Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Aviation medicine'

Introduction: Obesity, and in particular central fat accumulation, is associated with a number of metabolic disturbances such as dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance. Such `clustering' of factors is known as the Insulin ResistanceS yndrome( IRS). More recently, hypofibrinolysisa s a resulto f elevated concentrations of PAI-1 at rest has been included in the IRS. Acute exercise in normal weight individuals results in an increase in fibrinolytic capacity due to a rise in t-PA and a reduction in PAI-1 concentrations. The primary aim of the following studies therefore was to determine the effect of acute exercise and exercise training on fibrinolytic markers in obese populations. The secondary aim of this work was to examine the relationships between PAI-1 concentrations and other markers of the IRS to determine a potential role for these factors in the short-term regulation of plasma PAI-1 concentrations. Methods: Premenopausal female and male overweight and obese volunteers underwent acute bouts of exercise at intensities ranging from 50% to 100% V02 max A group of obese premenopausal omen also underwent a graded maximal exerciset est to exhaustionb efore and after 12 weeks of exercise training at 50% or 70% VO2 max. Venous blood samples were taken at rest, immediately post exercise and up to 2 hours post exercise. Samples were analysed for fibrinolytic factors (t-PA, total PAI-1 & active PAI-1), markers of endothelial damage (vWF) as well as other components of the IRS including lipid profiles, insulin and leptin. Results: Plasma t-PA concentrations rose with acute exercise at intensities greater than 50% V02 max in all study populations with the exception of obese sedentary males. In all cases t-PA returned to baseline levels 30 minutes post exercise. None of the protocols administered were sufficient to lower total PAI-1 concentrations immediately post exercise but exercise at an intensity of 70% V02 max and a duration of greater than 30 minutes resulted in elevated PAI-1 concentrations 30 minutes post exercise in the overweight and obese populations. Active PAI-1 concentrations decreased with exercise either immediately or within 30 minutes post exercise at an intensity of 70% V02 max and durations greater than 30 minutes. Exercise training at both 50% and 70% V02 max increased the t-PA response to maximal exercise but only exercise training at 70% V02 max resulted in greater decrease in active PAI-1 with exercise. No factors were consistently associated with PAI-1 throughout the studies although anthropometric measures and blood pressure were regularly associated with PAI-1 at rest. Conclusions: Overall, exercise at an intensity of 70% V02 max for duration of at least 30 minutes in obese populations results in an increased fibrinolytic capacity as shown by elevated t- PA concentrations and decreased active PAI-1 concentrations. It is important to remember however that obese populations still remain hypofibrinolytic with respect to non-obese populations at rest, during exercise and in the recovery period.

A field investigation was carried out with student nurses entering General Training in a School of Nursing. Autogenic Regulation Training (ART), sickness absence, personal problems, time and their emotional physical experience was evaluated. Measures used in the study included:The Sickness Absence Record (SAR)The Mooney Problem Checklist (MPC)The Crown-Crisp Experiential Index (CCEI)and The Personal Observations Inventory (POI)Data was collected at different time periods early in their nurse education. The study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of ART in providing a method of coping with individual stress. Analyses were made between and within an ART group of student nurses and a comparison group who did not receive training in ART. Consideration was also given to individual differences of student nurses in each group.Particular attention was paid to the hypotheses that 1) ART is associated with reduced sickness absence in student nurses when analysed against a comparison group' of student nurses not trained in ART; and 2) ART is associated with reduced stress in student nurses when compared with student nurses not trained in ART. 'It is generally concluded that student nurses trained in ART may reduce their level of sickness absence and can alleviate stress for some student nurses. However, examination of individual student nurse reports of ART and its usefulness and practice within these group data, suggest more complex interpretations of the study. Despite the study limitations, implications for methods of stress control for nurses, curriculum development and cost-effective savings for nursing administrations are suggested, and possibilities for the development of comprehensive counselling services for nurses are raised. These issues it is suggested, should be examined within a broader programme of research into coping with stress amongst nurses.

