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Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19291021: Colonial Flying Service and the Scully Walton Ambulance Company of New York, N.Y., inaugurated an Air Ambulance Service.
19361021: Pan American Airways initiated regular weekly transpacific passenger service as the Hawaii Clipper took of from Almeda, near San Francisco, arriving at Manila on October 27. (See November 22-29, 1935, and April 28, 1937.)
19501021: During this seven-day period, CAA put into operation the first omnirange (VOR) airways (see Calendar Year 1947). Although 271 omniranges had already been commissioned in different parts of the United States, this marked the initial designation of a chain of these ranges as a controlled airway.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19521020: Pan American World Airways announced its order for three British jet airliners, de Havilland Comet IIIs, to be delivered in 1956. (See October 13, 1955.)
19661020: FAA type-certificated the 206A Bell JetRanger, a five-place, rotary-wing, turbine-powered general-purpose helicopter. This highly successful helicopter had first flown on January 10, 1966.
19721020: The Federal Labor Relations Council certified PATCO as the sole bargaining unit for air traffic controllers. (See February 7, 1972, and March 17, 1973.)

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19271019: Pan American Airways began its operations with an air mail flight between the United States and Cuba, accomplished with a rented plane to meet a contract deadline. The company began regular air mail service between Key West and Havana on October 28, and scheduled passenger service on the route on January 16, 1928.
19361019: The Bureau of Air Commerce commissioned the Detroit air route traffic control center on this date, followed by the Pittsburgh center on November 16.
19671019: FAA type-certificated the Grumman Gulfstream II, a two-engine corporate jet with a crew of two and a maximum capacity of 19 passengers in the corporate seating arrangement.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19551018: CAA announced new policies regarding airport grants in a booklet entitled “Federal-Aid Airport Program Policies and Procedures.” Airports were to be considered eligible for matching Federal funds on the basis of the actual or potential aeronautical need of the community rather than, as previously, according to a level of activity equivalent to 3,000 annually enplaned passengers or 30 based aircraft. Airport terminal buildings, and any other buildings (except hangars) that were necessary to serve the public, were eligible for Federal aid. Federal funds could also be used to share the cost of automobile parking areas required for users of the airport. (See August 3, 1955, and January 21, 1959.)
19601018: FAA announced a comprehensive project to consolidate and simplify aviation safety regulations.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19661017: Effective this date, FAA required pilots to have a helicopter instrument rating to operate a helicopter under Instrument Flight Rules conditions.
19711017: Opening of the first officially designated STOLport solely for short takeoff and landing aircraft took place at Disney World, near Orlando, Fla. (The term “STOLport” had previously been applied to that portion of an airport reserved for STOL aircraft, and not to the entire facility.) The facility was the first such site in a projected intrastate STOL transportation system. (See August 5, 1968, and July 26, 1972.)

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19641016: The regulation of air cushion vehicles, or hovercraft, fell within the Federal Maritime Commission’s jurisdiction — not FAA’s or CAB’s — according to a statement issued by seven Federal agencies and bureaus. (See November 1967.)
19901016: The Department of State announced that it had raised to $4 million the maximum reward for information helping to catch terrorists, due to $1 million donations from both the Air Transport Association and the Air Line Pilots Association. The rewards program had begun in 1984 with a maximum payment of $500,000, but Congress increased that limit to $2 million after the bombing of Pan American Flight 103 (see December 21, 1988).
20001016: A Cessna 335, carrying Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, his aide, and piloted by his son, crashed ten miles northwest of Hillsboro, Missouri. All three persons on the aircraft died in the crash.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19341015: The National Airline System, later known as National Airlines, began operations as a Florida intrastate carrier. National’s transformation into a trunk airline began in 1944, when the Civil Aeronautics Board awarded it authority to serve the New York/Florida market.
19591015: FAA adopted an amendment to Civil Air Regulations Part 29 that clarified the physical and mental conditions disqualifying an airman from holding a medical certificate.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19471014: Maj. Charles E. Yeager, USAF, piloting the Bell X-l rocket-propelled research aircraft at Muroc, Calif., became the first pilot to exceed the speed of sound in level flight.
19681014: A new Part 123 of the Federal Aviation Regulations went into effect, upgrading safety requirements for air travel clubs using large aircraft (over 12,500 pounds). This new part was intended to raise the clubs’ maintenance and operating standards to the safety level of airlines and commercial operators certificated under Part 121 (see December 31, 1964), but without imposing onerous or inappropriate requirements. The affected clubs were required to cease operations after December 1 unless they applied for a certificate under the new Part 123.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19551013: The aviation industry learned that Pan American World Airways had placed the first order for jet airliners to be produced in the United States, ordering both the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. (See October 20, 1952.)
19611013: FAA commissioned a CONSOLAN long-range navigation aid for service at Miami, Fla. The new station reduced the gap in radio navigation facilities covering the North and South Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean, in addition to strengthening coverage of the U.S. east coast.
20011013: Joint teams comprised of officials from FAA and Department of Transportation Inspector General began auditing background checks of Argenbright Security, Inc., employees at 13 U.S. airports.

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19621012: At the Administrator’s direction, the Office of the General Counsel assumed sole responsibility for drafting of FAA safety rules. This action ended a situation in which the Office of the General Counsel had shared rule drafting responsibility with other major FAA components.
19701012: FAA announced adoption of a three-bar version of the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) system. VASI had been adopted as the U.S. national standard in 1961 and became the international standard shortly thereafter. The bicolor (red-white) light box system was located alongside the runway at its touchdown or aiming point.