Any assessment of industrial relations must start with consideration of the character of the industry in question. It would be, for example, impossible to understand the behaviour of the modern miner without some knowledge of the history of the coal industry. Aviation has only a brief history. It nevertheless has a flavour of its own.

Three distinctive features are of note. To the outsider it is clear that the aviation industry brings with it the sort of challenge which appeals to the enterprising and the romantic. It is therefore no surprise that the industry has more than its fair share of strong character. There exists an independence of outlook on both sides of the industry which is not always easy to control within the normal industrial relations framework.