Help the Aerial Application Industry by Completing the 2008 General Aviation Activity Survey

The 2008 General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) is now underway! The FAA’s annual GA Survey is the only source for information on the general aviation fleet, the number of hours flown, and the reasons people use general aviation aircraft. Data collected by this survey help determine funding for infrastructure and service needs and form the basis for critical research and analysis of general aviation issues. The GA Survey will also be used to prepare safety statistics and calculate the rate of accidents among general aviation aircraft. The entire general aviation community benefits from high quality information on the number and activity of general aviation aircraft. But to obtain an accurate picture of the general aviation fleet, participation from all aircraft owners is essential.

The GA Survey has been conducted annually since 1999 by PA Consulting Group, an independent research firm. Using an independent firm ensures that individual information is not reported to the FAA. Information will be used only for statistical purposes and will not be published or released in any form that would reveal specific information for an individually identifiable respondent. All data are reported in aggregate and free of any information (aircraft, personal, etc.) that would allow answers to be traced back to an individual or company. PA Consulting Group maintains a unique identifier for the sole purpose of keeping track of who has completed the survey.

The contractor sent out invitations to the randomly selected aircraft owners to complete the survey on the Internet version. Those that were unable or unwilling to complete the survey electronically received another mailing in mid-May with the mail version of the survey. A total of 82,000 general aviation aircraft have been selected for participation in this annual study. If you receive a postcard or letter inviting you to take part in this important study, the National Agricultural Aviation Association strongly encourages you to participate. The association depends heavily on the data gathered for many uses where we need to prove our industry’s activity.