Editing General aviation

{{short description|Civil use of aircraft excluding commercial transportation}}
{{for|the 1930s U.S. aircraft manufacturer named General Aviation|Atlantic Aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
[[File:General aviation aircraft at Cheb Airport (LKCB).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|General aviation aircraft at [[Cheb Airfield]] in [[Czech Republic]]]]
'''General aviation''' ('''GA''') is defined by the [[International Civil Aviation Organization]] (ICAO) as all [[civil aviation]] aircraft operations except for [[commercial air transport]] or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other purposes.<ref name="ICAO1">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://www.verifavia.com/bases/ressource_pdf/299/icao-annex-6-part-i.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112170423/http://www.verifavia.com/bases/ressource_pdf/299/icao-annex-6-part-i.pdf |archive-date=2015-01-12 |url-status=live|title=Annex 6, Operation of Aircraft Part I, International Commercial Air Transport – Aeroplanes|edition=9|date=July 2010|publisher=International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)|chapter=1. Definitions|pages=1, 3 and 5|isbn=9789292315368|access-date=17 March 2019}}</ref> However, for statistical purposes, ICAO uses a definition of general aviation which includes aerial work.<ref name="ICAO2">{{cite web|url=https://www.icao.int/Meetings/STA10/Documents/Sta10_Wp007_en.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209030308/http://www.icao.int/Meetings/STA10/Documents/Sta10_Wp007_en.pdf |archive-date=2015-02-09 |url-status=live|access-date=17 June 2020|title=ICAO web site}}</ref>

General aviation thus represents the "[[private transport]]" and recreational components of aviation,<ref name="IAOPA">{{cite web|url=https://www.iaopa.eu/what-is-general-aviation|title=What is General Aviation; Definition|publisher=The International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA)|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> most of which is accomplished with [[light aircraft]].

==Definition==
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| image1            = Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, Private JP6817606.jpg
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| caption1          = [[Cessna 172]], the [[most produced aircraft|most-produced aircraft]] in history
| image2            = Cirrus SR22 ZS-CPB (2) (21833428109).jpg
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| caption2          = [[Cirrus SR22]], the most-produced GA aircraft of the 21st century
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[[File:OO-FLN.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Cessna CitationJet/M2]], part of the [[Citation family]] of [[business jets]]]]
[[File:PH-1274 Rolladen-Schneider LS-4b.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Sailplane]], a [[Rolladen-Schneider LS4]]]]
[[File:Robinson R22 Beta, Heli Travaux JP6883626.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Robinson R22]], a light piston-engine [[helicopter]]]]
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| image1            = Paraglider at Cochrane Hill, AB, Canada.jpg
| caption1          = [[Paraglider]] in flight
| image2            = 2006 Ojiya balloon festival 011.jpg
| caption2          = [[Hot air balloon]] in flight
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The [[International Civil Aviation Organization]] (ICAO) defines civil aviation aircraft operations in three categories: General Aviation (GA), Aerial Work (AW) and Commercial Air Transport (CAT).<ref name="ICAO1" /><ref name="IAOPA" /> Aerial work operations are separated from general aviation by ICAO by this definition. Aerial work is when an aircraft is used for specialized services such as agriculture, construction, photography, surveying, observation and patrol, search and rescue, and aerial advertisement. However, for statistical purposes ICAO includes aerial work within general aviation, and has proposed officially extending the definition of general aviation to include aerial work, to reflect common usage.<ref name="ICAO2" /><ref name="ICAO1" /> The proposed ICAO classification includes [[flight training|instructional flying]] as part of general aviation (non-aerial-work).

The International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) refers to the category as general aviation/aerial work (GA/AW) to avoid ambiguity. Their definition of general aviation includes:<ref name="IAOPA" />

*Corporate aviation: company own-use flight operations
*Fractional ownership operations: aircraft operated by a specialized company on behalf of two or more co-owners
*Business aviation (or travel): self-flown for business purposes
*Personal/private travel: travel for personal reasons/personal transport
*Air tourism: self-flown incoming/outgoing tourism
*Recreational flying: powered/powerless leisure flying activities
*[[Air sports]]: [[aerobatics]], [[Air racing|air races]], competitions, rallies, etc.<ref name="IAOPA"/>

General aviation thus includes both [[commercial aviation|commercial]] and [[Private aviation|non-commercial]] activities.

