The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is celebrating its half-century as the “nation’s guardian of aviation safety and maestro of the intricate air traffic ballet that carries more than two million people to their destinations every day,” crowed the agency in a recent Fact Sheet noting the signing on the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 by President Eisenhower when only 53 million passengers flew. Today, that number has exploded to 776 million expected this year. The FAA also indicated that the numbers of takeoffs and landings handled by air traffic control in 1958 – at 26.6 million – has yet to double and the figure is expected to be around 44.1 million this year.
Similarly, the number of FAA employees has failed to double during its half century when employees rose from 26,805 in 1958 to 46,338 in 2008. Pilots have grown from 354,365 active pilots in 1958 to 590,359 today.

Impressive Accomplishments
The agency pointed to its role, in tandem with the industry, in improving safety comparing the nine fatal commercial accidents in 1958 which killed 145, to the fact that for almost two years, there have been no fatal passenger airline accidents in the United States and no fatalities among the more than 1.5 billion passengers who have flown during that time and despite the tremendous growth of the industry since 1958, the dawn of the jet age, when there were no jet airliners compared to the estimated 4,032 in today’s fleet.
Those are impressive statistics which cannot overcome the one thing needed for 40 years – modernization of the air traffic control system, which, according to industry, will solve many of today’s most pressing industry problems, from fuel to lowering operating costs, emissions and noise. Meanwhile its appropriations have risen from $406.1 million to $14.9 billion.

Five Decades of Accomplishments:
The 1960s
• The FAA publishes the first regulations on airport and engine noise levels.
• New technologies such as Instrument Landing Systems, Distance Measuring Equipment and Airport Surface Detection Equipment are commissioned.
• The first federal air marshals ride aboard commercial flights.
• The FAA mandates cockpit voice recorders in certain aircraft.
• The FAA becomes an “administration” within the Department of Transportation.

The 1970s
• The FAA requires passenger and baggage screening by scheduled airlines.
• New surveillance radars, an aircraft conflict alert for controllers and the Low Level Wind Shear System become operational.
• The FAA mandates a ground proximity warning system for some airliners to warn the crew when a plane is below 2,500 feet.
• The FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center begins operations to coordinate the flow of air traffic in the nation’s airspace.

The 1980s
• The FAA implements special air traffic restrictions when President Reagan fires 11,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association (PATCO) after the union stages an illegal strike.
• Landmark fire safety research leads to new FAA rules on fire resistant seat cushions, cabin materials and emergency escape path lighting.
• The FAA requires the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) on airliners with more than 30 passenger seats to help prevent mid-air collisions.
• The FAA gains authority to require explosives detection screening of checked baggage on international flights.

The 1990s
• Congress creates and the FAA implements the authority for airports to impose Passenger Facility Charges to fund airport-related projects.
• Congress gives the FAA authority to switch from the traditional Federal pay system to a system linking compensation with performance.
• The FAA acquires responsibility for licensing of commercial space launches.
• The FAA begins air traffic operations with a new, more capable generation of controller display systems for en route centers and terminal area facilities.
• The FAA’s Terminal Doppler Weather Radar system improves wind shear detection at airports where thunderstorms frequently occur.
• The FAA completes a massive effort to modify its computer systems for compatibility with the “Y2K” date issue.

2000-Present
• The FAA commissions the Wide Area Augmentation System to improve the accuracy of the Global Positioning System signal for civil aviation.
• The FAA stops all air traffic nationwide and safely brings down thousands of airborne planes after the 9/11 terror attacks.
• FAA engineers and scientists address the flammability of fuel tanks by developing a practical inerting system, eventually resulting in a regulation that mandates flammability reduction systems.
• The FAA implements enhanced navigation procedures that let commercial aircraft fly more precise routes, resulting in multi-million-dollar fuel savings for airlines.
• The FAA creates the Air Traffic Organization as a performance-based line of business.
• The FAA announces plans for transitioning to a next-generation air traffic system that will take advantage of the latest satellite-based technologies, allowing the agency to handle more aircraft, maintain high levels of safety, reduce flight delays, and cut noise near airports.

Facts & Figures: Then and Now
In 1958, 66,000 general aviation aircraft flew a combined total of 11 million hours.
In 2008, approximately 228,000 aircraft are expected to fly a combined total of 28 million hours.

In 1958, there were 107,072 active aviation mechanics.
In 2008, that number has grown to 322,852.

In 1958, there were 25,903 active FAA-certified flight instructors.
In 2008, there are 92,175 certified flight instructors.

In 1958, flight data recorders used tinfoil to record five parameters (airspeed, pitch, roll, yaw, and altitude) for about 30 minutes.
In 2008, digital recorders chart several hundred parameters, each recorded several times per second, for up to 25 hours.

In 1958, U.S domestic passenger and cargo planes used 1.3 billion gallons of fuel.
In 2008, the domestic passenger and cargo fleet is expected to use 13.7 billion gallons.

In 1959, FAA grant funding for airports was $63.6 million.
In 2007, the total was $3.3 billion, an increase of $3.2 billion.

In 1959, 358 airports received FAA airport development grants.
In 2007, 2,022 airports received grants, an increase of 1,664.

In 1959, airports reported capital funding needs of $1.3 billion over a five-year period.
In 2008, airports reported five-year capital funding needs totaling $41.2 billion.