Federal Aviation Association History

Federal Aviation Association The modern day and age that we live in would be amazingly different if we did not have the technology of flight. The long journey to where we are today began in the year 1903. On December 17, 1903 Orville wright, with the assistance of his brother, sustained the first powered flight. The flights duration only last a total length of twelve seconds, but it was a gigantic stepping stone into the world of aviation. The Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, ignited a determination to create more elite airplanes throughout the world. Within two years the first practical airplane was created. The development of aviation flourished for many years. Within 10 years of the first recorded flight the airplane showed its value

The airlines pushed for an act to help them reach these goals. In 1926 the Air Commerce Act Was passed. The act was passed due to the fact that President Calvin Coolidge appointed a team of investigators to look into the aviation business. The team of investigators reported back to the president threat the airline industry would flourish more at the hand of federal safety regulations. Before this act aviation in America was not regulated. There were many accidents in the 1920’s; which was exponentially increased due to the phase of barnstorming. Barnstorming was the act of stunt pilots performing tricks with their planes which much of the time were created for the most part on their own farms meaning that there was no regulation of the safety of these

Some of the responsibilities placed upon them are: stating and then later enforcing air traffic rules, certifying aircrafts and pilots, establishing airports along with airways and creating and improving air navigation systems. The Department of Commerce’s Aeronautics Branch was later renamed the Bureau of Air Commerce. This was done because of the rapid growth of aviation in America and the demand put forth by the American public for the ability to take safe and efficient commercial flights. One of the first moves by the bureau, once established, was to have the airlines create traffic control centers to be able to deliver traffic control to pilots midflight. The first groups of traffic control stations were dominantly on the east coast. The locations were Chicago, Illinois, Cleveland, Ohio, and Newark, New Jersey. In the year 1936 the Bureau took over the traffic control centers to ensure that all regulations are bring upheld consistently throughout these stations. This helped to ensure the safety of pilots and passengers. Through in many incidents brought the depertments abilities into question. There were two main incidents within the 1930’s which created pulic outcry for better safety measurments to be implemented; the deaths during crashes of United States Senetro Bronson Cutting and the University of Notre Dame coach Knute