Flight Check! The Story of FAA Flight Inspection by Scott A. Thompson $29.00

This book provides the history of FAA flight inspection and the fleet of airplanes used to perform that mission. Flight inspection has long been a vital part of providing a safe airspace system. The concept is almost as old as the airways system itself, which dates back to the 1920s. The first flight inspectors flew surplus open-cockpt biplanes, bouncing around with airpmail pilots and watching over a steadily growing airway system predicated on airway light beacons to provide navigational guidance. The advent of radio naviation brought an increased importance to the flight inspector, as he was the primary way the radio aids could be checked where they were used...in the air. With the development of the ILS and VOR and the steady growth of the airway system to support air transportation, flight inspection became an essential element in checking the navigation system. Through the years, the FAA and its predecessors have used a variety of aircraft from early DH-4s to single-engine Stinsons to Douglas DC-3s to modern Learjets. The story of the mission and the airplanes is covered by this unusual book.

Note that this book is not available directly from Aero Vintage Books, but the link below will take you to the information on the GPO website, where the book can be ordered. 8.5"x11", softcover, 160 pages, illustrated, 8 pages of color. Published by the U.S. Government Printing Office.