GA Aircraft Owners, Make Your Voices Heard
By Scott Spangler on September 5th, 2012
For the 34th year, the FAA has reached out to aircraft owners and Part 135 operators to take the pulse of general aviation. What’s sad is that over the years, many of my friends lucky enough to own an airplane rarely took the time to complete the survey because, they whined, responding on paper and snail-mailing it was just too demanding. This year they have no excuse: aircraft owners and operators who received the postcard invitation or survey by mail can respond online. Do it now at www.aviationsurvey.org!
The survey is the only source of information on general aviation activities, from hours flown and the reason for flying to the type of aircraft flown and the flying conditions (day, night, VFR, IFR). The FAA is collecting data for 2011, so, said the FAA, “Owners who did not fly their aircraft in 2011, have sold it, or are awaiting repairs should also respond to the survey.” A N-number access scheme ensures non-owners and operators don’t skew the data. And the FAA emphasized that the “information will be used only for statistical purposes and will not be published or released in any form that would reveal an individual participant.”
Participation in the survey is voluntary, and with the online option removing that last little bit of hassle, why wouldn’t each of you not take a few minutes to help chart general aviation’s future? You see, after collating the data it uses this information to assess funding, infrastructure services, the affect of safety and regulatory changes, and to prepare safety stats and calculate GA accident rates. If we don’t care enough about general aviation to spend a few minutes filling out a survey, why should the FAA care any less than it does for the needs of GA? – Scott
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September 5th, 2012 at 7:09 am
[…] For the 34th year, the FAA has reached out to aircraft owners and Part 135 operators to take the pulse of general aviation. What's sad is that over the years, many …www.jetwhine.com/…/ga-aircraft-owners-make-your-voices-h… […]
September 5th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
This all sounds good, however they don’t make it easy for multiple aircraft owners to fill it out. I have a fleet of 74 aircraft and the long form they what filled out will take some a week to do. I use to complete them but have found it takes to much time or money to pay someone and for what? Hard for me to do more than 2 or 3. If they made a fleet form it maybe easier.
js
September 5th, 2012 at 2:44 pm
I took the survey but it is for the year 2011???
September 5th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Cannot comply! The FAA survey starts by demanding my N number. I rent. Therefore, I cannot get past that page and take the survey.
I’m sure there are thousands of pilots that don’t own an aircraft. Don’t they want to hear from us too?
September 5th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Form is not for individual pilots or those having fleets. It seems it is geared to fail for some unknown reason. Thousands of us are out here and can not fill out this ridiculous form
September 5th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Perhaps if the survey was hosted on a RELIABLE server there would be more responses. It’s pretty frustrating to get through several pages of questions and then the website crashes… TWICE! Looks like they’re not getting my 2011 flight details.
Can’t establish a connection to the server at form.aviationsurvey.org. The site is temporarily unavailable or too busy.
September 5th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
Call me paranoid, but any time you give a government agency information that can be traced back to you, it comes back to bite you in the ass.
September 5th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Is there a way we can get to the FAA and let them know that they have effectively eliminated the majority of pilots that rent and the majority of fleet owners?
September 5th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Your survey link does not work!!!!!!
September 5th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Not to mention Canadian owners/pilots who fly in the U.S.
September 5th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
What is this really going to do for GA or the FAA? I am interested in seeing what the FAA does with this information.
September 5th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
At N number, put in “N—,” which is accepted.
Actual number need not be entered.
For use or activity, renters can state “I rent, do not own.”
It might be helpful to the FAA to know/see/understand how many pilots are renters.
September 6th, 2012 at 1:11 am
Retired from commercial flying at 76 years old; now 80
Aircraft awaiting mechanical work to comply with AD Note
Good relationship with FAA for over 50 years…do not think FAA should be involved with Non-commercial flying after Licenses acquired …
September 6th, 2012 at 6:41 am
Thanks boomer. This works but the rest of the survey is still focused on the aricraft not the pilots. I don’t know the hours on the aircraft (different for each one I rent), I don’t know the precentage of use in each category, etc. etc.
If the FAA wants information on the aircraft they should survey the owners via registration addresses not the pilots!
September 6th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
They make it personal by demanding an N number up front; or an invitation to go harass you if they do not like what you have to say.
So who constructed this survey? It certainly was no one on the
receiving end. Whoever is involved in this survey needs to get real
by not making it personal. I am shocked anyone would provide
such a survey, much less expect anyone to fill it out. Courtesy
and privacy first. Tell that to whoever constructed the survey.
Maybe that will help clue them in on how to get responses
to surveys. So why should users get involved with the FAA when
they can not even construct a survey which is not personal. Other
than to stop their bureaucratic foolishness everywhere and anywhere
it happens; last choice and usually essential. But with this kind of hostile attitude toward users, creating the figurative war rather than serving their constituency, the FAA is up to their all to common bureaucratic nonsense.
September 6th, 2012 at 8:36 pm
The survey is nothing more than a few questions about how often do you fly and where do you go. 90% of it is about the equipment installed on your plane. Wonder if they are going to bounce it against your 337 records and come after you…