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General aviation (GA) is one of two categories of civil aviation
Civil aviation

Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices for civil aviation through that agency....
. It refers to all flights other than military
Military aviation

Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front....
 and scheduled airline flights, both private
Private aviation

Private aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves flying not for hire. In most countries, private flights are always general aviation flights, but the opposite is not true: many general aviation flights are commercial aviation in that the pilot is hired and paid....
 and commercial
Commercial aviation

Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves operating aircraft for hire. In most countries, a flight may be operated for money only if it meets three criteria:...
. General aviation flights range from glider
Glider

Heavier-than-air unpowered aircraft do not need propulsion once airborne. Gliders, balloons and kites are unpowered aircraft.Gliders such as gliders, hang gliders and paragliders gain their initial flying speed from some launch mechanism, and then gain additional energy from gravity and from updrafts such as thermal currents....
s and powered parachute
Powered parachute

A powered parachute is a Parachuting with motor and wheels. The aircraft's airspeed is typically about 25?35 mph . PPCs operate safely at heights ranging from a few feet off the ground to altitudes as high as 18,000+ feet ....
s to large, non-scheduled cargo jet
Jet aircraft

A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes -- as high as 10,000 to 15,000 meters ....
 flights. As a result, the majority of the world's air traffic falls into this category, and most of the world's airports serve general aviation exclusively.

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, there are almost 20,000 airports and heliports, of which around 5,300 are available for public use by pilots of general aviation aircraft.






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Genav
General aviation (GA) is one of two categories of civil aviation
Civil aviation

Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices for civil aviation through that agency....
. It refers to all flights other than military
Military aviation

Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front....
 and scheduled airline flights, both private
Private aviation

Private aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves flying not for hire. In most countries, private flights are always general aviation flights, but the opposite is not true: many general aviation flights are commercial aviation in that the pilot is hired and paid....
 and commercial
Commercial aviation

Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves operating aircraft for hire. In most countries, a flight may be operated for money only if it meets three criteria:...
. General aviation flights range from glider
Glider

Heavier-than-air unpowered aircraft do not need propulsion once airborne. Gliders, balloons and kites are unpowered aircraft.Gliders such as gliders, hang gliders and paragliders gain their initial flying speed from some launch mechanism, and then gain additional energy from gravity and from updrafts such as thermal currents....
s and powered parachute
Powered parachute

A powered parachute is a Parachuting with motor and wheels. The aircraft's airspeed is typically about 25?35 mph . PPCs operate safely at heights ranging from a few feet off the ground to altitudes as high as 18,000+ feet ....
s to large, non-scheduled cargo jet
Jet aircraft

A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes -- as high as 10,000 to 15,000 meters ....
 flights. As a result, the majority of the world's air traffic falls into this category, and most of the world's airports serve general aviation exclusively.

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, there are almost 20,000 airports and heliports, of which around 5,300 are available for public use by pilots of general aviation aircraft. In comparison, scheduled flights operate from around 600 airports in the U.S.. According to the U.S. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is a non-profit organization political organization whose membership consists mainly of general aviation aviator in the United States....
, general aviation provides more than one percent of the United States' GDP, accounting for 1.3 million jobs in professional services and manufacturing
Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the use of machine, tool and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to Industry production, in which raw material are transformed into finished good on a large scale....
.

General aviation covers a huge range of activities, both commercial and non-commercial, including private flying, flight training
Flight training

Flight training is a course of study used when learning to aviator an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
, air ambulance
Air ambulance

An air ambulance is an aircraft used for Medical emergency in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot easily or quickly reach the scene or the patient needs to be repositioned at a distance where air transportation is most practical....
, police aircraft, aerial firefighting
Aerial firefighting

Aerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters....
, air charter
Air charter

Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft as opposed to individual aircraft seats . While the airlines specialize in selling transportation by the seat, air charter company focus on individual private aircraft and itineraries, urgent or time-sensitive freight, cargo, air ambulance and any other form of ad hoc air transportat...
, bush flying
Bush flying

Bush flying is a term for air operations carried out in remote regions of the world....
, gliding
Gliding

