to the EAA museum so that the general public can enjoy them. Numerous awards have been bestowed upon him for his personal efforts and the companies contributions to the simulation industry.
Over the decades, Frasca International has evolved as the company develops new technology and products. Today’s flight simulators bear little resemblance to the “trainers” built in Rudy’s garage, but the passion for training pilots better is still the driving force behind the company.
