General Aviation Industry in America: A History, 2D Ed. : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers : 9781476677217 : 1476677212 : 09 Mar 2020 : ""The industry known as "general aviation"-encompassing all flying outside of the military and commercial airlines-dates from the early days of powered flight. As technology advanced, making possible smaller aircraft that could be owned and operated by civilians, manufacturers emerged to a serve a growing market. Increasingly this meant business flying, as companies used aircraft in a variety of roles. The industry struggled during the Great Depression but development continued; small aircraft manufacturers became vital to the massive military production effort during World War II. After the war, rapid technological advancement and a robust, prosperous middle class were expected to result in a democratized civil aviation industry. For many reasons this was never realized, even as general aviation roles and aircraft capabilities expanded. Despite i