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.

Editorial Staff

Monday, June 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

In 1959, commercial aviation was primarily propeller-driven with tightly regulated fares, and general aviation aircraft were significantly more affordable, with most Americans having never flown.
General aviation safety has seen a substantial improvement, with the fatal accident rate dropping from 3.50/100,000 flight hours in 1959 to 1.05 in 2013, despite lingering public unease.
The safety philosophy in 1959 primarily equated regulatory compliance with safe operation, lacking the modern risk management concepts and safety education programs prevalent today.

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It’s 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.