United States government role in civil aviation
（重定向自Air Commerce Act）
![logo on side of a test aircraft](/Images/godic/202412/20/DOC-CAA0153.JPG")
![Seal and flag of the defunct Civil Aeronautics Board on display in the National Air and Space Museum](/Images/godic/202412/20/Civil_Aeronautics_Board_flag_and_seal_by_Flapane0153.jpg")
![The FAA provides air traffic control services over US territory as well as over international waters where it has been delegated such authority by the ICAO. This map depicts overflight fee regions. Yellow (enroute) covers land territory, excluding Hawaii and some island territories but including most of the Bering Sea as well as Bermuda and the Bahamas (sovereign countries, where the FAA provides high-altitude ATC service). The blue regions are where the US provides oceanic ATC services over international waters (Hawaii, some US island territories, & some small, foreign island nations/territories where the US provides high-altitude ATC service are included in this region).](/Images/godic/202412/20/US_Overflight_Fee_Map0153.png")
Early aviation in America was unregulated, with government involvement limited to scientific research and the launching of airmail. But frequent accidents led to public demand for regulatory powers, and the Air Commerce Act of 1926 created an Aeronautic Branch of the United States Department of Commerce. Its functions included testing and licensing of pilots, certificating of aircraft and investigation of accidents.