Mar 25, 1967: The management of the XB—'70 supersonic aircraft research program was transferred
`from the U.S. Air Force to the National Aeronautics and Space Adrnjnistration's Flight Research Center.
`The program, much of which was devoted to the study of supersonic flight in support of the U.S.
`supersonic transport development program, continued as a joint NASA-USAF effort. (See Sep 21, I964,
`Jun 8. 1966, and Feb 4. 1969.)
`
`Mar 27, 1967: FAA approved a new 2,000-candlepower runway centerline light to permit operations
`under visibility as low as 700 feet.
`
`Mar 29, 1967: FAA participated in NASA's first public demonstration of a new data~link system using an
`orbiting satellite for transmitting navigation data from aircraft to ground stations. A Pan American
`World Airways cargo jet beamed the data to NASA's ATS 1 satellite, which relayed the signals to an
`antenna at the Mojave Desert Ground Station in California. The signals then went by telephone lines to
`Kennedy International Airport by way of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. This was the
`first test of an aircraft antenna designed specially for transmitting satellite messages. (See Dec 6, 1966, and
`Nov 21, 1967.)
`
`Apr 1, 1967: The Department of Transportation (DOT) began operations. At the same time, FAA
`ceased to be the independent Federal Aviation Agency and became the Federal Aviation
`Administration, a modal agency within the new Department. (See Mar 2, 1966, Oct 15, 1966, and Jan 16,
`1967.)
`
`Apr 7, 1967: FAA certificated West Germany's first civilian jet transport, the Hamburger Flugneugbau
`HFB 320 Hausa. The nine-passenger twin-jet had received German type approve} on Feb 23, 1967, and
`had first flown on Apr 21. 1964.
`
`Apr 9, 1967: The Boeing 737 made its first flight. On Dec 15, 1967, FAA type-certificated the airliner, a
`short-range jet transport with swept wings, wing-mounted twin engines, and a trraxjmum capacity of 107
`passengers, for operation with a two-man cockpit crew. The plane entered scheduled airline service on Feb
`10, 1968.
`
`Apr 23, 1967: A project completed on this date made Washington National Airport's main runway the first
`U.S. runway for commercial operations to be grooved. Developed by the British, runway grooving
`proved highly successful in reducing the tendency of landing aircraft to aquaplane on wet surfaces. The
`grooves at National were 1/8 inch wide, 1/8 inch deep, and cut at angles to the runway centerline with a 1-
`inch spacing. They carried water away in what amounted to thousands of tiny gutters. On May 24, 1968,
`FAA announced that Chicago Midway Airport would receive the first funding aliocation for runway-
`grooving under the Ferleral—aid airport program.
`(See Aug 4. 1965 and Jul 13, 1983.)
`
`Apr 28, 1967: The McDonnell Douglas Corporation came into being, the result of a merger between the
`Douglas Aircraft Company and the McDonnell Company. Douglas had been founded in 1920, McDonnell
`in 1939.
`
`Apr 28, 1967: FAA required operators of unmanned free balloons to equip their balloons with at least
`two separate, independently operated self-destruction mechanisms for both the balloon envelope and its
`instrument package. The agency further required the balloon envelope to have radar reflective equipment.
`
`Apr 29, 1967: President Johnson announced that the U.S. supersonic transport (SST) development
`program would proceed into the prototype development phase (Phase III). Johnson based his decision
`on the recommendations of the President's Advisory Committee on Supersonic Transport. On May 1,
`1967, the date of the President's formal approval, FAA, Boeing, and General Electric signed the Phase III
`contracts retroactive to Jan 1, 1967, which called for the construction of two identical variable, sweep-wing
`SST prototypes.
`(See Feb 6 and Jun 5, 1967.)
`
`May 1, 1967: Effective this date, FAA dropped its requirement that applicants under 21 years of age
`have parental or guardian consent for student pilot certificates. The 16-year minimum age for a
`student pilot's license remained unchanged. (See Apr 18, 1939, and Jul 1, 1945.)
