Let’s talk about GA. In some magazines, that might lead to an article on the state of Georgia. But in aviation, GA stands for general aviation, and that’s what I want to focus on.
First, let’s make sure we understand the topic. Just what is general aviation?
The average person will tell you that general aviation is all aviation that is not flown for commercial purposes or to produce revenue for services provided. This definition narrows the GA world to include only flights conducted for personal or recreational purposes.
But ask Merriam-Webster, and you’ll get a more inclusive definition: “The operation of civilian aircraft not under the control of a common carrier.”
It turns out that general aviation is defined mostly by what it is not: aviation operations by a “common carrier,” or an airline. In other words, GA is everything that flies for commercial, private/recreational, or business purposes — except the airlines.
This definition opens up a lot of territory. Gliders, corporate business jets, hot-air balloons, crop dusters, powered parachutes, helicopters — these are all GA aircraft. Their missions run the gamut as well, ranging from the urgent, such as air ambulance, to a delightful afternoon of recreational flying.
HAI’s operator members fall into three categories: commercial operators, government service operators, and general aviation. Members in the last category are those who operate helicopters for private use or as a business aid.
Unfortunately, the variety of the GA segment means that it sometimes takes a back seat to other areas of aviation. We do our industry a disservice by not giving the proper attention to general aviation, whether that describes a business operator, someone who flies on personal business, or the recreational, just-for-fun aviator.
The majority of airports and heliports do not have scheduled airline service at their locations. Instead, they service the needs of general aviation. According to a 2012 FAA report, this described 88 percent of all U.S. airports.
GA also leads in aircraft sales. On average, more helicopters are sold to the business and private/recreational segment of general aviation than to commercial operators.
Most pilots are more than likely involved in business and private/recreational operations, not commercial flying. This highlights another reason that the private/recreational segment of our industry is so important: it is a gateway for the majority of future pilots and aviation maintenance technicians. A flourishing GA segment is part of the solution to the shortage of skilled aviation professionals.
We need the support of the GA community in other ways too. As we in helicopter aviation fight for our access to airspace, for increased support for new and existing heliport facilities, and for the prevention of overburdensome regulations and legislation, the support of the recreational/private community is essential to meeting our goals.
HAI is dedicated to addressing the concerns and needs of our GA members. We partner with the FAA Safety Team outreach program, where we support and sponsor safety seminars for general aviation pilots throughout the United States.
In our work to eliminate all accidents in the helicopter industry, HAI and the International Helicopter Safety Team have discovered that the highest occurrence of accidents takes place in the GA segments associated with recreational, personal flying, and flight training. The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team is planning to address this sobering statistic with focused teams preparing to reach out to these GA segments. Safety has to be the first priority for all of us in aviation.
HAI also conducts an outreach program for helicopter flight schools and other training facilities with a focus on safety and career development. Participating in our Fly Neighborly noise abatement campaign is another way in which GA pilots can take steps to ensure that they will be able to fly another day.
However, we at HAI can always do a better job of engaging with our GA members. With that in mind, I respectfully ask those in the GA community to let me know how we can better serve your needs. We stand ready to do that and truly want to hear from you. That’s my story and I am sticking to it. As always, fly safe — fly neighborly.
