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6World War II created enormous advancements in the industrial, technological, and human infra- structure of aviation. Many of todayâs civilian airports and military airbases are legacy infrastruc- ture, dating back more than 60 years. As background to the research, various long-term trends were evaluated to help establish a context for the study of the declining numbers of public-use airports. The research is concerned with the numbers of civilian public-use airports. Resources were not allocated in the research plan to study military aviation so the historical information pre- sented in this chapter focuses on civil (non-military) aviation statistics. It appears that the only public-use airports to close in the United States for at least the past decade were general aviation airports, not scheduled service air carrier airports. Accordingly, the emphasis herein is on pre- senting long-term data trends particularly useful in understanding general aviation. Public-Use Airport Data and Trends Airport Totals from 1969 to 2007 Figure 2-1 depicts FAA data on the total number of public-use airports in the United States from 1969 to 2007 and the total number of public-use landing facilities in the United States from 1969 to 2007. 2 A public-use airport is an airport with a runway that is open to the pub- lic without restriction, other than those for safety. A public-use landing facility is any airport, heliport, or seaplane base that is open to the public without restriction, other than those for safety. From 1969 to the present, there has been a continuous decline in the number of both public-use airports and public-use landing facilities. These numbers appear to be unaffected by the steep peri- odic changes in the historical numbers of FAA-certified pilots, general aviation hours flown, and active general avia- tion aircraft. Public Ownership versus Private Ownership of Public-Use Airports Figures 2-2 and 2-3 depict the ratio of privately owned public-use airports and publicly owned public-use airports for the years 1970 and 2007. 4 The proportion of public-use airports that are privately owned has greatly decreased and the long-term viability of private ownership of public- use airports may be in question. Figure 2-4 compares the proportion of publicly owned public-use airports with the pro- portion of privately owned public-use airports. 5 This chart clearly shows a continuing long- C H A P T E R 2 Historical Background and Long-Term Data Trends In 1969, there were about 30,000 persons per public-use airport; by 2007 there were about 60,000 persons per public-use airport. 3
Sources: FAA data compiled by AOPA for public-use landing facilities from 1969 to 2007 and for public-use airports from 1969 to 2007. Figure 2-1. Total public use airports and landing facilities from 1969 to 2007. Source: FAA data compiled by AOPA. Figure 2-2. Public ownership versus private ownership of public-use airports, 1970. Source: FAA data compiled by AOPA. Figure 2-3. Public ownership versus private ownership of public-use airports, 2007. Source: FAA data compiled by AOPA. Figure 2-4. Public ownership versus private ownership of public-use airports, 1970 to 2007.
term trend that puts in question the long-term viability of private ownership of public-use airports. Public-Use Airport Closures by Year, 1997 to 2007 Figure 2-5 depicts the number of public-use airports closed during the years 1997 to 2007. Civil Aircraft Data and Trends General Aviation Hours Flown, 1940 to 2005 The FAA has kept records on the number of general aviation hours flown since 1940. Figure 2-6 depicts the number of general aviation hours flown going back to 1940. 6 As shown in Figure 6, the number of civilian general aviation hours flown during World War II drops, rebounds sharply after the war, climbs steadily and peaks in the 1980s, then generally declines through the 1990s into the new millennium. 8 A Guidebook for the Preservation of Public-Use Airports Source: FAA data extracted from FAA National Flight Data Center abandoned airports reports. Figure 2-5. Public-use airport closures by year, 1997 to 2007. Source: FAA data compiled by AOPA. Figure 2-6. General aviation hours flown, 1940 to 2005. From 1970 to 2007, there has been a 67% DECLINE in the number of privately owned public-use airports and an 8.6% INCREASE in the num- ber of publicly owned public-use airports. The steady 40-year decline in the number of public-use airports appears largely unrelated to changes in the historical numbers of FAA-certified pilots, general avi- ation hours flown, and active gen- eral aviation aircraft. 1
Active General Aviation Aircraft in the United States, 1975 to 2005 An important statistic for airports is the number of active general aviation aircraft. These are the aircraft based at and using general aviation airports. The most recent data is the most relevant. Figure 2-7 depicts the number of Active General Aviation Aircraft in the United States from 1975 to 2005. 7 Civilian Pilot Data and Trends The FAA has kept historical records on the number of pilots licensed by the U.S. government going back to 1930. 8 Figure 2-8 depicts the number of FAA-certified pilots back to 1930. The number of civilian pilots rises sharply after World War II, peaks in the 1980s, and then declines. Historical Background and Long-Term Data Trends 9 Source: FAA data compiled by AOPA. Figure 2-7. Active general aviation aircraft in the U.S., 1975 to 2005. Source: FAA data compiled by AOPA. Figure 2-8. FAA-certified pilots, 1930 to 2005. Q: What can or will my State Aeronautics Agency do to help preserve local airports? A: Most States have an Aeronautics Division, Bureau, Office, or Commission, often associated with the State Department of Trans- portation. State aeronautics pro- grams vary widely. The only way to assess what your State Aeronautics Agency can do to help preserve airports is to contact them directly and ask for information. Many state aeronautics agencies have an aviation promotion mandate; some provide funds for airport projects.