`
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`May 8, 1967: The prevailing preference for flying rather than sailing among transoceanic travelers
`was pointedly emphasized as the Cunard Steamship Company announced retirement of the world's two
`largest passenger liners, RMS Queen Elizabeth and the RMS Queen Mary.
`(I‘lie 81.237-ton Queen Mary
`completed her 1,000th and Final transatlantic voyage for Cunard on Sep 27, 1967; the Queen Elizabeth
`completed her final transatlantic voyage on Nov 6, 1968.) (See Calendar year 1966.)
`
`May 31-Jun l, 1967: Two Sikorsky I-ll-I-3l-Es made the first helicopter non-stop transatlantic crossings,
`flying from New York to the Paris Air Show. Each aircraft required nine aerial refuelings during the flight.
`(See Jul 15-31, E952.)
`
`Jun 5, 1967: The Boeing Company assumed from FAA responsibility for allocating supersonic
`transport (SST) delivery positions to ptuohasers (see Nov [9, 1963). At the same time, FAA raised the
`cost of reserving future positions from $200,000 to $750,000. The $750,000 deposit would be made
`directly to Boeing, would be in the form of risk capital, and would hear no interest.
`It would be used by
`Boeing in lieu of Federal funds to help finance the prototype program. Boeing agreed to honor the 113
`delivery positions already allocated by FAA among 26 airlines.
`(See Apr 29, 1967. and Jan 15, 1968.)
`
`Jun 6, 1967: The nation’s First Lady, Mrs. “Lady Bird” Johnson, presented FAA‘s first Airport
`Beautification Award to Phoenix, An'z., for its Sky Harbor Municipal Airport. FAA established the award
`to honor organizations that protect, restore, or enhance airport beauty.
`
`Jun 6, 1967: FAA adopted a new U.S. standard for Category II approach lights to conform with the
`standard of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Red light barrcttes would be added on either side
`of existing white centerline lights over the last 1,000 feet of the approach light system. The new standard
`also required a red and white crossbar 500 feet from the end of the runway, and white centerline lights at
`100 and 200 feet from the runway tlireshold.
`
`Spring, 1967: Scheduled air-taxi operators agreed to limit their operations at Washington National
`Airport to a maxirnutu of eight per hour. (See Sep 1, 1966, and Inn 1, 1969.)
`
`Jun 30, 1967: During fiscal year 1967, which ended on this date, FAA installed an IBM 9020 simplex
`computer system at the Cleveland (Ohio) ARTCC (see Feb 18, 1970).
`FAA also adopted a new, lower-cost design standard for control towers at medium activity
`airports. The new design retained the appearance of the tower concept adopted by FAA in 1962, featuring
`a free-standing 60- to 120-foot pentagonal concrete shaft topped by a control tower cab with 300 square
`feet of operating space. Money was saved in constniction through use of more conventional techniques and
`elimination of certain operational features.
`(See Feb 1965.)
`in addition, during fiscal 1967, FAA used thickened, or gelled, fuels for the first time to
`operate a ground-based jet aircraft engine. This test, successfully concluded at FAA's National Aviation
`Facilities Experimental Center, was followed by the initiation of an expanded FAA sponsored program at
`the Naval Air Propulsion Test Center. The use of gelled fuels was one of a number of avenues being
`explored by FAA for reducing the fire hazard in aircraft accidents.
`
`Jul 1, 1967: Pacific Northern Airlines merged into Western Air Lines.
`
`Jul 7, 1967: A Pan American World Airways Boeing 707 made the first fully automatic approach and
`landing by a four-engine jet aircraft with passengers on board. (Sec Jun 10, 1965.)
