In Contrast to 1959

Its enlightening to contrast 1959 with today. The civilian jet era had barely begun, and the skies were still ruled by DC-7s, Connies and Stratocruisers, with Convairs and DC-3s for the short hops. Airline fares were tightly regulated and four-engine airliners stopped at a surprising number of out-of-the-way places. Yet a large majority of Americans had never flown in any kind of airplane.

Key Takeaways:

• In 1959, commercial aviation was primarily propeller-driven with regulated fares and limited public engagement, while general aviation aircraft were significantly more affordable relative to average income compared to today.
• General aviation safety has vastly improved since 1959, with the fatal accident rate decreasing from 3.50 to 1.05 per 100,000 flight hours by 2013, despite public unease often rooted in earlier perceptions.
• Early aviation safety focused on regulatory compliance and lacked structured risk management or comprehensive safety education programs from the Federal Aviation Agency (formed in 1958) for over a decade.

Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->

See a mistake? Contact us.