SAFETY FIRST

Recently a man asked whether the business of flying ever could be regulated by rules and statutes. I doubt it. Not that flying men are lawless. No one realizes better than they the need for discipline. But they have learned discipline through constant contact with two of the oldest statutes in the universe - the law of gravity and the law of self-preservation.
Ten feet off the ground these two laws supersede all others and there is little hope of their repeal.

— Walter Hinton, 24 July 1926, in an adventure article on flying in 'Liberty' magazine.

As we know, the FAA has been in charge of issuing and enforcing regulations concerning to the operation, manufacture and maintenance of aircraft since its creation in 1958. Back in 1926, when the Air Commerce Act was passed, the first set of regulations was created with a huge input from aircraft manufacturers, air transport operators and insurance companies. It's amazing how in those times transport pilots were required to have just 100 hours of solo flight and only 50 hours for the industrial pilots. The truth is that regulations have changed tremendously from time to time, but why? Safety, safety and more safety, the most important word in Aviation. Why do we have rules? Because we need to have limits, a hand that says "Stop!, you can't do that" and all this, for our own safety.

Additional regulations to improve aviation safety were implemented and accidents decreased significantly. According to our book, between 1930 and 1932, the fatality rate per 100 million passenger miles declined by 50 percent. Flight-time limitations were imposed, requirements specified the composition of flightcrews, created standards for flight schools, improved takeoff and landing procedures, set minimum flight altitudes and weather restrictions, and required multiengine aircraft to be capable of flying with one inoperative engine. Years passed by and new technologies in communication and the expansion of the industry required continuous improvements of regulations, airways and airports. With more airplanes in the sky, accidents increased over the time and new organizations and agencies were born.

Now the FAA is celebrating 52 years of rule making and enforcement and they've posted a timeline in their website, come and have a look. http://www.faa.gov/about/history/50th/