General Aviation (GA) is officially defined as:
“All Civil Aviation operations other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations for remuneration or hire.”
In simple terms, GA is part of aviation activity which is neither scheduled airline or military flying.
GA is a modern transportation system, critical to aviation as a whole. It helps to promote and improve the economic and social life of the country.
Its vehicles vary from balloons and microlight aircraft to high performance jet-engined “executive” aircraft, through the whole gamut of light aircraft helicopters: its purposes ranging over an equally wide area:
EFFICIENT POINT TO POINT TRANSPORT serving business & private use.
EXPRESS DELIVERY of essential items.
AGRICULTURE protecting livestock, crops and forests.
HELI-MED & LIFE SAVING transport of dangerously ill people and of urgently needed human organs, medical equipment and medicines.
TRAFFIC CONTROL monitoring traffic movements from the air.
CIVIL SEARCH/RESCUE often in conjunction with local police.
LAW ENFORCEMENT fighting crime, including drug smuggling.
AERIAL SURVEY pipeline patrols, photography for map-making and oil exploration.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT pollution control, fire fighting and fishery protection.
SPORT & LEISURE including recreational aviation through to model aircraft flying and gliding.
HELPING THE DISABLED to experience the pleasures of flying.
FLYING FOR YOUTH giving air experience to young people.
FLYING DISPLAYS entertaining millions of spectators each year.
And most important of all:
TRAINING – it is critical that the ongoing shortage of personnel (pilots, engineers, etc), both for airlines and the RAF, is addressed.
It may come as a surprise to learn that, in terms of flying activity, General Aviation is a much bigger activity than Commercial Air Transport (CAT).