`
`Jul 13, 1967: NASA awarded the first contract in its quiet—engine project, part of the Government-wide
`noise abatement program, to the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division of the United Aircraft Corporation. The
`objective of the quiet engine project, due to run into fiscal 1972 and cost $50 million, was to employ all
`known noise control techniques in a 20.000-pound-thrust demonstrator engine. When installed in a new
`sound absorbing nacelle, the "quiet engine" was expected to be 20 perceived noise decibels quieter than jet
`engines in use during the late 19605.
`
`Jul 19, i967: A midair collision near Hendersonville, N.C., between a Piedmont Airlines Boeing 727
`and a Cessna 310 killed all 82 people aboard the two aircraft. The fatalities included Secretary-designate of
`the Navy John T. McNaughton. The National Transportation Safety Board listed the probable cause as the
`Cessna's deviation from its Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance. The Board could not specifically
`identify the reason for the Cessna’s deviation; however, it cited the "minirnurn control procedures” used by
`
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`

`
`FAA in handling the Cessna as a contributory factor in the accident. The Boards recommendations
`included improvements to the air traffic control system and more stringent requirements for IFR pilots,
`including an annual proficiency flight check.
`
`Jul 21, 1967: FAA established the Ofiice of Noise Abatement, a measure of the importance the agency
`attached to the problem of aircraft-engine noise. Hitherto, the agency's noise-abatement program had been
`under the direction of a small noise abatement staff.
`(See Apr 8, 1966, and Nov 27, 1968.)
`
`Jul 21, 1967: FAA retitled the Associate Administrator for Programs the Associate Administrator for
`Operations. (See Jun 12, 1963.)
`
`Jul 25, 1967: United Airlines made public its order for 79 jet aircraft at a cost of $690 million, the largest
`airline equipment purchase announced at one time to that date. The order included 13 Boeing 7475, 23
`Boeing 7275, 25 Boeing 7375, and 18 McDonnell Douglas DC-85.
`
`Jul 25, 1967: A Federal inedjadon board recessed without resoving a dispute between United Air Lines
`and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) over the crew complement of the Boeing 737. United
`insisted that the aircraft could be safely flown with two pilots, while the union argued for a three-nian
`cockpit crew. On Mar 21, 1968, United and its pilots agreed to conduct an in-service evaluation of the
`737, but they could not agree on the evaluaIion‘s results. On Feb 22, 1969, a Federal arbitration panel
`ruled in favor of the pilots for the life of the current United—ALPA contract, and on Mar 31, 1970, a
`second arbitration panei affirmed this ruling for the duration of the nerd contract. This decision on United
`Air Lines, the first airline to order the 737, influenced Western to accept a tl1ree—rnan cockpit on its 7375.
`(See Nov-20-29, 1966 and Jul 21, 1969.)
`
`In a rule effective this date, FAA set equipment and procedural standards under with
`Aug 7, 1967:
`general aviation pilots operating properly equipped airplanes were authorized to land under Category 1]
`weather minimums~—a 1,200-foot runway visibility range and a 100-foot decision height. (See Oct 2, 1964,
`and Nov 3, 1967.)
`
`Aug 28, 1967: FAA appointed anAssociate Administrator for Plans. This new position was responsible
`for developing the agency‘s longaange pians for meeting future demands for its services.
`(See Mar 16,
`1962, and Nov 27, 1968.}
`
`Aug 31, 1967: President iohnsoti signed the Veteran's Pension and Readjustment Act of 1967 (Public Law
`90-77), which became fully efifective Oct 1. The Act authorized the Veterans Administration to reimburse
`eligible veterans for 90 percent of the cost of flight training necessary for a recognized vocational
`objective. The legislation specified that: the eligible veteran must have a private pilot certificate (or have
`completed the required flight-training hours). with at least a second class medical certificate, and the flight
`school courses meet FAA standards and be approved both by FAA and the appropriate State agency.
`
`Sep 10, 1967: A rule requiring that the design of transport category airpianes include the protection of the
`fuel System against lightning became effective.
