The FAA in the Cold War

I worked for the FAA (Federal Aviation Agency) from 1959, when I graduated from the U of Illinois, as an Electronic Engineer, until 1980, when the Transistor made the Vacuum Tube obsolete.

This was also when the Cold War made the FAA powerful. It had huge bomb-proof buildings outside of urban areas, that the Soviets were sure to bomb in a nuclear war. We really thought that way then - and expected a War at any time. Families built Bomb Shelters in their backyards, and kept them supplied.

I specialized in Radar, and the FAA and the Military had joint-use Radar sites that housed the most expensive Radars ever built.

The last time I visited Washington DC, a few years ago, I visited the Smithsonian on the Mall, Right across the street was the National headquarters of the FAA, two large buildings. I said to myself "I know what is going on there - Nothing!" And indeed, it looked deserted.

The Cold War was over, and the FAA's best years were over also.