Federal Aviation Act
The Federal Aviation Act was passed in 1958 by President Dwight Eisenhower. It created the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and required the newly-formed agency to “promote the safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing minimum standards required in the interest of safety.”
The act also gives the FAA the authority to promulgate “minimum standards governing the design, materials, workmanship, construction and performance of an aircraft … as may be required in the interest of safety.”
Today, the federal government has broad oversight of nearly every aspect of aviation. It sets minimum standards and regulations not only related to the safe operation and manufacturing of aircraft, but it also designates requirements for the licensing of pilots and lays out rules regarding the control of airspace.