The Federal Aviation Act of 1958

In this blog post I would like to talk about one of the most revolutionary acts (in its time) which was passed by the USA in 1958. This act is known as the Federal Aviation Act, in simple words, this act created what we know as the FAA, when all duties from the Civil Aeronautics Authority were passed onto this new, and most importantly independent organization. Although not entirely independent, as the FAA is a federal authority and reports directly to congress, it was an organization very different to the CAA.
Now, why was this law important? In my opinion it was crucial, as the new FAA was tasked with the duty for promoting air traffic control installations, promulgating air traffic laws, and overseeing all airspace regulation. We can see the need for a regulatory authority such as the FAA if we look back on some of America’s worst catastrophes. As many authors have cited in my research, one of the accidents that pushed for this legislation was the Grand Canyon collision (United, Flight 718, and TWA, Flight 2) a catastrophe in which two flights collided in the Grand Canyon, due to the fact airspace was not regulated and flights were off their projected tracks. Now, with the equipment available we have today, controlled airspace and rules that have been set, an accident of this nature is unlikely to happen. This specific legislation has shaped the aviation world as we know it today, because it has set in place manuals, rules, and controls over every aspect in the industry. For example, when the FAA designated controlled airspace, they allowed for the creation of patterns in trafficked airpace, the distribution of equipment such as radar, the investigation and seek of prevention of accidents, and more. The FAA has built the industry as we know it today because it is a part of every single item of it. From the training of pilots, to mechanics to supporting employees. Although it was in sad circumstances that the agency was created, it pushed for an agency that helps us maintain the skies, pilots, passengers and everyone more safe.
RESOURCES Federal Aviation Administration. (n.d.). A brief history of the FAA. A Brief History of the FAA. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history Gelder, J. W. (1959). Air law - The Federal Aviation Act of 1958. Air Law - The Federal Aviation Act of 1958. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article=6879&context=mlr Queeney, T. (2020). Fatal airliner collision over the Grand Canyon. HistoryNet. Retrieved February 4, 2022, from https://www.historynet.com/fatal-airliner-collision- over-the-grand-canyon.htm

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