WhoRunsGov

Federal Aviation Administration

Transportation Department

Overview

Aviation as a means of commercial transportation was happening long before the government decided to regulate it. Established by Calvin Coolidge in the Air Commerce Act of 1926 as the Aeronautics Branch of the Commerce Department, the administration went through several name changes before becoming the Federal Aviation Administration in 1958 with the enactment of the Federal Aviation Act.

The FAA regulates air trave,l including aircraft safety, airport and runway guidelines, pilot training and licensing, and consumer protections. In a partnership mandated in 2006, the FAA worked with NASA to explore future aeronautic goals, including commercial space transportation. The FAA has since predicted an increase in the public demand for commercial spaceflight over the next decade.

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Additional Resources

  1. "FAA 50th Anniversary." Federal Aviation Administration. April 1, 2009.
  2. "Memorandum of Understanding between Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration concerning A Partnership to Achieve Goals in Aviation and Space Transportation."
  3. "Budget Estimates Fiscal Year 2011." Federal Aviation Administration. 2010.
  4. "DOT and DOD Assure GPS Access for Civil Users." Press release. Department of Defense website. February 27, 1997.
  5. "FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996." Federal Aviation Administration.