The 1950s Dream of Airports Everywhere

Hoping to capitalize on a post-war boom.

Plenty of educational videos from the 1950s are, in many ways, essentially just propaganda. but that doesn't mean they can't be fascinating or enlightening when viewed with the proper context. A publicity film by the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) released in 1954, for example, gives an overview of major parts of American and aviation history. It also offers a look into how airlines tried to push into rural American areas: by showing the many benefits of small planes.

"Airport America" is comprised farmers and crop dusters, of course, but there are also salesmen and orthopedic surgeons featured in the push for rural airports. The convenience is paramount for small businesses, and farmers can pay for an entire airport in one season!

It's a dream that came true with the Essential Air Service (EAS), a federal program that has subsidized rural airports since 1978. Funded in response to airline deregulation in the same year, EAS "was put in place to guarantee that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before airline deregulation maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service," according to the Department of Transportation's website.

However, the program has been accused of inefficiency, and as cars have spread into rural areas some prefer to just drive to the larger areas with more flight options. The Trump Administration wants to cut funding for EAS completely, although that's been met with serious pushback from lawmakers from those rural areas, Republicans and Democrats alike. It's certainly not the Airport America we were hoping for.

Source: wdtvlive42 - Archive Footage

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