HEAVENS TO COMMERCE

Man's dream of flight. Wing predecessors from Greek mythology, Icarus who flew too close to the sun. Or the exploits of Mercury, the winged messenger, are evidence of man's early dreams of conquering time and space. In the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci diverted thoughts from his painting the Mona Lisa to convert his dreams of flight to designs on paper from which this model was constructed. Da Vinci envisioned a pair of wings for everybody. The dawn of a whole new era of flight was prophesied by Alfred Tennyson 100 years ago. In his poem Locksley Hall, Tennyson saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails, pilots of the purple twilight dropping down with costly bales. A prophecy dramatically fulfilled in 1948 with the Berlin Airlift when survival of an entire city depended upon air supply alone. The future promises even greater and faster air transportation with the advent of the jet airliners. Here is $5 million worth of speed at 600 miles per hour. This jet being flight tested here is the forerunner of airliners scheduled for service in 1959. New York to Paris in 6 hours. Lindbergh required 33 and a half hours. Conquering time with speed is the relentless challenge that inspires ceaseless research and effort to produce these airliners to lift our commerce through the heavens. And develop busy airports such as LaGuardia serving New York City. It requires many and varied operations day and night to provide scheduled air transportation. Every phase of an airline's operations is closely regulated by the government. The scheduled airlines are the most closely regulated and the most highly competitive air transport system in the world. A system developed after Congress had declared the airlines a very special public service business. A business requiring special laws regulating competition to ensure a universal air service. The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 is the Magna Carta of civil aviation. It created the Civil Aeronautics Board and vested it with the authority necessary to regulate the industry in accordance with the needs of the commerce, the postal service, and the national defense of the United States. This congressional action in 1938 helped the airlines develop confidence, stability, and strength. Recognized in 1939 when the Collier Trophy, aviation's highest award, was presented to the airlines for outstanding performance. Two years later, the infant industry went to war. Hours after Pearl Harbor, personnel and planes of the airlines were performing worldwide missions. Fulfilling the national defense mandate of the Civil Aeronautics Act while at the same time meeting domestic demands. The post-war period found the nation enjoying unparalleled prosperity. It was a period of strife for the airline industry striving to regain the peacetime promises achieved in the few years before Pearl Harbor. Increasing competition demanded new equipment, new and expanded facilities. Regulated competition brought into being bigger, roomier, faster planes and with them many innovations to air travel. The airline industry showing concrete results. General public acceptance of air travel and a revitalized public service. Man's dream of conquering space and time, a 20th century reality with speed and luxury aloft stretching your travel dollar. In 1938, there were 19 domestic airlines serving 183 cities. Today, 31 domestic airlines serve this network, the finest in the world. Developed under regulated competition. Today's scheduled airlines serve more than 600 cities, many served by several different airlines in keen competition with each other. The number serving any community is determined by the government. Small town airports such as this get scheduled air service with profits from the heavy traffic centers often sustaining service for the smaller communities. New scheduled helicopter services are beginning to connect airports. And serve urban communities with short hops over congested traffic areas. Our airlines, under government regulation in competition with each other, offer many and varied types of travel throughout the world for business or pleasure, through credit plans, budget plans, family plans, and coach services. Today, we have the largest, most dependable, most competitive scheduled air transport system in the world, developed by a progressive airlines industry under regulated competition as guaranteed by a far-sighted Congress with the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938. The success of this system assures the continued progress of United States commercial aviation throughout the world. Inspiring ceaseless efforts to meet the challenge of the heavens to commerce.