Air Commerce Act of 1926

 Air Commerce Act of 1926

    In 1926, the Air Commerce Act was passed because leaders did not believe airplanes could not reach their full potential without new regulations and standards for safety. "This landmark legislation charged the Secretary of Commerce with fostering air commerce, issuing and enforcing air traffic rules, licensing pilots, certifying aircraft, establishing airways, and operating and maintaining aids to air navigation." (FAA) A new aeronautics branch was also created in the Department of Commerce to oversee all aviation regulations.

    After this act was passed, aircrafts had to be inspected for airworthiness and they were required to have markings on the outside of the plane for identification purposes. Airmen were required to pass a physical examination to ensure they were fit to fly, they were tested on aeronautical knowledge, and required to be licensed. The government was also in charge of building new airports, organizing regulations that addressed aircraft altitude separation, and to develop airways and navigational aids. 

    Since the government was supplying money for new navigational facilities, it made flying air mail routes much safer. The new regulations regarding airmen and aircrafts also ensured that the planes were in safe condition to fly, and that the pilots were proficient and certified to fly. This act had a huge impact on shaping the aviation industry, and many of the rules and regulations in this act still exist today. 

 References: 

Aviation Online Magazine. (n.d.). The Air Commerce Act of 1926. Air Commerce Act of 1926. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from http://avstop.com/history/needregulations/act1926.htm

ERAU. (n.d.). Air Commerce Act of 1926. The Statutes at Large of the United States of America from December 1925 to March 1927. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/books-online/aircommerceact1926.pdf

FAA. (n.d.). A brief history of the FAA. A Brief History of the FAA | Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history#:~:text=At%20their%20urging%2C%20the%20Air,maintaining%20aids%20to%20air%20navigation.