According to famed historian Bilstein Roger, it is unclear when commercial air travel began in the United States, but he traces it back to the era of hydrogen-powered aircraft that operated between Oakland and Sanfransisco as early as 1913 (Freeman, n.d.). Some aviation milestones were marked in 1919 when Lawson built the first multi-engine airplane made specifically for passengers (Freeman, n.d.). During this era of aviation, there was no authority charged with the responsibility of supervising and coordinating the aviation industry as it was not a popular means of transportation. Most people at that time relied on roads and railways as a means of transportation. The emergence of commercial aviation in the United States can be traced to what many have described as "the airmail experiment". Many believe that the post office in the United States gave rise to full-fledged commercial aviation as early as 1925, when it began delivering letters through the air. By 1925, the U.S. government had 7 airplanes that carried letters between cities and had the capacity to deliver over 14 million letters in a year (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2008). This air mail delivery service was controlled and operated by the government who employed the pilots and oversaw their ongoing training and regular medical checks. The service was very reliable and advertised as one of the safest modes of transportation due to the minimal accidents witnessed, which were estimated at one accident every over 700,000 miles flown by aircraft. This made airmail service very popular especially among businessmen and bankers, who preferred the method for its efficiency and convenience (US Departmen...... middle of paper ...... re aside of the U.S. government to consolidate its resources and efforts to strengthen national security The Department of Homeland Security currently oversees the control and regulation of all airline flights in the United States, with a focus on how to rid the United States of terrorism. may result from mismanagement of the important aviation sector. (Whitnah, 1998).It works CitedFreeman, R.(nd). .centennialofflight.gov/essay/Commercial_Aviation/1920s/Tran1.htmU.S (July 2008). History of aviation safety oversight in the United States. Retrieved July 6, 2011 from http://www.tc.faa.gov/ its/worldpac/techrpt/ar0839.pdfWhitnah, D. R. (1998). Press.