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Does th FAA over regulate the aviation industry

Does th FAA over regulate the aviation industry 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 industry could be attained. For example the Post Office suffered one fatality for 463,000 hours of flying versus non-regulated flying there was one fatality per 13,500 hours. As seen by regulating aviation safety is vastly increased. The Department of Commerce had the regulatory authority over commercial aviation. They began by regulating aircraft and pilots in interstate and the foreign commerce. The Department of Commerce provided federal support for lighting airways, maintaining emergency fields and providing pilots with weather information. They also authorized aeronautical research and established the investigation of airplane accidents. An Aeronautics Branch was formed with nine district offices to conduct inspections and checks of aircraft, pilots, mechanics, and facilities. As time went on the aviation industry was being regulated more and more, but it was for a very important purpose, “safety”. As more regulations were implemented accidents were decreasing. Pilot flying restrictions began in 1934. They were restricted to 100 hours per month, 1,000 hours during a 12-month period, 30 hours for a seven-day period, and eight hours for any 24-hour period. A 24-hour rest period was required for every seven-day period. The Department of Commerce used to waive the eight-hour limitation for a 24-hour period until a fatal accident involved a pilot who had exceeded eight hours of flight. This brings us to the blood on the runway concept. We learn from our mistakes and take action to correct the problem. Sometimes we have to pay with blood for an improvement to come around. By now aircraft manufactures had to meet minimum engineering requirements. Each aircraft manufacturer had to provide an aircraft of each type that was subjected to flight-testing enable to obtain an airworthiness certificate. Data from aircraft inspection reports, pilot records, and accident records were compiled to increase safety and the reliability for aircraft production. More regulations started covering flight schools, flight crews, landing and takeoff procedures, flight altitudes and weather restrictions. Certification for scheduled passenger service began during this period. In the 1930’s the aviation industry was expanding very quickly so improvements of regulations, airways, and airports had to be set. The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 was the beginning of economic regulation. The act required airlines to get a certificate that gave them authorization to operate within specified routes. The act also created the Civil Aeronautics Authority, the Administrator of Aviation, and the Air Safety Board. These three separate agencies were created to regulate aviation. Political turmoil began between the agencies so President Roosevelt acted under the authority of the Reorganization Act of 1939. The reorganization created the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The CAA was responsible for safety programs and economic regulations. The CAB was responsible for regulatory and investigations. After World War II the aviation industry had taken a big leap in technology advancements. Pressurized aircraft were introduced flying much higher and faster than older planes. The airways were congested with civilian and military aircraft fighting for whom had control of the airspace. Several aircraft accidents resulted from inadequacies from the CAA and CAB. The most fatal accident in 1956 involved a Trans World Airlines Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7. Both aircraft collided in uncontrolled airspace over the Grand Canyon killing 128 people. Better control and regulating the airspace was much needed. This led to the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. The enactment of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 was to improve aviation safety. Under this law the independent Federal Aviation Agency was created to take over the CAA and CAB. The following statements are the mission goals for the FAA, by A.J. Adamski & T.J. Doyle (1999): 1. The regulation of air commerce in such a manner as to best promote its development and safety and fulfill the requirements of national defense; 2. The promotion, and encouragement and development of civil aeronautics; 3. The control of the use of the navigable airspace of the United States and the regulation of both civil and military operations in such airspace in the interest of the safety and efficiency of both; 4. The consolidation of research and development with respect to air navigation facilities, as well as the installation and operation thereof; 5. The development and operation of a common system of air traffic control and navigation for both military and civil aircraft. (p. 1-16) The Federal Aviation Agency was renamed to the Federal Aviation Administration when it was transferred under the Department of Transportation (DOT) in 1996. This was under the Department of Transportation Act of 1996. The DOT was responsible for effectively using the nation’s transportation resources. Since aviation has become one of the major modes of transportation it is well placed within the DOT. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was also established to determine and report the cause of transportation accidents and conduct special studies dealing with safety and accident prevention. All the acts that have been enacted may seem cumbersome and redundant, but they are not. All the history within aviation that we have seen is to prove that the aviation regulatory system that our government has created has brought transportation safety standards to the highest degree. The FAA and the NTSB are models for many nations around the world. These nations have adopted our Federal Aviation Regulations to maintain safe sky highways. Our regulations work, but sometimes need to be modified as technology changes, political turmoil, and consumer satisfaction with safety. In 2000 the FAA recorded a total of 57 large air carrier aviation accidents. In 2001 accidents decreased to 28. Accidents have also decreased for Commuters, Air Taxi, General Aviation, and Rotorcraft. Every day air traffic controllers handle more than 200,000 takeoffs and landings throughout the U.S. In the same period, other FAA specialists perform 30,000 security inspections, host more than 5,000 safety seminars, and conduct 300,000 safety inspections of airlines and aviation operations. Is the FAA doing something good? I believe it is. Through regulation and proper administration it has done a great job maintaining safety in the skies. The events that occurred on September 11, 2001 might prompt people to jump into conclusion degrading the security regulations that are established by the FAA. I believe the FAA doesn’t over regulate the aviation industry within the United States. In fact more strict security regulatory measures are being enforced and new regulations are being written to adapt to our changing times. As society and the aviation industry changes so does the FAA. Bibliography: References A brief history of the federal aviation administration and its predecessor agencies. FAA website. [Online]. Available: http://www.faa.gov/apa/history/briefhistory.htm [2002, January 30]. Adamski, A.J., & Doyle, T.J. (1999). Introduction to the aviation regulatory process (4th ed.). Michigan: Hayden-McNeil Publishing, Inc. An overview of the federal aviation administration. FAA website. [Online]. Available: http://www.faa.gov/apa/history/overvue.htm [2002, January 30]. Assistant Administrator for Financial Services Office of Cost and Performance Management Standards and Information Division. (2001). Administrator’s fact book. [Online]. Available: http://www.atctraining.faa.gov/factbook [2002, January 30]. Kane, R.M., (1999). Air transportation (13th ed.). Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. This is the FAA. FAA website [Online]. Available: http://faa.gov/eduacation/documents.other. thisisfaa/index.htm [2002, January 30]. Wells, A.T., (1997). Commercial aviation safety (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. References A brief history of the federal aviation administration and its predecessor agencies. FAA website. [Online]. Available: http://www.faa.gov/apa/history/briefhistory.htm [2002, January 30]. Adamski, A.J., & Doyle, T.J. (1999). Introduction to the aviation regulatory process (4th ed.). Michigan: Hayden-McNeil Publishing, Inc. An overview of the federal aviation administration. FAA website. [Online]. Available: http://www.faa.gov/apa/history/overvue.htm [2002, January 30]. Assistant Administrator for Financial Services Office of Cost and Performance Management Standards and Information Division. (2001). Administrator’s fact book. [Online]. Available: http://www.atctraining.faa.gov/factbook [2002, January 30]. Kane, R.M., (1999). Air transportation (13th ed.). Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. This is the FAA. FAA website [Online]. Available: http://faa.gov/eduacation/documents.other. thisisfaa/index.htm [2002, January 30]. Wells, A.T., (1997). Commercial aviation safety (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

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