This thesis examines human performance under sub-optimal working conditions during work with complex and highly-automated process control systems. The operational context focuses on applications in extended spaceflight but the generic approach allows for generalisations beyond this target work environment The methodological approach is based on the use of a computerised multiple-task environment to carry out generic simulations of real work environments (micro-worlds) with a high level of ecological validity. For that purpose, a PC-based task. environment was developed to simulate the operation of a life support system in a spacecraft. This task environment has been used in lab-based experiments with trained participants from the student population and with real space crews during large-scale mission simulations. A series of six experiments was carried out (3lab and 3 field studies) to investigate the impact of different configurations of sub-optimal working conditions and unfavourable operator states, using the following independent variables: sleep deprivation, dialogue control, social isolation and confinement, training, noise, extended lay-off period and different types of system faults (corresponding to variations in workload). The task environment comprised up to five tasks, allowing for the observation of differential effects of the independent variables on different levels of cognitive activity. Dependent variables included primary task performance, secondary task performance, system control behaviour, information sampling behaviour, and subjective state measures. The findings suggested that primary performance was rarely affected, whereas certain secondary task measures and, notably, information sampling strategies appeared to be good indicators of changes in demand under the unfavourable conditions. The isolation and confinement experiments revealed no serious breakdown of performance among the crew but some indications of strain were observed. The use of two different training approaches displayed a very complex picture, with no method showing clear superiority over the other concerning performance, though there were differences in knowledge structure and system management behaviour. An important implication of the experimental work is that a broad methodological approach is needed in order to investigate the complex adjustment patterns displayed by individuals during the management of task demands under unfavourable conditions.

The research of glider pilot’s flying quality influencing personal stressors Aim of the study:To estimate the personal stressors influence to the flying quality of glider pilot’s. Methods:The instantaneous analytic research using questionnaires was made during the European gliding championship. Two types of questionnaires were created in English and given for the participants (n = 90) to fill every day, 90 before the flight and 90 after. All together 1.260 questionnaires were given and 742 were returned (58.9%). Statistical analysis was made with „Statistica for Windows“ and Microsoft Excel programs. Results:Subjective pilots fatigue average increased 18.57% during the flight (stdev. 25.02%). At first fatigue increased, later decreased and at the end of the championship increased. Fatigue were increased by personal stressors, like the rest (r = 0.19, p<0.05), sleep duration (r = 0.15, p<0.05), coffee usage (r = 0.17, p<0.05). Fatigue decreased with tea usage (r = -0.19, p<0.05), short time of awake (r = -0.18, p<0.05). Most glider pilot’s noted that various health changes didn’t influence flying, but sweating importuned little. That was approved by objective measurements. Final results were determined by every day points (r = 0.57, p<0.05), pilot’s experience (r = 0.29, p<0.05), total flight time (r = 0.25, p<0.05), flight’s distance (r = 0.25, p<0.05), tea usage (r = 0.16, p<0.05), rest (r = 0.14, p<0.05). Negative influence to the results were made by sweating (r = -0.21... [to full text]

Thesis (M.S. in Modeling, Virtual Environments, and Simulation (MOVES))--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2009.
Thesis Advisor(s): Becker, William. "June 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on July 10, 2009. Author(s) subject terms: Aviation, Haptics, Human Factors, Modeling and Simulation, Situational Awareness, Telepresence, Virtual Environments, Human Computer Interface. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-57). Also available in print.

Background: Neck pain and injury is a common occurrence in high performance combat pilots (HPCP) around the world. The cause of this has been attributed to exposure to the unavoidable high mechanical loading related to the neck being positioned in non-neutral head postures whilst being exposed to moderate to high +Gz levels. Specific neck conditioning exercises have been proposed as being a possible method to decrease the incidence of neck pain and injury in this population. However, there has been sparsely published research examining the suitability of selected exercises for HPCP who participate in regular aerial combat manoeuvres (ACM).

