Feb. 22, 2024
NBAA is strongly encouraging members to participate in the FAA’s 46th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey), which covers 2023 operations.
The survey is the only official source of information from the government on the general aviation fleet, the number of hours flown, and the ways people use general aviation aircraft.
“The FAA’s General Aviation and Part 135 Activity survey is one of the main tools that the agency uses to understand the activity of business aviation, and general aviation more broadly,” said Mark Larsen, CAM, NBAA director, safety and flight operations. “It provides a look into the operations of specific sectors, and ultimately is useful in understanding system safety performance for general aviation.”
Larsen said that the survey results also will help drive allocation of federal funding for things like airport improvement projects and other spending that directly benefits airports that business aviation operators use.
Improving aviation safety is another goal of the survey. The information tabulated will help the government and general aviation industry tally safety metrics such as fatal accident rates, and also provide insights into GA’s economic impact and the impact of regulatory changes, among other things.
The confidential survey is sent out via email or postcard, and recipients fill out their responses online. Respondents can also send back their answers via U.S. mail (using a postage-paid envelope). The survey takes just 10-15 minutes to fill out.
The survey is being administered by Tetra Tech, an independent research firm, which has conducted the annual survey for the FAA for the past 20 years. It covers more than 80,000 aircraft, or about 30% of total registered U.S. aircraft. Owners and operators of three or more aircraft can fill an abbreviated survey for their fleet. To request one – or for more information on the survey – contact Tetra Tech toll-free at 1-800-826-1797 or email infoaviationsurvey@tetratech.com.
Certain groups of aircraft are surveyed every year to better understand the aviation activity of specific groups – such as turbine aircraft, rotorcraft, newer aircraft and Alaska-based aircraft.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.