`
`Sep 16, 1967 : Typhoon Sarah struck Wake Island with winds exceeding 140 miles per hour, knocking out
`the isiand's electric power plant, air traffic control tower, air route traffic control center, and navigation
`aids. Damage to the island's housing, sanitation system, and freshwater supply necessitated the evacuation
`of one fourth of Wakets population.
`A special FAA-Air Force task force directed the evacuation and worked round the clock to
`restore critical navaids and airport capabilities. Portable equipment (including a tower, VOR, and TACAN)
`was air lifted to the island. Within 48 hours after the typhoon struck, the airport had resumed transpaciftc
`airlift operations on a reduced scale. By the last week in September, all essential facilities of both the
`airport and the center had returned to service.
`
`Sep 20, 1967: FAA published new safety rules designed to improve crashworthiness and passenger
`evacuation standards in transport airplanes. The new rules required air carriers, other commercial
`operators, and aircraft manufacturers to demonstrate that airplanes with more than 44 seats were capable of
`permitting the evacuation of a full load of passengers througlt only half the aircraft's exits in 90 seconds.
`The previous rule, which did not require demonstration by aircraft manufacturers, had set a time limit of
`120 seconds.
`
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`
`Other key provisions of the new rules related to: the distribution and type of exits, and their
`ratio to passengers;
`improved access to ovenving exits; evacuation slides deployable in 10 seconds;
`improved interior lighting and new exterior lighting: cabin linings with self-extinguishing qualities;
`stowing carry-on baggage; slip-resistant and clearly marked escape routes; and better protection of fuel and
`electric lines. Compliance dates for the new rules ranged from Oct 24, 1967, to Oct 1, 1969.
`(See Jun 7,
`1965, and May 1, 1972.)
`
`Sep 20, 1967: Citing the rapid growth of commercial and private flying, President Johnson requested
`Transportation Secretary Alan S. Boyd to develop a tong—range, comprehensive plan for the facilities,
`equipment, and personnel required for a substantial expansion and improvement of the air traffic
`control system. The President stated that the plan "should be accompanied by a proposal for financing the
`improvements through a system of charges by which the users of the Nation's airways bear their fair share
`of its costs." (Sec May 20, 1968.)
`
`Sep 22, 1967: North American Rockwell Corporation came into being, result of a merger between
`North American Aviation and Rockwell-Standard Corporation.
`
`Sep 25, 1967: AN FAA report released on this date concluded that the economic effects of the
`development of general aviation airports were beneficial for five communities studied: l-lereford, Tex;
`Sumter, S.C.; Hayward, Calif; Frederick, Md.; and Fairrnount, Minn. FAA found that airports served as a
`catalyst for business growth, helping to provide industrial jobs for machine—displaced farm laborers, as well
`as providing operational bases for aerial crop seedings and crop spraying.
`
`Oct 3, 1967: Maj. William J. Knight, USAF, piloting the X-15 rocket plane, set an unofficial world record
`of 4,534 miles an hour, almost seven times the speed of sound. (See Jul 28, 1976.)
`
`Oct ll, 1967: A new prototype airport traffic control tower equipped with solid-state electronic
`equipment went into operation at Reid-I-[illview Airport, San Jose, Calif. Designed primarily for small
`airports, such a tower provided the same services as towers with vacuum tube equipment, but at much less
`cost The solid-state equipment was also more reliable, compact, easier to install, and required less
`maintenance.
`
`Oct E9, 1967: FAA type-certificated the Grumman Gulfstream II, a two-engine corporate jet witha crew
`of two and a maximum capacity of 19 passengers in the corporate seating arrangement.
`
`Oct 19, 1967: FAA retitled the Office of Management Services the Ofiice of Management Systems, to
`reflect a shift in the primary responsibility of the office from providing specific administrative support
`services to the development of agencyrvide systems and methods for solving management problems.
