July 6th, 1986 indicated the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of an airways traffic control system by the United States Bureau of Air Commerce. Within that fifty-year extent, the nation's air traffic control system had progressed from dependence on fairly simple, unsophisticated equipment and procedures to a much more advanced automated system, which safely and resourcefully processed millions of flights each year and functioned as an example for the world aviation community. With the expertise and dedication of thousands of Federal Aviation Administration employees (including air traffic controllers, electronic technicians, and engineers), the national air traffic control system presented a high level of security and efficiency, which has only continued to technologically thrive since!