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19420321: Spring, 1942: CAA Experimental Station in Indianapolis flight tested a stall-warning indicator for general aviation aircraft. The agency believed that some minor modifications in construction were desirable before a marketable device would be available. (See February 25, 1947.)
19460321: The Army Air Forces, the Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics, CAA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and the aircraft industry formulated a National Aeronautical Research Policy. Promulgated largely to clarify the relationships of NACA with other research and development agencies, the policy statement charged NACA with responsibility for “research in the aeronautical sciences,”

19280320: The Department of Commerce announced the award of contracts for equipment that included 12 new radio stations capable keeping pilots advised of changes in weather conditions while they were in flight. At that time, the Department was operating 17 radio stations that had been received when it assumed responsibility for the transcontinental airway (see July 1, 1927). Known as Airway Radio Stations under Commerce, the facilities served as gathering points for data on weather and flights for use in preflight briefings for pilots. The stations transmitted this information along the airways by radiotelegraphy. (Soon, however, teletypewriter communications via

19700319: FAA issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking asking public comment on whether smoking should be allowed aboard passenger-carrying aircraft. This action resulted from two petitions filed with FAA in December 1969. One petition requested a ban on smoking on all flights, while the other requested that domestic air carriers effectively segregate smokers from other passengers. FAA believed the petitions warranted an in-depth study to determine to what extent tobacco smoke was harmful to nonsmokers. The agency’s existing rules prohibited smoking only during takeoff and landing. (See May 10, 1973.)
19850319: The appointment of Charles E. Weithoner as the first Associate Administrator for Human Resource Management became effective. Weithoner had served in the post on an acting basis since the

Full FAA Chronology at this link.

19600317: A Lockheed Electra lost a wing in turbulent air and crashed near the towns of Tell City and Cannelton, Ind. All 63 persons aboard the Northwest Airlines flight were killed. On March 20, FAA reduced the top cruising speed of the Electra Model 188 series turboprop airliners from 373 to 316 m.p.h., pending determination of the cause. Additional restrictions effective on March 25 included a further cutback in permissible speed (down to 259 m.p.h., or 225 knots) and a series of rigid tests and inspections. These measures seemed warranted by similarities between the Tell City crash and the crash of another Electra in Texas (see September 29, 1959). On April 12, the Civil

Full FAA Chronology at this link.

19600316: New requirements regarding instrument flying skills became effective. Persons receiving a commercial pilot certificate were required to have a minimum of 10 hours of instrument flight instruction and to demonstrate their ability to control their aircraft manually while relying solely on instrument guidance. Successful applicants for private pilot certificates were required to have dual instruction in the basic control of the aircraft by the use of instruments, and to demonstrate their manual capability in attitude control in simulated emergencies involving the loss of visual reference during flight. The added requirements applied only to new applicants, not holders of existing certificates.
19620316: Effective this date, FAA abolished the Office of Plans, and transferred its personnel to other FAA components (see January 15, 1959 and August 28, 1967).
19640316: A manpower study conducted by FAA revealed an approaching shortage of aircraft maintenance personnel. The

Full FAA Chronology at this link.

19460315: CAA announced the selection of Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma City, Okla., for the location of its new aeronautical center for training and maintenance. The agency immdiately relocated the Standardization Center (Houston), the general aircraft maintenance base for the Midwest, and the Signals Division School, and planned eventually to move all Federal airways schools and similar Agency activities to this central location. Oklahoma City had agreed to build an administration building and two new hangars for CAA’s use.
19470315: CAA established, “in the interest of safety in air commerce,” airport traffic control zones having radii of three or five miles. In addition to cancellations of airport approach zones, the Agency redesignated a large number of civil airways.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.

19550314: The first type-certification board meeting to be held in connection with the certification of a foreign-built aircraft under U.S. regulations met in Washington. Representatives of the Royal Netherlands Aircraft Factories, having applied for a U.S. type certificate on its Fokker F-27, met with the CAA engineering staff for preliminary discussions. Previous certification negotiations, such as those involving the British-built Viscount, had focused on U.S. acceptance of certification by the country of manufacture.
19600314: FAA transferred from Washington to Oklahoma City certain organizational elements responsible for: aircraft registration; preparation and administration of knowledge examinations for certification of airmen and ground instructors; and the issuance of airman

Full FAA Chronology at this link.

19610313: The Civil Aeronautics Board, rendering a decision in the Southern Transcontinental Service Case, awarded Delta Air Lines and National Airlines additional route segments that allowed both airlines to begin transcontinental service on June 1l, 1961.
19710313: AN FAA rule upgraded airworthiness standards for small airplanes seating 10 or more passengers (excluding crew). The new rule required all such aircraft, regardless of weight, to be certificated in the air transport category. The rule reflected a trend toward increased numbers and types of small aircraft designed with relatively large passenger capacity, and it affected segments of aviation that included the growing air taxi industry. (See September 7, 1964, and December 1, 1978.)
19860313: FAA activated the domestic message portion of a computerized system to collect, process, and distribute notices to airmen (NOTAMs) throughout the U.S. airspace system and abroad.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.

19630312: FAA published the first issue of Intercom, a weekly newsletter to keep employees at headquarters abreast of agency business. The issue announced that Intercom’s for field personnel would be developed at the regional level by adding regional news to that reported in the headquarters version. In May of the same year, FAA also distributed the first issue of Horizons, a longer publication for employees. Horizons appeared monthly until biweekly publication began during 1967. In January 1971, it was superseded by the monthly FAA World. Publication of World was suspended after May 1986, but resumed in December of that year and continued through April 1994.
19900312: Barry L. Harris became FAA’s Deputy Administrator,