Clinical decision making is an integral, multifaceted phenomenon fundamental to nursing practice. The domain of flight nursing practice is unique in terms of knowledge, structure, clinical presentations and environment. The uniqueness and diversity of patient scenarios and the advanced practice level of the flight nurse role blend to provide a potential rollercoaster flight mission. At the time this research was conducted nursing standards to guide clinical decision making were being developed. Medically orientated clinical guidelines were in place, but they were designed to highlight a specific, well defined clinical scenario or skill. It has been argued that guidelines for nursing practice do not always parallel the complex clinical situations in which advanced practitioners may find themselves (Malone, 1992b). Flight Nurse Specialists (FNSs) with greater than two years flight nursing experience employed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) - Western Operations were interviewed regarding their experiences of clinical decision making in emergency situations. Using a phenomenological methodology, indepth interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The interviews were analysed using the method described by Colaizzi (1978). Data was described and interpreted, common themes were extrapolated and analysed. A Gestalt of Knowing was identified by the interconnection and interrelationships of the extrapolated themes. The three themes are: Ways of Knowing the Patient, Context of Knowing and Reflective Practice. Ways of Knowing the Patient is constructed with the sub-themes intuitive knowing, experiential knowing and objective knowing. The second theme, Context of Knowing, is made up of the sub-themes aviation environment, non or minimised involvement in triage, knowing co11eagues, solo practitioner, experiential level and practice guidelines. Self-critique and change in practice formed the theme Reflective Practice. Findings provide a significant contribution to the knowledge of clinical decision making in nursing and to the practice of flight nursing in the Western Australian context. Several recommendations arose from the findings in relation to further research, policy making, standards development and practice developments. Further research is needed into the themes and sub-themes. FNSs need to be allowed to undertake the role of triage for those flights that they will undertake as the solo health professional. The development of standards for flight nursing would benefit from the consideration of the findings of this study and other qualitative studies of clinical decision making. Reflective practice should be considered as a mechanism for not only evaluating practice but as a mechanism for identifying stressful events.