`
`Nov 3, 1967: Pan American World Airways became the first airline to receive FAA approval for full
`Category II operations, permitting the airline to land in weather offering only a 100-foot decision height
`and a l,200—foot nmway visibility range. At this date, however, such operations could be conducted only at
`Dulies Intemational Airport.
`In the ensuing seven rnonlhs, seven additional airports qualified for Category
`II operations. (See Aug 7, 1967, and Jan 21, 1972.)
`
`Nov 9, 1967: FAA lowered the floor of area positive control over the northeastern and northcentral
`United States--perhaps the most heavily traveled airspace of its size in the world~~from 24,000 to 18,000
`feet. The area was bounded roughly by a line running from Presque Isle, Maine, south to Danville, Va,
`west to Salina, Kan., north to Minneapolis, Minn., and east again to Presque isle. This action followed
`FAA's determination that it could no longer assure the safe separation of aircraft in this area without
`extending positive control. (See Mar 4, 1965, and Oct 14, 1971.)
`
`Nov 21, 1967: A Pan American World Airways jet flying the North Atlantic successfully used NASA's
`ATS 111, one of a series of application research satellites, as an air-ground-air radio voice relay. The
`demonstration was part of a program by major airlines to develop a global system of long-range. Static-free,
`very-high-frequency communications between the air and ground. (See Mar 29, i967.)
`
`Nov, 1967: The Council of the international Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) revised its definition of
`aircraft to exclude air cushion vehicles, or hovercraft.
`ICAO had previously defined aircraft as "any
`machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air," but amended this by
`
`MPCSINVODOBOQ4
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`
`adding "other than reactions of the earth's surface." This change meant that hovercraft were not subject to
`international standards and regulations governing aircraft. (See Oct 16, 1964.)
`
`Dec 4, 1967: Effective this date, FAA required pilots of small turbine-powered aircraft to follow the
`same noise abatement procedures mandated for pilots of large transports. The change meant that the
`rules now applied unifomiiy to all large (over 12,500 lbs.) aircraft and to all turbine-powered aircraft,
`whose pilots were currently required to: (1) enter an airport traffic area at 1,500 feet above surface and
`maintain that altitude until further descent was necessary for safe landing; (2) climb to 1,500 feet as rapidly
`as practicable after takeoff; and (3) use assigned noise abatement runways at airports where FAA had
`established a formal runway use program.
`In addition, pilots of all large aircraft and all turbine—powered
`aircraft equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) were required to remain at or above the glide
`slope on final approach for ii.S landings. {See Apr 4, 1960, and Feb 4, 1971.)
`
`Dec 7, 1967: FAA deconirnissioned the Wake Island air traffic control center and transferred its air
`traffic control functions to the Honolulu ARTCC.
`
`Dec I 1, 1967: Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation unveiled a prototype ofthe British-
`French Concorde,
`the West's first supersonic transport, in Toulouse, France.
`011 Mar 2, 1969,
`the
`Concorde made its first flight. Almost ten years later, on Sep 21, 1979. after meeting in London, aviation
`officials of France and the United Kingdom agreed to end the unprofitable Concorde production
`program. Unsold Concordes were allocated to the flag carriers of the two countries—Air France and
`British Airways. Only sixteen of the supersonic jet transports had been built.
`
`Dec 18, 1967: The Post Office Department imposed requirements on air taxi operators desiring
`contracts for carrying US. mail. To qualify, air taxi aircraft had to have at least two engines, complete
`deicing equipment, and Instrument Flight Rules (IFRJ capabiiity. Similarly, air-taxi pilots were required to
`have an IFR rating, a minimum of 500 flight hours, 50 hours of night operations, and 50 hours of IFR
`operations under actual [FR conditions.
`
`Dec 22, I967: FAA renamed its Installation and Materiel Service the Logistics Service to describe better
`the service's revised functions. (See May 16, 1962 and Jan 19, 1970.)
