General Aviation

After World War II, especially in North America, there was a boom in general aviation, both private and commercial, as thousands of pilots were released from military service and much inexpensive war-surplus transport and training aircraft became available. | Manufacturers such as Cessna, Piper, and Beechcraft expanded production to provide light aircraft for the new middle-class market. | At the same time, turboprop propulsion began to appear for smaller commuter planes, making it possible to serve small-volume routes in a much wider range of weather conditions. | By the 1950s, the development of civil jets grew, beginning with the de Havilland Comet, though the first widely used passenger jet was the Boeing 707 because it was much more economical than other aircraft at that time.