Abstract Military aviation is characterised by challenging working environments. Even though flying is a heavily visual task, much of the most important information is expressed aurally, via radio. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of radio communication in military aviation environments, the effect of workload on radio communication, as well as the functionality of a new hearing protection system. Flight simulator (F/A-18 Hornet simulator) and heart rate analysis were used to analyse the effect of an increased workload on radio communication. In addition to this, two survey studies were conducted, the first to investigate the prevalence and nature of radio communication problems in military aviation environments, and the second for evaluating the functionality of a new hearing protection solution (moulded communication ear plugs, m-CEPs) for military pilots. In the flight simulator, pilots’ heart rate reflected the level of mental workload. Changes in radio communication were observed during a high workload: The total amount of communication, as well as informing and requesting messages increased. A decrease in acknowledgements was observed. This reflects a change in the team communication tactics during information-loaded flight phases. In survey studies, radio speech communication problems occurred during 14% of the flight time. The most prevalent problems included multiple speakers and overlapping speech on the radio frequency band, missing acknowledgments, and high background noise, especially during helicopter operations. During their career, 18% of the respondents had encountered a potentially dangerous event caused by radio communication problems. The pilots reported a high motivation to use enhanced hearing protection systems. m-CEPs were shown to be a promising tool for improving hearing protection and radio communication: they were considered to be better than the previous hearing protectors, and the pilots reported that they improve the experienced speech intelligibility. However, discomfort and technical problems remain a problem. In the challenging hearing conditions of military aviation, the high quality of radio communication and hearing protection remain important. In the future, radio communication training should be improved and focused on team communication training. The technical development of hearing protection devices should be continued to assure the best possible comfort and technical reliability
Tiivistelmä Sotilaslentäjä työskentelee fyysisesti, psyykkisesti ja kognitiivisesti hyvin haastavassa monitehtäväympäristössä. Radiopuheviestinnän onnistuminen on lentoturvallisuuden ja tehtävätehokkuuden kannalta olennaista, sillä merkittävä osa turvallisuuden kannalta kriittisestä informaatiosta välitetään puheella radioteitse. Tämän väitöstutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää radiopuheviestinnän ongelmien esiintymistä ja luonnetta, kuormituksen vaikutusta radiopuheviestintään sekä uuden kuulonsuojausjärjestelmän toimivuutta sotilaslentäjän työssä. Tutkimus toteutettiin lentosimulaattorissa sekä kahdella kyselytutkimuksella. F/A-18 Hornet -simulaattorissa tutkittiin sykeanalyysin avulla lentotehtävän psyykkisen kuormituksen vaikutusta radiopuheviestintään. Kyselytutkimuksilla selvitettiin radiopuheviestintäongelmien yleisyyttä ja luonnetta sekä uuteen kuulonsuojausjärjestelmään (yksilöllisesti valettu kommunikaatiokuulosuojain) liittyviä tekijöitä. Sykeanalyysi osoittautui käyttökelpoiseksi psyykkisen kuormituksen arviontiin simulaattorissa. Radiopuheviestintä muuttui kuormittavassa lentovaiheessa: viestinnän määrä lisääntyi; informoivat ja kysyvät viestit lisääntyivät; ja kuittaukset vähenivät. Kyselytutkimuksissa lennon aikaisia radiopuheviestinnän ongelmia raportoitiin esiintyvän 14 % lentoajasta. Suuri puhujien määrä ja päällekkäinen puhe radiojaksolla, kuittausten puuttuminen sekä taustamelu varsinkin helikopteritoiminnassa olivat merkittävimpiä ongelmia. Vastaajista 18 % kertoi kohdanneensa urallaan läheltä piti- tai vaaratilanteen, johon radiopuheviestinnän ongelma oli myötävaikuttanut. Lentäjät olivat hyvin motivoituneita käyttämään uusia kuulonsuojausjärjestelmiä. Yksilöllisesti valetut kommunikaatiokuulosuojaimet vaikuttavat lupaavalta ratkaisulta kuulonsuojauksen ja viestinnän parantamiseen. Lentäjät pitivät niitä parempina kuin aiemmat kuulonsuojausjärjestelmät, ja niiden raportoitiin parantavan puheen ymmärrettävyyttä sotilasilmailun haastavissa kuunteluolosuhteissa. Mukavuusongelmia ja teknisiä ongelmia esiintyi kuitenkin edelleen runsaasti. Sotilasilmailun haastavissa kuunteluolosuhteissa laadukas radioviestintä ja toimiva kuulonsuojaus ovat tärkeitä. Radiopuheviestinnän harjoittelussa tulisi panostaa tehtäviä suorittavien ryhmien keskinäisen viestinnän (team communication) parantamiseen. Kuulonsuojausjärjestelmiä tulee edelleen kehittää