`
`*1968
`
`Jan 1, 1968: The Federal Aviation Admiriistration began a one-year study of the causes of near-collisions
`in the air, hoping to gather data for developing effective counteractive measures. Since the study's success
`depended on the full and frank cooperation of those involved, FAA granted immunity from any
`enforcement or other adverse action, remedial or disciplinary, to any person involved in a near miss that
`had been voluntarily reported to FAA during the course of the study. On Dec 18, FAA extended the
`program foranadditional year. (See Jun 7, 1961, and Jul 15, 1969.)
`
`team began a review of modifications made by Boeing to its
`Jan 15, 1963: AN FAA technical
`supersonic transport (SST) prototype design (variable-sweep-wing model 2707400). The team found
`that these changes, by increasing the aircraft's weight, had resulted in a poor weight-payload ratio. This
`overweight factor limited range and payload to such an extent that the prototype's calculated performance
`feli well below the specifications for the Phase III contract. (With a full payload, the 2707-200 had a range
`of only 2,775 statute rriiles.) An amendment to the Phase III contract, dated Mar 29, 1968, required
`Boeing to submit to FAA by Jan 15, 1969, a fully substantiated design capable of meeting the Phase III
`contract criteria for the prototype airplane.
`(See Jun 5, 1967, and Oct 21, 1968.)
`
`Jan 19, 1963: FAA Administrator McKee approved the realignment of the functions of the Associate
`Administrator for Personnel and Training (see Oct 1, 1965). Under the new organizationai structure,
`the agency established a separate Office of Personnel and a separate Office of Training, as well as a
`Manpower and Planning Staff and an Executive and Military Personnel Staff. This realignment provided a
`closer grouping among traditional personnel and training functions and permitted a quicker response to
`agency needs. The new office became operational on Feb E, l968.
`
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`Jan, 1968: A group of dissatisfied air traffic controllers in the New York area formed the Professional Air
`Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO). By the end of Jun 1968, PATCO had a national
`inembersttip of well over 5,000 FAA employees.
`(See Jan l7, 1962, and Jul 3, 1968.)
`
`Feb 21, 1963: A sustained wave of US. air carrier hijackings began when a fugitive aboard a Delta Air
`Lines l)C—S forced the pilot to divert to Havana. By Jul 17. four more U.S. airliners had been diverted to
`the same destination. On Jul 19, FAA announced that specially trained FAA safety inspectors ("sky
`marshals") had begun boarding Florida-bound airline flights (see Aug 10, 1961, and Oct 28, 1970). The
`inspectors, swom in as deputy U.S. marshals after being trained at the US. Border Patrol Academy, were
`generally assigned to flights on a random, unannounced basis. Hijacldngs continued, however, and a total
`of twelve airliners and six general aviation aircraft were diverted to Cuba during 1968. (See }an 1969.)
`
`FAA issued an advance notice of proposed rulcmaking inviting comments on the
`Feb 26, 1968:
`advisability of requiring general aviation pilots to carry crash locator beacons when flying over large
`bodies of water, mountainous terrain. or remote areas.
`The agency cited a growing body of opinion that
`the device would be useful in the rapid location of crash sites and survivors. FAA had begun testing the
`equipment in 1963, and had subsequently encouraged its use (see Jan 9, I964). The agency had resisted
`regulatory action, however, because of the equipments high cost and the need for related airborne Search
`units used to “home in" on the crash site.
`(See Mar 20, 1969.)
`
`Feb 26, 1968: FAA's put into operation its National Airspace Communications System (NASCOM), a
`daily nationwide telephone conference. NASCOM co.nnected the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, the
`associate administrators, the heads of FAA's operating services, the regional directors, and area managers in
`the contiguous United States, and the directors of NAFEC and the Aeronautical Center in a telephone
`discussion of the status of the National Airspace System (NAS). The agency developed NASCOM because
`of the need to keep Washington headquarters closely and constantly in touch with activities in the NAS.
