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Milestones of domestic air transportation in the past 50 years are highlighted. Many early innovations were of European origin. Lindbergh’s flight accelerated the use of airplanes as a means of domestic transportation. The DC-3, prior to World War II, achieved a high degree of standardization and established a foundation for future airline growth. After World War II, converted military transports were primary means of conveyance. Phenomenal growth of air travel is due to increased speed, safety, and comfort brought about by use of four-engine planes, automatic pilot, cabin pressurization, and improvements in electronic guidance systems. Basic problems such as over-capacity, need for greater standardization, better ground facilities, and efficient servicing of local air traffic face the airlines today.

When an airline finds itself in trouble with an engine because of high cost or poor reliability, or both, decisions frequently must be made long before a complete picture is available to the decision makers. Experience and judgment play a major role in selecting the course of corrective action. This paper reviews these difficult decisions in a specific case history. The results of those decisions are analyzed quantitatively and the significance of the results discussed qualitatively. A relationship is then drawn between the operators’ experiences and the design criteria established by the engine manufacturer in the design of new engines.