There is concern about the indoor environment in aircraft but few stud-ies exist on self-rated health (SRH) and respiratory symptoms among pilots. Occupational and non-occupational risk factors for SRH, respira-tory symptoms and other symptoms among commercial pilots were investigated in this thesis. One cohort study and one prevalence study were performed among pilots in one Scandinavian airline company. Fungal DNA, furry pet allergens and volatile organic compounds of microbial origin (MVOC) were measured on board. Cat (fel d1), dog (Can f1) and horse (Ecu cx) allergens were found in all dust samples and allergen levels were 27-75 times higher in aircraft with textile seats as compared to leather surfaces. The sum of MVOCs in the cabin air was 3.7 times higher than in homes in Uppsala and 2-methyl-1-butanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol concentrations were 15-17 times higher. Asper-gillus/Penicillium DNA and Aspergillus versicolor DNA were more common in aircraft with textile seats. One fifth reported SRH as poor or fair, 62% had fatigue, 46% overweight/obesity and 71% insomnia. Poor or fair SRH was associated with overweight/obesity, lack of exercise, insomnia, low sense of coherence (SOC) and high work demand. Re-covery from work was worse among those with insomnia and low social support at work. Fatigue was more common among young or female pilots and related to insomnia and high work demand. Pilots flying MD80 or Saab 2000 aircraft had less fatigue. Pilots exposed to environmental tobacco (ETS) on board had more eye symptoms and fatigue which were reduced after the ban of smoking (in 1997). Pilots with increased work demand developed more rhinitis, dermal symptoms and fartigue and those with decreased work control developed more eye symptoms. The incidence of doctors’ diagnosed asthma and atopy were 2.4 and 16.6 per 1000 person years, respectively. Pilots changing type of flight got more airway infections. Those reporting decreased work control had a higher incidence of atopy. Risk factors in the home environment included ETS, dampness or mould, window pane condensation in winter and living in houses built after 1975. In conclusion, SRH and respiratory health among pilots are associated with specific occupational and non-occupational risk factors.

During the last ten years, in Civil Aviation sector there have been several initiatives for the development of policies to mitigate the environmental impacts. From ICAO to the single national authorities, like ENAC in Italy, it has been noted a strong increase in studies related to the specific environmental aspects concerning Aviation activities. The last three years have seen a stable 3% sector annual growth trend . Financial crisis, started in 2007, has not changed the estimation of traffic doubling volume for 2020. It is clear that this air traffic increase will request the upgrading of the airport infrastructures. It is very important that sustainable objectives of economic growth will be set in order to protect environment both on local scale, for communities living near airports, and on global scale, for the limitation of Greenhouse gases. In Italy the main aspect has always been noise pollution because the majority of airports are within densely populated areas. In Europe after the introduction of specific Directives, emission of pollutants in the atmosphere has seen an increase in perception not only for the development of mitigation projects like CleanSky, but also for the adoption of ETS for the Commercial Aviation sector. However, it does not exist yet a common set of rules around the world. This potentially can create some conflicting situations due to the interdependence between noise and emissions of pollutant . It is necessary to focus on all the environmental aspects to integrate the mitigation policies and operational procedures. The best choice will be made also taking into account capacity and safety issues in order to increase the effectiveness of the interventions. This thesis presents a method for the determination of two environmental indexes, the first regarding noise and the second atmospheric emissions produced by flight operations. The study case is the Italian airport system in the period 1999-2008. The indexes have been validated with mathematical models at the three major Lombardy airports. In this way, an “environmental tool” for airport impact analysis, both for actual conditions and future developments, has been created in order to simplify the assessment without using models or measures. As a descriptor of the airport noise, we opted for an index similar to the Day Night Level, DNL, which is based on the single event noise, weighed accordingly on whether it takes place in day-time or night-time. The name of the index is LVAyear. As for the impact on air quality, it was decided to assign a monetary cost to emissions to estimate the air traffic externalities in relation to the pollutants considered in this study (HC, NOx, CO, PM and SO2). The designed descriptor is called LAP (Local Air Pollution) index. Scenario simulations were done with mathematical models INM to calculate noise levels and EDMS to quantify emissions of contaminants. As for the structure of the work, chapter 1 and 2 introduce the general aspects concerning noise and gas emissions as well as mathematical models. The procedure for indexes definition is contained in chapter 3 while scenario analysis is described in chapter 4. Results are discussed in chapter 5.