`
`Feb, 1968: AN FAA study noted the growing volume of mail receiving air transportation in recent
`years with special emphasis on first~class mail moved on a space available basis. About 95 percent of first-
`class mail traveling over 200 miles currently moved by air. The study predicted that mail by air would
`continue to increase steadily arfl that the use of air taxis would be expanded to expedite overnight delivery
`to additional communities. (See Dec 18, 1967, and Calendar year 1968.)
`
`Mar 1, 1968: The Point Barrow, Alaska, flight service station went into operation, becoming FAA's
`northernmost facility (71 degrees 22 minutes north latitude). FAA‘s southernmost facility, located at 14
`degrees 16 minutes south latitude, was the Page Page international flight service station in American
`Samoa.
`
`Mar 16, 1968: Under a rule effective this date, FAA prohibited VFR (visual flight rules) operations at or
`above 10,000 feet above mean sea level unless a pilot enjoyed a minimum visibility of five miles while
`remaining at least 1,000 feet vertically and one mile horizontally from cloud formations.
`
`Apr 1, 1968: Consolidation of several airlines in Alaska occurred as Alaska Coastal Airlines merged into
`Alaska Airlines, which had absorbed Cordova Airlines on Feb 1, 1968. On the same day, a merger of
`Northern Consolidated Airlines and Wien Alaska Airlines created a new intrastate carrier, Wien
`Consolidated Airlines.
`
`Apr 17, I968: Bonanza Air Lines and West Coast Airlines merged with Pacific Air Lines to form Air
`West, which was renamed Hughes Air West in Jul 1970, following its acquisition by Howard Hughes.
`
`Apr 30, 1968: FAA banned Special VFR (visual flight rules) operations by fixed~wtng aircraft at 33
`major airports, under a rule effective this date. Special VFR operations are visual operations conducted
`under less titan basic VFR weather minimums. The new mle continued to permit such operations in the
`control zones of other airports served by a radar-equipped control tower, though priority would be given to
`aircraft operating under instrument flight rules (IFR). The nile also continued to permit special VFR
`operations in airport control zones not served by radar, but only when IFR operations were not being
`conducted. The growing number of high performance aircraft, coupled with the continuing increase in air
`traffic, necessitated this reduction in special VFR operations.
`
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`
`May 2, 1.968: The Beechcraft Model 99 received FAA type certification. The aircraft was a twin-engine,
`I7-passenger turboprop designed specifically for the scheduled air taxi market.
`
`May 20, 1968: The Johnson Administration submitted two legislative proposals dealing with airport
`and airway development to Congress. One bill provided for Federal loans to sponsors of public airport
`development, and for a small Federal grant-in-aid program to certain airports. The other bill provided for
`expanded user taxes, with revenues generated by these taxes being used to fund airway development. Both
`proposals were an outgrowth of President Johnson's letter to Secretary Boyd calling for a long-range
`ainvays development plan (see Sep 20, 1967).
`The Senate Commerce Committee rejected the airport loan proposal in a report issued Jul
`Instead. the cornmittee favored a grant~in—aid program for airports of $150 million a year--double the
`1.
`amount authorized at that time by the Federal Airport Act (see Sep 20, 1961).
`In addition, the committee
`recommended the establishment of an aviation trust fund—a concept opposed by the Administration--into
`which would go all revenues generated by user taxes and other congressional appropriations to FAA. All
`FAA programs and operations would be funded through this fund.
`The committee reported out a bill based on these recommendations. Although the 90th
`Congress failed to act on this measure, it later became the basis of the Airport and Airway Development
`and Revenue Acts of 1970. (See Jun 16, 1969, and May 21, 1970.)
`
`May 27, 1968: FAA announced that Washington National was the first airport in the U.S. to have its main
`instrument runway equipped with color-coded centerline lights for greater safety in low—visibility weather.
