The Federal Aviation Act of 1958

 The Federal Aviation Act of 1958

The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 was one of the most important legislative acts which streamlined how we operate in the skies today along with providing accountability.  As we go back and take a look at how the Federal Aviation Act came to be, we start to see a multitude of agencies. 

 In 1926 the Aeronautic Branch was created by the United States Department of Commerce.  In 1934 it was named the Bureau of Air Commerce.  At any given time we had multiple agencies.  In the Roosevelt days, the Civil Aeronautics Authority was created which was then split into the Civil Aeronautics Administration and the Civil Aeronautics Board.  In the 1950s there was a technology boom in aviation which prompted crowded airspace. In 1956 we had a mid-air collision between 2 commercial airliners killing 128 people. In 1958 we had another mid-air collision this time between a military plane and a commercial airliner.  

These aircraft accidents highlighted the need for central unified command and control of all military and commercial airspace.  Luckily Senator Mike Monroney and Representative Oren Harris saw a need for this and created the Federal Aviation Act.  In 1958 President Eisenhower signed the Federal Aviation Act of 1958.  

Why this became a huge turning point in our nation's history of aviation is because now we had one agency to turn to for all things aviation.  This gave America a central location to turn to for information.  The FAA streamlined aviation processes and safety as we know it today. 

A Brief History of the FAA | Federal Aviation Administration. (n.d.). A brief history of the FAA.  https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history

Federal aviation act of 1958. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2022, from http://avstop.com/history/needregulations/act1958.htm