Appraising Aviation Activity
How the GA Survey is Making Your Voice Heard
By Nicole Hartman, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine
When it comes to the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity survey (GA survey), your input matters!
The GA Survey is voluntary and is the only source of information on the general aviation fleet, the number of hours flown, and the ways people use general aviation aircraft. The data is used to assess safety, economic impact, and the effects of regulatory changes.
Let’s take a look at the history of the survey and how your participation directly supports aviation safety.
Starting the Survey
Before the first implementation of the annual GA Survey in 1978, the FAA used the Aircraft Registration Eligibility, Identification, and Activity Report (AC Form 8050–73) to collect data on general aviation activity. The form was sent annually to all owners of civil aircraft in the United States and served two purposes:
- Part 1 was the mandatory aircraft registration revalidation form; and
- Part 2 was voluntary and applied to general aviation aircraft only, asking questions on the owner-discretionary characteristics of the aircraft such as flight hours, avionics equipment, base location, and use.
In 1978, the FAA replaced AC Form 8050–73 with a new system. Part 1 was changed to a triennial registration program. Instead of requiring all aircraft owners to revalidate and update their aircraft registration annually, the FAA only required revalidation for those aircraft owners who had not contacted the FAA Registry for three years. In 2010, the FAA eliminated the voluntary Triennial Aircraft Registration Report Program and established rules that require the renewal of an aircraft registration every three years and place time limits on interim statuses.
The General Aviation Activity Survey replaced Part 2 of AC Form 8050–73. It was conducted annually based on a statistically selected sample of aircraft and requested the same type of information as Part 2 of AC Form 8050–73. The first survey took place in 1978 and collected data on the 1977 general aviation fleet.
Survey Shifts
The GA Survey periodically revises the content, implementation, and definition of the GA population to remain current with regulations, activity patterns, and aviation technology. For example, in 1999 the survey form was redesigned to reduce item non-response, add new content, and be compatible with optical scanning. Air medical services were added to the use categories, and it began collecting avionics data yearly rather than every other year. The 2005 revision included changing the fractional ownership question from yes/no to a percentage of hours flown, reducing the number of fuel type response categories by removing obsolete options, and adding average fuel consumption (gallons/hour). In 2007 the location of the aircraft was revised to ask about the state or territory where the aircraft was “primarily flown” during the survey year rather than where it was “based” as of Dec. 31 of the survey year. The 2019 modification eliminated non-mutually exclusive transponder selection options in the “Installed Transponder/Surveillance Equipment” section of avionics questions. The survey will continue adapting its content based on welcomed feedback and support from GA industry leaders, organizations, and respondents.
Aim of the Appraisal
The purpose of the survey is to provide the FAA and the public with a variety of estimates on general aviation and on-demand Part 135 aircraft activity. The collected data enables the FAA to monitor the general aviation fleet so that it can:
✔️ Evaluate the impact of safety initiatives and regulatory changes;
✔️ Anticipate and meet demand for National Airspace System facilities and services;
✔️ Develop more accurate safety measures for the general aviation community.
Other government agencies, industry groups, trade associations, and private businesses also rely on this information to identify safety problems and to form the basis for critical research. The data is used to compute safety metrics such as fatal accident rates, assess the GA industry’s economic impact, track the success of safety initiatives (including avionics recommendations), determine funding for infrastructure and service needs, and assess the impact of regulatory changes. In fact, the NTSB’s official accident rate for aviation uses the GA survey data as input, while other segments use mandatory reporting, such as the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Jens Hennig, vice president of operations, safety, and security for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), highlighted this nuance, stating:
“The GA survey provides a cornerstone to FAA, NTSB, and the aviation industry’s work to advance aviation safety …
… The use of a voluntary survey, as opposed to mandatory reporting, also balances the importance of understanding the flying within the industry with the burden imposed on aircraft owners.”
Each year, about 30% of the fleet (more than 80,000) is surveyed, with certain high-use aircraft — such as turbine aircraft, rotorcraft, newer aircraft, and Alaska-based aircraft — surveyed at 100%. Note: single-engine aircraft are sampled at a rate of ~13% and twin engines are surveyed at ~53%.
We strongly encourage everyone who is contacted to respond so that all aviation activity is represented. Your responses are strictly confidential, and only the survey contractor processes the data to generate estimates.
15 Minutes Well Spent
Surveys may seem tedious, but this one is a small effort with a big impact. If you’re selected, take those 15 minutes — your input helps keep aviation safe, efficient, and well-supported.
Ultimately, this survey benefits participants and industry partners by providing vital data on the GA fleet. These insights inform research, safety initiatives, and regulatory changes championed by the government, trade organizations, and industry groups.
It is the only source of comprehensive data on the size and scope of the GA fleet, flight hours, and aircraft used. The FAA and industry rely on accurate data from a diverse range of aircraft, and that is where they need your help. We encourage everyone who is contacted to respond to the survey to ensure all aspects of aviation activity are represented.
Nicole Hartman is an FAA Safety Briefing associate editor and technical writer-editor in the FAA’s Flight Standards Service.