`Alternate red and white lights catrtioned pilot that they were entering the Iast 3,000 feet of runway, while
`all-red centerline Lights marked the East 1,000 feet.
`
`Spring, 1968: The Stored Program AlphaNumerics (SPAN) equipment transferred to the New York air
`route traffic control center in 1966, and subsequently renamed Beacon AlphaNumerics (BAN), was
`dismantled and shipped to Atlanta. where it was to augment the ARTS E configuration at that terminal area.
`(ARTS and BAN hardware components were virtually identical.) While BAN had been perfectly capable
`of handling the en route traffic assigned to the Indianapolis ARTCC, it was incapable of meeting the
`considerably greater control demands imposed by the New York center, which had perhaps the most
`difficult radar beacon and traffic control environment in the United States. The chief difficulties with BAN
`
`in New York were those growing outof the configurations limited capacity. BAN could cover only nine of
`the centers 37 sectors. Consequently, aircraft were flying out of sectors with automation into sectors
`without automation, and vice versa.
`(See Feb 1966.)
`
`Jun 13, 1968: The Secretary of Transportation delegated responsibility for administering the aircraft loan
`guarantee program to the FAA Administrator. The Department of Transportation Act of 1966 had
`transferred final
`loan guarantee responsibility from the Secretary of Commerce to the Secretary of
`Transponatron. Authority to guarantee loans under the act had lapsed in 1967, but was renewed in 1973
`with changes that included an increase of the rnaximurn limit per carrier to $30 million.
`(See Oct 15, 1962,
`and Sep 7, 1977.)
`
`Jun 20, 1968: FAA abolished the Northway (Alaska) Area Office and transferred its duties to the
`Fairbanks Area Office. (See Apr 23, 1959.)
`
`Jun 21, 1968: The U.S. Department of Labor ruled that FAA’s age-60 rule on airline pilot retirement
`represented a "hona fide occupational qualification" (BFOQ) under the provisions of the Age
`Discrirnination in Employment Act of 1967. On Apr 20, 1977, however, a U.S. appeals court held in the
`case of Hangman v. McDonnell Douglas that age did not necessarily constitute a BFOQ for test pilots.
`(See Mar 15, 1960, and Jan 24, 1974.)
`
`Jun 30, 1968: The Lockheed C-SA Galaxy, a long-range military heavy transport, made its first flight.
`On Sep 30, 1965, the Air Force had selected Lockheed to develop and produce the heavy logistics transport
`aircraft. The C-SA was powered by four General Electric TF39-GE-1 turbofan engines, each rated at
`41,000 pounds of thrust.
`Intended primarily as a freighter, the aircraft's maximum takeoff weight was
`728,000 pounds; its design payload, 220,000 pounds. On Dec 17, 1969, the Lockheed C-SA transport was
`formerly turned over to the U.S. Air Force during ceremonies at Marietta, Ga., where the aircraft was
`manufactured
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`the U.S. Weather Bureau transferred
`Jun 30, 1968: During fiscal 1968, which ended on this date,
`responsibility for the Pilot Automatic Telephone Weather Answering Service (PATWAS) to FAA.
`Also during this fiscal year, airports to accommodate STOL (short takeoff and landing)
`aircraft were for die first time included in the National Airport Plan, which covered the years 1967-73.
`Twenty~five potential STOLports were identified in the eastern rnegalopolis and along the west coast,
`both areas of dense traffic deemed a ready market for short-haul operations within and between cities. (See
`Nov 5, 1966, and Aug 5, 1968.)
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`Jul 1, 1968: FAA implemented Project 85, a general aviation accident prevention program, for a two-
`year trial in the Central and Southwest Regions. Under the program, an accident-prevention specialist at
`each general aviation district office was to stimulate and focus cooperation of the aviation public, the
`aviation industry, and the government agencies toward a substantial reduction in general aviation accidents.
`(S