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With the introduction of the airplane in the early twentieth century, pilots and mechanics needed written instructions on how to properly fly these complicated machines and keep them in safe operating condition. As commercial aviation advanced in the 1920s and ‘30s, the manuals for airliners were split into flight operations and maintenance categories. In 1934, an amendment to the Air Commerce Act of 1926 required commercial airlines in the United States use operations manuals approved by the Bureau of Air Commerce. With the passage of the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Administration became responsible for overseeing the content of flight operations manuals. Our newest exhibition "By the Book: Airliner Flight, Maintenance, and Training Manuals" is on display pre-security in the Aviation Museum and Library.
This image was posted on April 05, 2019.