The roots of today’s aviation regulations extend back to December 17, 1903 when the Wright Brothers first took to the skies in North Carolina. The Wright Brothers set the stage for aviation regulation. After World War I returning pilots bought some surplus war airplanes and went into business. These pilots were known as the barnstormers. These barnstormers performed acrobatic shows and gave local people rides. During this period of time the public perception of the aviation industry was that of a daredevil or reckless. Aviation took off very slowly because it was too expensive for most consumers. Primarily the wealthy were able to take trips to the East Coast. Uses of aviation included advertising, aerial photography, crop dusting and carrying illegal shipments of alcohol during the prohibition. Growth of commercial aviation was greatly influenced when the U.S. Air Mail Service was created in the early 1920’s. The Post Office was one of the first to impose aviation regulations. It required its pilots to be tested, pass medical exams and have at least 500 hours of flying experience. The Post Office set up aircraft inspection schedules and preventive maintenance programs for the pilots to have a safe airplane to fly. These early regulatory requirements improved air carrier safety. During the infancy of aviation no federal safety program existed. Some states passed legislation that required aircraft licensing and registration. Local governments passed ordinances that regulated flight operations and pilots. What this created was a patchwork of safety related requirements. In 1926 Congress passed the Air Commerce Act, which created the Department of Commerce. Historically the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) dates from the Air Commerce Act of 1926. This was the first federal legislation of the government in aviation safety. The government finally realized that by regulating aviation a safer aviation in...
