Unit 1 Aviation Research Papers

It has always been the dream of people to fly like a bird in the sky, many aviation pioneer in the pass created a lot of different things to achieve the goal of flying. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers decided to test their “first engine powered” aircraft and the result was successful. This event was a huge change in aviation, the first engine powered plane was named as Flyer 1 that became the first successful powered heavier-than-air flight.
During World War I, airplanes were widely being used by the military to do various missions in the world. Also airmail planes were being used for commercial purposes back in the old days and also now. There was an Air Mail Act of 1925, it helped to start the airlines and passenger service. Even
with the services, airplanes did not reach its full commercial potential until 1926 when the Air Commerce Act was passed. This Act was mainly there for issuing and enforcing traffic rules, licensing pilot, certifying aircrafts, etc.
The Civil Aeronautics Act was signed in 1938. And this became the beginning for a foundation for an organization to monitor the aviation industry. The Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) was there to take care of things that involves federal responsibilities that the Bureau or Air Commerce used to handle. The CAA also has the authority to regulate airline fares and determine airline routes. But back in 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt separate the Civil Aeronautics Authority into two different agencies. they were divided into the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). The government assigned the CAB to do accident investigation just like the NTSB, regulating the airlines and rulemaking while the CAA was responsible for ATC, airmen certification and developing airway. Even CAA and CAB was established, it doesn’t mean that aviation is safer. (Canavan, pg 31) But with the upcoming jet planes, and a series of midair collisions, it was time for a new act, The Federal Aviation Act.
Recall the midair collision occurred over the Grand Canyon in 1956 involved a United Airlines DC-7 and a TWA L-1049 Super Constellation.
128 people were killed in that midair collision. This accident set the bad record of aviation accident involved more than 100 people. Back in that time, ATC only provided separation to aircrafts under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) but not aircrafts under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and separation services was only limited to airspace that were being controlled. (Lawrence, pg186) Although both planes were under an IFR flight plan, when they leave the controlled airspace they failed to use the “see and avoid” technique. This technique was still widely used in aviation today. Both aircrafts collided in an area of clear weather with some cumulus clouds and in uncontrolled airspace. This means that they both aircraft should apply the see and avoid technique, but neither did. The Crash Investigation panel suggested that the towering cumulus might have obscured the aircraft from each other. (Lawrence,
pg187)
There was another accident involved in the military and civilians aircrafts using the airspace under different sets of rules. In 1957, a DC-7 with a crew of 4 and no passengers had a mid-air collision with an Air Force F-89 with a crew of two. Both airplanes were doing a test flights. The unfortunate thing was when both airplanes collided, the debris fell onto the occupied school ground of Pacoima Junior High and killing 3 boys and injured 71 of them. These two major midair collisions was a wake up call for the industry. The Congress finally reconsiders delaying the bill, and also unifying the airspace between the military and civilians. This Act was signed into law by President Eisenhower on August 23rd, 1958.
From the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938, the new Federal Aviation Act converted its safety regulatory functions of the Civil Aeronautics Board to the newly created Federal Aviation Agency which is now our Federal Aviation Administration. The CAB still holds its responsibility for aircraft accident investigations as well as all economic rules of the airlines. (Lawrence, pg188) The CAA was abolished and the FAA placed all of its functions.
Several years later, the congress realized that some departments of transportation were being over funded and over regulated while others were being underfunded and ignored. There were argues on a bill to place all departments of transportation under one, this made the Federal Aviation Agency worried about losing the independence that they recently have, but the bill was signed into law in 1967. The Department of Transportation Act created the Department of Transportation, which is the fourth largest department within the United States Government. The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) were also created by this legislation. NTSB has responsibilities of the CAB originally has and the FAA retained its authority in aviation safety and all issues related to aviation safety.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is the governing body of aviation in the United States today. The responsibility of Federal Aviation Administration is “to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.” (Mission, n.d.) Federal Aviation Administration is also responsible for regulating the civil aviation and promotes safety for the aviation industry, develop and operate air traffic control system and navigation aid for all aircraft.
The way the FAA to promote safety is to issue and enforce regulations as well as minimum standards for the manufacture, operation and maintenance of aircraft and pilots training. They are also issue rating and certification of airmen, airports serving and air carriers. When the FAA wants to make a new law, the FAA has to make a “Notice of Proposed Rule Making and publish it in the Federal Register”. (Lawrence, pg197) This is a heads up to the aviation industry that may be affected by the rule change to have their input due to the fact that they may be affected by the rule change. The FAA will listen to these inputs can cause modifications or even abandonment of the rule if the reasons are valid.
In addition to certifying pilots, airplanes and airports as well as create new rules to promote safety, the FAA also develop a new technology to reduce the complexity of ATC system and trying to make it easier to navigate but still maintaining its safety. Back in December of 2003, a program called NextGen was created. The program was made to create and integrated program to the ATC infrastructure. It is a continuous development designed to relieve airspace congestion problems at high-density airports.
The Federal Aviation Act did have a huge impact for the safety in the aviation industry in the United States.
This Act created different agency to enhance safety, these agency has been very successful in promoting safety and set regulations that protect the industry. Since the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 did helped to reduce midair collisions and accidents. More aircrafts are flying in the sky. Many developments in technology are attributed to FAA, accidents make our sky safer, we are able to know the reason for crashes and learn from them while developing regulations to prevent another accident of the similar type from happening again. The skies have never been safer in one of the most complex aerospace systems in the
world.