IAOPA's definition of aerial work includes, but is not limited to:<ref name="IAOPA"/> 

*[[Agricultural aircraft|Agricultural flights]], including [[aerial application|crop dusting]]
*[[Banner towing]]
*[[Aerial firefighting]]
*[[Medical evacuation]]
*[[Pilot training]]
*[[Search and rescue]]
*[[Sight seeing]] flights
*[[Skydiving]] flights
*[[Organ transplant]] transport flights

Commercial air transport includes:

*[[Scheduled airline|Scheduled air services]]
*[[Air charter|Non-scheduled air transport]]
*[[Air cargo]] services
*[[Air taxi]] operations

However, in some countries, air taxi is regarded as being part of GA/AW.

Private flights are made in a wide variety of aircraft: [[light aircraft|light]] and [[ultra-light aircraft|ultra-light]] aircraft, [[light sport aircraft|sport aircraft]], [[homebuilt aircraft]], [[business aircraft]] (like [[business jets|private jets]]), [[Glider aircraft|gliders]] and [[helicopters]].<ref name="IAOPA" /> Flights can be carried out under both [[Visual flight rules|visual flight]] and [[Instrument flight rules|instrument flight]] rules, and can use [[controlled airspace]] with permission.

The majority of the world's air traffic falls into the category of general aviation, and most of the world's airports serve GA exclusively.<ref name="IAOPA"/> [[Flying club]]s are considered a part of general aviation.

==Geography==
===Europe===
{{main|General aviation in Europe}}
In 2003, the [[European Aviation Safety Agency]] was established as the central EU regulator, taking over responsibility for legislating airworthiness and environmental regulation from the national authorities.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/StrategicReviewGA.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221023744/https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/StrategicReviewGA.pdf |archive-date=2016-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Strategic Review of General Aviation in the UK|date=July 2006|publisher=[[Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)|CAA]]|pages=52–53, paras. 5.18–5.24|chapter=5|access-date=19 December 2016}}</ref>

====United Kingdom====
{{main|General aviation in the United Kingdom}}
Of the 21,000 civil aircraft registered in the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/uploadedFiles/CAA/Content/Standard_Content/Data_and_analysis/Datasets/Aircraft_register/CofA/UK%20registered%20aircraft%20by%20class%20weight%20and%20CofA%202010.pdf|title=UK Registered Aircraft January 2010|publisher=[[Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)|CAA]]|access-date=19 December 2016|archive-date=25 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525172901/https://www.caa.co.uk/uploadedFiles/CAA/Content/Standard_Content/Data_and_analysis/Datasets/Aircraft_register/CofA/UK%20registered%20aircraft%20by%20class%20weight%20and%20CofA%202010.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> 96 percent are engaged in GA operations, and annually the GA fleet accounts for between 1.25 and 1.35 million hours flown. There are 28,000 [[Private Pilot Licence|private pilot licence]] holders, and 10,000 [[Gliding#Badges|certified glider pilots]]. Some of the 19,000 pilots who hold professional licences are also engaged in GA activities. GA operates from more than 1,800 airports and landing sites or [[aerodrome]]s, ranging in size from large [[regional airport]]s to farm strips.

GA is regulated by the [[Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom|Civil Aviation Authority]]. The main focus is on standards of [[airworthiness]] and [[Pilot licensing in the United Kingdom|pilot licensing]], and the objective is to promote high standards of safety.

