The FAA’s annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) is officially underway. The survey is for reporting on activity for the calendar year 2021. The GA Survey is the only source of information available that provides reliable data on the GA fleet, including the 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.
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. This is especially helpful in the event additional regulations may be proposed.
Participation in the GA Survey is voluntary, but the agricultural aviation industry needs your input. 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. For those who chose not to complete the survey online, a mail survey is sent that includes a postage-paid return envelope. The information is confidential and will only be used for statistical purposes. It will not be published or released in any form that would reveal an individual participant. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete the survey.
Please respond to the survey even if you did not fly your aircraft during 2021, sold it or if the aircraft was damaged. If you own three or more aircraft, you can use an abbreviated survey form instead of completing a survey for each aircraft. About 30% of the total number of GA aircraft are surveyed every year, so you may be asked to participate two or more years in a row. If you have questions, please contact Tetra Tech, the independent research firm conducting the GA Survey for the FAA, toll-free at 1-800-826-1797 or by email at infoaviationsurvey@tetratech.com.
