Dreams of Flight: General Aviation in the United States (review)

Dreams of Flight is a timely, concise, and readable history of general aviation in the United States over the last hundred years by two authors who are themselves pilots. Inspired by the work of Roger Bilstein, whose Flight in America (rev. ed., 2001) stands as the definitive work in this field, Janet and Michael Bednarek succeed in placing general aviation—which they define as all aviation activities not commercial or military—within a context of technological, social, and political change.

The Bednareks trace a long and complex history from its beginnings with the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss through the heyday of the barnstormers and exhibition racers into the post-World War II era. They argue that general aviation has always struggled for official support and encouragement, as government has focused on forms of aviation that contribute to state power and infrastructure. General aviation exemplifies the tension between government's desire to control and shape technological development and individual desires for access to technology as a means of leisure and freedom.

The Bednareks describe a pattern of federal support alternating with ambivalence, with phases marked by skepticism and outright hostility. During the New Deal, advocates of the "winged gospel" such as Eugene Vidal, director of aeronautics in the Department of Commerce, sought to bolster general aviation and raise it to a level that would rival automobile ownership. Government interest diminished as these efforts failed, but the dream of widespread aircraft ownership and use remained alive. The Second World War was a boon to the industry, as it meant contracts and funding for expansion, but hopes that a permanent improvement in the industry's fortunes had arrived were soon dashed. Overexpansion and increased federal regulation precipitated a steep and apparently permanent decline in sales of general aircraft.

Recent attempts by general aviators to organize at the federal level have been only partially successful in reversing these trends, as commercial and military aviation interests have largely succeeded in limiting general aviation's influence. Dreams of Flight concludes with a sobering analysis of the effects on general aviation of September 11. Although many of the immediate restrictions placed on general aviation have now been lifted, the new security environment brings with it even tighter regulation. Faced with declining numbers of pilots and increasing costs for flight training, aircraft, and maintenance, American general aviation enters its second century facing an uncertain future. Still, interest and enthusiasm among America's general aviators remain strong, and new technologies such as ultralight aircraft continue to fuel a fascination with powered flight.

The Bednareks have produced an important work that highlights general aviation's important contribution to America's growth and development during the twentieth century. As they observe, general aviation provided access to America's skies for women and African-Americans before the Second World War, during a period when both were excluded from commercial and military aviation. In rural areas, agricultural aviation increased productivity and efficiency, particularly through crop dusting and fire prevention. General aviation also made corporate travel easier and faster, giving American business leaders greater mobility and flexibility.

Drawing on a wide range of secondary sources, periodicals, and Internet resources, the Bednareks have produced a study of American general aviation that complements the work of Roger Bilstein and Joseph Corn. Dreams of Flight is a welcome addition to American aviation history, and its lucid prose makes it accessible to a wide audience, from aviation enthusiasts to scholars and students.