Significant Developments in the Regulation of Air Travel

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In December 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilber Wright were successfully in their attempt to fly a heavier that air contraption. This event was labeled in history as the “birth of aviation”. The flight occurred in a field which did not have a paved runway and only enough room to take off and land. Additionally, they had no lights or terminal. More importantly they had no regulatory governing body to oversee operations (Young & Wells, 2011). There are various events through history of Air Transportation which have led to the advent and development of the aviation oversight program in the United States. The two events that I felt had a major part are the Air Commerce Act of 1926 and the Federal Aviation Act of 1958.

With the increase in the movement of air mail in the 1920’s and the reliance of commercial companies on the air transportation system the government decided to transfer management of the industry to the commercial sector. The Kelly Act of 1925 put this into motion, transferring responsibility for the movement of mail to commercial contractors. This move, which made mail routes available to commercial companies, was the spark that led to the formation of an abundance of new transportation companies. The follow-on to this was the introduction of new aircraft designs to fit the requirements of moving the mail. The actions of the government lead to President Calvin Coolidge introducing the Air Commerce Act of 1926. This act was the first signs of an aviation oversight program. It gave regulatory oversight to the Department of Commerce. Initially, they focused their attention on the probably the item that required the most attention the many safety issues. It seemed to have a positive imp...

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