Gliding refers to the descending flight of heavier-than-air craft, principally gliders s, hang gliders and paragliders. Technically, gliders, hang-gliders and paragliders are just different styles of glider used to pursue gliding and soaring for recreation, in the same way that sailboats and windsurfers share the lake and the wind....
, and many others. Experimental aircraft
Experimental aircraft

In generic use, an experimental aircraft is an aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in flight. Often, this implies that new aerospace technologies are being tested on the aircraft, though the label is more broad....
, light-sport aircraft
Light-sport Aircraft

Light-sport aircraft, or LSA, is a classification of aircraft specific to the United States.The Federal Aviation Administration defines a light-sport aircraft as an aircraft with a maximum gross takeoff weight of not more than 1320 pounds for aircraft not intended for operation on water; or 1,430 pounds for aircraft intended for ope...
 and very light jet
Very Light Jet

A very light jet , previously known as a microjet, is, by convention, a small jet aircraft approved for single-pilot operation, seating 4-8 people, with a maximum take-off weight of under ....
 have emerged in recent years as new trends in general aviation.

Regulation and safety


Most countries have authorities that oversee all civil aviation
Civil aviation

Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices for civil aviation through that agency....
, including general aviation, adhering to the standardized codes of the International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization

The International Civil Aviation Organization , an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international scheduled air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth....
 (ICAO). Examples include the the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration

The Federal Aviation Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S....
 (FAA) in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
, the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt
Luftfahrt-Bundesamt

Luftfahrt-Bundesamt is the Germany National Aviation Authority , a government agency with its headquarters in Braunschweig , reporting to the Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Housing....
 (LBA) in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, Transport Canada
Transport Canada

Transport Canada is the Ministry within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and Public services of transportation in Canada....
 in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, and Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
.

Since it includes both non-scheduled commercial operations and private operations, with aircraft of many different types and sizes, and pilots with a variety of different training and experience levels, it is not possible to make blanket statements about the regulation
Regulation

Regulation refers to "controlling human or societal behaviour by rules or restrictions." Regulation can take many forms: law restrictions promulgated by a government authority, self-regulation, social regulation , co-regulation and market regulation....
 or safety record of general aviation. At one extreme, in most countries business jets and large cargo jets
Cargo airline

Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines....
 face most of the same regulations as scheduled air transport and fly mostly to the same airports. Commercial bush flying
Bush flying

Bush flying is a term for air operations carried out in remote regions of the world....
 and air ambulance
Air ambulance

An air ambulance is an aircraft used for Medical emergency in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot easily or quickly reach the scene or the patient needs to be repositioned at a distance where air transportation is most practical....
 operations normally do not operate under as heavy a regulatory burden, and often only use small airports or off-airport strips, where there is less governmental oversight. Nonetheless they must obey the same regulations as any other type of flying.

Aviation accident rate statistics
Transportation safety in the United States

Transportation safety has steadily improved in the United States for many decades. Between 1920 and 2000, the rate of fatal automobile accidents per vehicle-mile decreased by a factor of about 17....
 are necessarily estimates. According to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board is an Independent agencies of the United States government responsible for civil transportation accident investigation....
, in 2005 general aviation in the United States (excluding charter) suffered 1.31 fatal accidents for every 100,000 hours of flying in that country, compared to 0.016 for scheduled airline flights. In Canada, recreational flying accounted for 0.7 fatal accidents for every 100,000 hours, while air taxi accounted for 1.0 fatal accident for every 100,000 hours.

See also

  • General aviation in the United Kingdom
    General aviation in the United Kingdom

    General aviation in the United Kingdom has been defined as a civil aircraft operation other than a Airline flight operating to a schedule. Although the International Civil Aviation Organization excludes any form of remunerated aviation from its definition, some commercial operations are often included within the scope of general aviation in...
  • General aviation in Europe
    General aviation in Europe

    General Aviation has been defined as a civil aircraft operation other than a Airline flight operating to a schedule. Although the International Civil Aviation Organization excludes any form of remunerated aviation from its definition, some commercial operations are often included within the scope of General Aviation ....
  • General aviation in Asia


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