碩士
臺北醫學大學
公共衛生學系
92
Objective: Since the first successful flight of the Wright brothers in 1903, we have the centennial celebration this year (A.D. 2003). Beyond land and ocean, people are flying ambitiously toward higher altitude, faster speed (supersonic), farther destination (outer space) and space stations establishment. In the meantime, the ergonomic, human health concerns are growing --- a safer, healthier and more comfortable flight are pursued. To accomplish an inter-continental flight is becoming a routine (job) and part of our lifestyle (traveling). To protect the crew ( an occupational health issue ), and passengers ( a public health issue) are receiving more attention. A research thesis on “ Flight and Aviation Medicine －A New Look ” is thus emerged. Method: To break through the difficulties in accessing the aviation activities, this research was carried out through process of literature review, personal air-traveling experience, expert interviews, conference (a gathering of experts, air-crew, travel agencies, and passengers ), and questionnaire (to both air crew and passengers, around 300 each). From questionnaire, chapter 3、4 ＆ 5 are compiled；from literature review and other perspective research, the chapter 6 , ‘A New Look ‘was completed. Result: Based on chapter 3、4 ＆ 5, fruitful information has been collected： a. The flight cabin attendants：most of them are in good nature, such as young, healthy, optimistic, diligent, high education level, good lifestyle, no indulgence in alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking；regimen on water drinking and urine retention, jet lag, etc. are acceptable；recognition and training on emergency first-aide handling, e.g. DVT and AED have to be emphasized；attendants are highly concerned on the health effects of fertility, radiation, PTSD, etc. b. The passengers：most of the passengers are young and middle-aged；those of the elder but less than 65 of age have better wisdom on health protection and regimen. Questions in questionnaire are designed for the three stages of before, during, after flying. Findings are：discomfort or agony(29.5﹪), pay no attention to the safety-instruction film(24.7﹪), careless to the emergency exits(26.7﹪), etc. A New Look: After achieving the dream of being able to fly as a bird, people are performing even better than a bird today. But the spirit of ‘ going beyond expectation ‘ never ceasing, people are always dreaming a dream. Undoubtly, the idea of flying safer, healthier and more comfortable is always adhering to the issue of aviation medicine. Recommendations, few examples are given below： a. For airline companies：aircraft maintenance records be transparent to the public, first aide equipment(e.g. AED) and training program be provided, etc. b. For passengers：health education on aviation medicine should be emphasized by the Bureau of Health Promotion. c. For aircraft manafacturers：the bamboo-coke can be considered for the material used in cabin interior decoration and stuffing the chairs. d. For government：stringent interventions in preventing terrorism / hijack, e.g. introducing the Terahertz Wave inspection, and using ‘ biological application system ‘ or implanting I.D. chip on pilots, etc.

Oedema is the presence of excess fluid in the body tissues (Guyton & Hall, 1997). During long air flights, blood pools in the body tissues due to decreased muscle movement. This causes bilateral ankle oedema and results in an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis as well as discomfort to the passengers after their flight (Hope et al., 2001). Hamamelis virginica is clinically indicated as a homoeopathic remedy which acts upon the venous system (Nash, 2002). Apis mellifica, Apocynum cannabinum, Natrum muriaticum and Natrum sulphuricum are all homoeopathic remedies used in the treatment of oedema. The aim of this study is to ascertain the efficiency of the Homoeopathic complex formula, Hamamelis virginica 30cH, Apis mellifica 6cH, Apocynum cannabinum 6cH, Natrum muriaticum 6cH and Natrum sulphuricum 6cH in the treatment of swelling (bilateral oedema) in the lower extremities in women during and after long air flights. This study is a double blind, placebo controlled trial. Forty female participants, between the ages of eighteen to thirty-nine, with a previous history of ankle swelling after long air flights and who were planning long air flights of eight hours or more, were recruited by means of advertisement for this study. Participants meeting the inclusion criteria underwent an examination and were matched in terms of age and risk factors; weight, cigarette smoking, oral contraception, alcohol and coffee consumption. The participants within the matched pairs were then assigned to one of two groups. One group was randomly assigned the experimental group and the other the control. Participants were required to take six powders sublingually without water. The first powder was taken two hours before the actual flight. The second, third and fourth powders were taken every two and a half hours during the course of the fight and the fifth powder was taken after the flight landed. The sixth powder was taken the day after the flight. The participants were measured by the researcher (Appendix D), measuring the circumference of their calf, ankle and foot. The participants were instructed to do three measurements, the first on the day of their flight, the second on the day they arrive at their destination and the third, on the day after their last dose of medication. The measurements were recorded and a questionnaire completed (Appendix E). The data obtained from the participants measurement and questionnaire form was statistically analysed using the repeated measures test, paired t-test, descriptive statistics the crosstab, and the Huynh-Feldt test. Statistical analysis showed significant differences, P<0.05, between the control and medicated groups for the measurements in centimetres of the left ankle and right ankle. The results obtained from the research show that the homoeopathic complex medication in this study significantly reduces lower extremities oedema during long air flights, as compared to the control group. The control group, on the other hand, did show an increase in measurements of the lower extremities during the air flight. This implies that the placebo did not provide any benefit towards reducing the oedema of lower extremities in women during long air flights. Therefore the null hypothesis was rejected Preliminary findings suggest that the homoeopathic complex preparation of Hamamelis virginica 30cH, Apis mellifica 6cH, Apocynum cannabinum 6cH, Natrum muriaticum 6cH and Natrum sulphuricum 6cH, is effective in reducing the oedema of ankles during long air flights but more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Dr. E.M. Solomon Dr. J.L. Schultz

