The Air Commerce Act of 1926 was the start of the regulation of aviation. It has been called the beginning of the Federal Aviation Administration. This Act put gave the Department of Commerce’s Aeronautic Branch the responsibility to certify pilots and aircraft and make initial rules for the new industry (Boeing 2002). This was an important step in the regulation of aviation because it made the United States acknowledge the potential of air commerce.

In the beginning of the century aviation was not controlled. Anyone who had the means to get in an airplane could fly it. This time was a dangerous time in aviation because there were many accidents due to lack of experience. At that particular time, aircrafts didn’t have the capabilities to make extended flights, and the high death toll resulted in skepticism that airplanes were too dangerous and would never progress to become a thriving source of travel or income. This high accident rate made aviation enthusiasts lobby for regulation to further progress this industry safely.

On August 12 1918 the Post Office began transporting mail by air. The Post Office was the first to regulate their pilots

because they saw the importance of regulating merely for efficiency purposes. The Post Office required that all of their pilots were to have at least 500 flying hours, to pass a qualification exam, and to pass periodical medical exams (Adamski and Doyle 1999). The Post Office didn’t stop at that; they also examined the aircraft their pilots flew. Trained mechanics would perform a 180-point inspection after every flight. An engine inspection was required every 100 hours of flying time and an airframe inspection was required every 750 hours. Between 1922 and 1925, the Post Office flew approximately 8 million miles with a safety record of one fatality every 789,000 miles (Adamski et al). To break it down even further they went from one death every 13,500 flying hours, to one every 463,000 flying hours. This was an amazing record for such an early stage of regulation; the Post Office proved that regulating their crews resulted in great success of preserving precious airplanes, resources, and pilots. This proved the merits of regulating aviation.

The Department of Commerce was tasked with the duty to oversee the establishing of these regulations. They, in return, formed an agency called the Bureau of Air Commerce and appointed an Assistant Secretary of Commerce to lead it. Under the leadership of the newly appointed Assistant Secretary of Commerce, William P. MacCracken, the Bureau of Air Commerce oversaw the certification of pilots, registration and licensing of aircraft, and also the medical requirements and examinations for the pilots. Civil Penalties were authorized to enforce these regulations (Adamski et al). The Air Commerce Act’s struc

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