Page 43 - Planning and Design of Airports

The Natur e of Civil Aviation and Airports 21

9. The detailed plans for the location and development of any
airport with respect to which there is federal contribution of
any kind, should be subject to the approval of the federal
agency charged with the establishment of civil airways, land-
ing areas, and necessary air navigation facilities.
10. There should be no direct federal contribution to the cost of
maintaining airports, other than federal airports; except that
the administrator of the Civil Aeronautics Authority may, in
accordance with the Civil Aeronautics Act and so far as avail-
able funds permit, assume the cost of operating any lighting
equipment and other air navigation facility as a part of the
cost of operation of the federal airways system.

The airport survey submitted in 1939 was updated with new
studies completed in 1940. Continuing studies were made through
the war years. While first importance was attached to the military
requirements, care was taken whenever possible to anticipate the
needs of postwar civil aviation. During the war years the federal gov-
ernment, through the CAA, spent $353 million for the development
of military landing areas in the continental United States. This does
not include funds spent by the military agencies. During the same
period the CAA spent $9.5 million for the development of landing
areas in the United States solely for civil purposes.

Federal Airport Act of 1946
At the end of World War II, over 500 airports constructed for the
military by the CAA were declared surplus and were turned over to
cities, counties, and states for airport use. The interest in adequate
airport facilities by various political subdivisions of government
continued. The needs were made known to Congress by various
interests. As a result, the House of Representatives passed a resolu-
tion (H.R. 598, 78th Congress) directing the CAA to make a survey of
“need for a system of airports and landing areas throughout the
United States” and report back to Congress.
The results of this survey were completed in 1944 (House Docu-
ment 807, 78th Congress, 2nd Session) and contained the following
principal recommendations:

1. That Congress authorize an appropriation to the Office of the
Administrator of Civil Aeronautics not to exceed $100 million
annually to be used in a program of federal aid to public
agencies for the development of a nationwide system of
public airports adequate to meet the present and immediate
future needs of civil aeronautics. The administrator be
authorized to allocate such funds for any construction work
involved in constructing, improving, or repairing an airport,
including the construction, alteration, and repair of airport