Historians have traditionally emphasized the sharp differences between Herbert Hoover’s vision of an associational state and the activism of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. This dissertation highlights an important area of continuity between the economic policies espoused by Hoover—during his tenures as Secretary of Commerce and President—and Roosevelt, focusing on federal efforts to promote the nascent aviation industry from the end of World War I until the passage of the Civil Aeronautics Act in 1938. These efforts were successful, and offer a unique arena in which to document the concrete gains wrought by Hoover’s associationalist ideology and Roosevelt’s New Deal. Moreover, both Hoover’s corporatist policies and New Deal efforts to create aviation infrastructure—largely through the auspices of public works agencies like the Public Works Administration and Works Progress Administration—form a striking example of the government’s ability to successfully foster the development of a new industry, even in the midst of the Great Depression. Significantly, both men’s efforts represented an alternative to nationalization, the path taken by virtually every European nation during the era. This period thus offers the opportunity to examine how both presidents’ aviation policies cohere with their larger visions of government’s proper relationship to the economy, to compare and contrast associationalism and New Deal, and to elucidate aviation’s role in promoting American economic development. During these years government actions expanded from having literally no engagement with commercial aviation to subsidizing airmail routes, creating a regulatory infrastructure to promote safe operations by licensing pilots, inspecting aircraft, approving manufacturing operations, and aggressively promoting flying to the American people. Contextualized by the American public’s well-documented enthusiasm for flying—particularly after Charles Lindbergh’s famous New York-to-Paris flight in 1927—these federal actions created America’s modern air transport network, culminating in the passage of the seminal Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938, the construction and improvement of almost a thousand airports around the country, and the growth of a core group of airlines, including United, Delta, and American, that still dominate commercial flying today.

This thesis explores how the complex interplay between gender and technology significantly shaped the popularization of commercial aviation in the United States during the 1920s and 30s. As technological innovations improved both the safety and efficiency of airplanes during the early part of the twentieth century, commercial aviation industries increasingly worked to position flight as a viable means of mass transportation. In order to win the trust and money of potential passengers, however, industry proponents recognized the need to separate flight from its initial association with danger and masculine strength by convincing the general public of aviation’s safety and reliability. My work examines the efforts made by industry executives, pilots, and popular news sources to remake the public image of flight by specifically positioning women—as pilots, wives, and mothers—as central to the popularization of commercial aviation. More specifically, this thesis investigates the ways in which female popularizers of commercial aviation effectively mediated the boundaries between technologies and society, and how women’s positions as technological boundary workers often required them to redefine the social meanings and expectations of their gender.