The Federal Aviation Act of 1958

    One of the most historic legislation acts that shaped the aviation industry is the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 that established the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Previous aviation regulations were regulated through the Civil Aeronautics Board but by an act of congress the FAA had sole responsibility for the nation's civil-military system of air navigation and air traffic control. 

    The 1950s hit a boom of traffic in the air space, with rising technology and a population eagerly using aircraft to travel more and more. This is when we saw one of the deadliest in-flight crashes to date. In 1956, a United flight collided with TWA flight over the Grand Canyon, resulting in 128 fatalities. This crash happened in uncontrolled airspace which was a concern for future flights in possible uncontrolled places. Two years later in 1958, a military jet and a commercial airliner over Brunswick, Maryland collided mid-air. 

    Citing, "recent midair collisions of aircraft occasioning tragic losses of human life," President Eisenhower announced his support for a legislative act that would create the FAA. It took 60 days for the FAA to be up and running, they were tasked to create a safer airspace domain.

    The past 50 years has shown the work the FAA has done to change the way we live and use the airline industry to go from coast to coast in a matter of a few hours. "FAA has created the safest, most reliable, most efficient, and most productive air transportation system in the world." (FAA, 2017)

 

References:

A brief history of the FAA. (2017, January 04). Retrieved March 15, 2021, from https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history/

Federal aviation act of 1958. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2021, from http://avstop.com/history/needregulations/act1958.htm#:~:text=The%20act%20empowered%20the%20FAA,civilian%20aircraft%20and%20military%20aircraft.&text=In%201938%2C%20the%20Civil%20Aeronautics,agency%2C%20the%20Civil%20Aeronautics%20Authority.