===North America===
General aviation is particularly popular in North America, with over 6,300 airports available for public use by pilots of general aviation aircraft (around 5,200 airports in the [[United States|U.S.]] and over 1,000 in [[Canada]]<ref name="CFS">[[Nav Canada]]: ''Canada Flight Supplement - Canada and North Atlantic Terminal and Enroute Data'' Nav Canada, 2010.</ref>). In comparison, scheduled flights operate from around 560 airports in the U.S.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/books-online/FAAFactBook.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219141349/http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/books-online/FAAFactBook.pdf |archive-date=2009-02-19 |url-status=live|title=FAA Administrator's Fact Book|date=March 2010|publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation|page=16}}
</ref> According to the U.S. [[Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association]], general aviation provides more than one percent of the United States' [[GDP]], accounting for 1.3 million jobs in [[professional service]]s and [[aircraft manufacturing|manufacturing]].<ref>[http://www.aopa.org/ AOPA USA's General Aviation website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214124431/http://www.aopa.org/ |date=14 February 2015 }}.</ref>

==Regulation==
Most countries have a [[civil aviation authority]] that oversees all [[civil aviation]], including general aviation, adhering to the standardized codes of the [[International Civil Aviation Organization]] (ICAO).

==Safety==
Aviation [[Transportation safety in the United States|accident rate statistics]] are necessarily estimates. According to the U.S. [[National Transportation Safety Board]], general [[aviation in the United States]] (excluding charter) suffered 1.31 fatal accidents for every 100,000 hours of flying in 2005, compared to 0.016 for scheduled airline flights.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/data/Documents/ARA1101.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905195136/http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/data/Documents/ARA1101.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-05 |url-status=live|title=NTSB accident rates by flying category|publisher=Ntsb.gov|access-date=19 December 2016}}</ref> In Canada, recreational flying accounted for 0.7 fatal accidents for every 1000 aircraft, while air taxi accounted for 1.1 fatal accidents for every 100,000 hours.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/managementservices-referencecentre-2192.html|title=Aviation Safety Program Manual for the Civil Aviation Directorate|date=31 December 2015|publisher=Tc.gc.ca|access-date=19 December 2016}}</ref> More experienced GA pilots appear generally safer, although the relationship between flight hours, accident frequency, and accident rates are complex and often difficult to assess.<ref>Knecht, WR (2012). [http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201215.pdf DOT/FAA/AM-12/15 "Predicting general aviation accident frequency from pilot total flight hours"] (Technical Report). {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119001847/http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201215.pdf |date=19 November 2012 }}. Washington, D.C.: Federal Aviation Administration.</ref><ref>Knecht, WR (2015). "The 'killing zone' revisited: Serial nonlinearities predict general aviation accident rates from pilot total flight hours". ''Accident Analysis & Prevention'', 60, 50–56.</ref><ref>Knecht, WR (2015). [http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201503.pdf DOT/FAA/AM-15/3 "Predicting accident rates from general aviation pilot total flight hours"] (Technical Report). {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119001847/http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201215.pdf |date=19 November 2012 }}. Washington, D.C.: Federal Aviation Administration.</ref>

A small number of commercial aviation accidents in the United States have involved collisions with general aviation flights, notably [[TWA Flight 553]], [[Piedmont Airlines Flight 22]], [[Allegheny Airlines Flight 853]], [[PSA Flight 182]] and [[Aeromexico Flight 498|Aeroméxico Flight 498]].

==See also==
{{portal|Aviation}}
* [[Commercial aviation]]
* [[Environmental impact of aviation]]
* [[General Aviation Revitalization Act|General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994]]
* [[List of current production certified light aircraft]]
* [[List of very light jets]]
* [[OpenAirplane]] (defunct web-based service)
* ''[[One Six Right]]'' (2005 documentary)
* [[Private aviation]]
* [[Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013]]

;Associations
* [[Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association]]
* [[Canadian Owners and Pilots Association]]
* [[Experimental Aircraft Association]]
* [[General Aviation Manufacturers Association]]
* [[National Business Aviation Association]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|General aviation}}
{{Wikivoyage|General aviation|General aviation|travel information}}
* [http://www.iaopa.org/ International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations]
* [http://easa.europa.eu/essi/webapp/essi/www/index.php?page=egast&lang= European General Aviation Safety Team (EGAST)]
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[[Category:General aviation| ]]