The Rise of General Aviation

After the first World War, a huge surplus of military aircraft and spare parts paved the way for a new era of American industry. The surplus of aircraft made it more practical for businesses to get their hands on one. Businesses began to utilize the planes for everything from map making to farming to the transportation of goods and people. However, the new market for aircraft was not limited to just industry. Groups known as "barnstormers" performed Ariel demonstrations of aircraft capability including aerobatics, wing walking, and other displays of skilled aviation using military training aircraft that had become extremely cheap after the war (some as low as $200 or a little under $4000 in today's money). Even some air racing circuits were established in the early 1920s. Heavily modified aircraft could be traveling in excess of 250 miles per hour. This lead to more than a few crashes (Wood framed and fabric skinned aircraft paired with engines that could output an astronomical 600 horsepower made for some sketchy planes, to say the least) and much stricter restrictions such as the mandatory switch to aluminum skinned and steel framed aircraft. After World War II the market exploded. Huge groups returning servicemembers were trained in flying and wanted to carry that passion back to the homefront. Aircraft manufacturers such as Cessna and Piper saw an opportunity to tap into this wealth of pilots to provide an affordable means to get back into the air. Thus, what we now know as general aviation was born. Small, cheap aircraft allowed the new American aviation market to grow exponentially. People weren't just using airplanes to haul freight or run their business, but rather taking their family camping for the weekend. Organizations such as the EAA (experimental aircraft association) were founded for pilots looking to build their own or modify existing planes and even helped facilitate a new market for kit built planes that individuals could build on their own with relatively low experience . The market was now opening so many more doors to the average person into the world of aviation, and for relatively cheap. This upward trend in the popularity of aviation has only sparked more and more opportunities and activities for pilots. Today, the market is full of ways for individuals to get their foot in the door of aviation and persue their dreams of becoming a pilot. There is a niche for all types of flying, back country flying, seaplanes, helicopters, and even planes on skis. It is no wonder why aviation has become such a large part of american life.