The General Aviation Industry in America

The industry known as “general aviation”—encompassing all flying outside of the military and commercial airlines—dates from the early days of powered flight. As technology advanced, making possible smaller aircraft that could be owned and operated by civilians, manufacturers emerged to a serve a growing market. Increasingly this meant business flying, as companies used aircraft in a variety of roles. The industry struggled during the Great Depression but development continued; small aircraft manufacturers became vital to the massive military production effort during World War II. After the war, rapid technological advancement and a robust, prosperous middle class were expected to result in a democratized civil aviation industry. For many reasons this was never realized, even as general aviation roles and aircraft capabilities expanded. Despite its many reverses and struggles, entrepreneurship has remained the driving factor of the industry.

U.S. Air Force veteran Donald Pattillo is a former professor of international business. For twenty-five years he has been an aviation historian, with two books and several articles published. He lives in Marietta, Georgia.

Donald M. Pattillo
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 257
Bibliographic Info: 43 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2020
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7721-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3825-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments viii
Preface to the Second Edition 1
Preface to the First Edition 3
1—Origins of Personal Aviation 5
2—Growth from the Lindbergh Boom 19
3—Market Expansion and War Production 34
4—The Postwar Era, 1946–1954 53
5—General Aviation Matures, 1954–1967 77
6—The Modern Era, 1967–1979 105
7—The General Aviation Crisis 127
8—The Path to Recovery 153
9—The Industry Enters the New Millennium 172
10—Again, Crisis and Recovery 196
Chapter Notes 223
Bibliography 231
Index 237