FAA’s GA Survey Data Collection for 2024 is Now Underway
The FAA’s 47th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) is now officially underway. The survey is for collecting aviation activity for the calendar year 2024. The GA Survey is the only source of information available that provides reliable data on the GA fleet, including number of aircraft and hours flown. The data is used by the FAA, other government agencies, and the aviation industry for a variety of things, including assessing safety and understanding the economic impact of aviation.
This year the launch of the GA Survey will proceed differently than in prior years. On Monday, February 10, 2025, the survey was launched for owners/operators of individual aircraft only. The survey for owners/operators of multiple aircraft (i.e., fleets) will not launch until mid-March.
Note that not everyone will be invited to participate – the survey reaches about 30% of GA aviators every year. If you are selected to participate in the GA Survey, you will receive an email or postcard invitation asking you to complete the survey online. Those who do not complete the survey online will receive a mail survey which includes a postage-paid return envelope. The information is confidential and will only be used for statistical purposes and will not be published or released in any form that would reveal an individual participant. It only takes 10-15 minutes to complete the survey. You may be asked to participate two or more years in a row. If you are contacted, please respond to the survey even if you did not fly your aircraft during 2024, sold it, or if the aircraft was damaged. If you own three of more aircraft, there is an abbreviated survey form you can use instead of needing to complete a survey for each aircraft.
The GA Survey is especially critical to the agricultural aviation industry. NAAA uses the results of the GA Survey, in conjunction with NTSB accident numbers, to calculate an overall accident rate and a fatal accident rate for Part 137 operations. This allows NAAA to track and document the safety of the agricultural aviation industry and provide evidence to the FAA and NTSB that PAASS and other safety programs are working to reduce Part 137 accidents.
If you have questions, please contact Tetra Tech, the independent research firm that conducts the GA Survey for the FAA, toll-free at 1-800-826-1797 or by email at [email protected]. Results from prior surveys can be found here.