GAMA-IAOPA European General Aviation Survey 2020

© 2020

#EGAS2020 Final Results v1

Results and Analysis

GAMA-IAOPA European General Aviation Survey 2020

Final Results23rd March 2021

© 2020


IMPORTANT NOTE: This survey was conducted from February 2020 to June 2020, capturing flight hours and other data for the calendar year 2019.

The data presented in these results is from the year before the COVID-19 pandemic so its impact on GA activity will not be quantified until the results of the 2021 survey are published (expected Q3 2021)

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GAMA-IAOPA European GA Survey 20204 Languages:

Hours Flown in last year

Operating costs/hour

State of Registration

Equipage

Example Questions:1,264 Individual

Respondents

2,518 Aircraft

Registered in 40 countries

Final Totals:

Over 100,000 data points

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Key Conclusions from Survey Results

• European GA Flight activity for 2019 was at a similar level to 2018 across all sectors and regions but further improvements have been made to the 2021 survey to better quantify year-to-year changes

• Costs per flight hour continue to increase

• Regulatory burden (including certification, maintenance and training) as well as airport access and airspace complexity rank highly among concerns for European GA pilots

• Inconsistencies between EU Member States are widely reported, and cross-border flying remains unnecessarily complex

• There is a strong demand for new technology, including electronic conspicuity, flight planning and in-flight weather systems

• A great number of suggestions to improve GA safety were submitted, which will be reviewed in more detail with GA associations and EASA as part of efforts to continuously improve safety

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DETAILED RESULTS

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Responses by aircraft category

6

(N = 2,518)

412

14

239

92

246

1,289

23

53

59

22

19

50

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

BALLOON

OTHER (E.G. GYROCOPTER)

GLIDER OR MOTORGLIDER

EXPERIMENTAL

MICROLIGHT / LSA (<600KG)

SINGLE ENGINE PISTON

SINGLE ENGINE TURBOPROP

PISTON HELICOPTER

MULTI-ENGINE PISTON

BUSINESS JET

MULTI-ENGINE TURBOPROP

TURBINE HELICOPTER

Survey Responses - Number of Aircraft

ALL

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Aircraft State/Country of Registration

7

(N = 2,513)

United States of America 107Other/Mixed/Unknown 94

ALL

16

3

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Aircraft Primary Base Location Country

8

(N = 2,478)

Other: 4

ALL

59

2

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Foreign Registered Aircraft by Country (% of aircraft responding)

9

(N = 290 out of 2,429 total)

ALL

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Responses by type of owner/operator

10

(N = 2,355)

ALL

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2019 Flight Hours (all aircraft categories)

11

(N = 2,508)

ALL

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43

63

66

60

105

139

167

174

296

318

329

278

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

BALLOON

OTHER (E.G. GYROCOPTER)

GLIDER OR MOTORGLIDER

EXPERIMENTAL

MICROLIGHT / LSA (<600KG)

SINGLE ENGINE PISTON

SINGLE ENGINE TURBOPROP

PISTON HELICOPTER

MULTI-ENGINE PISTON

BUSINESS JET

MULTI-ENGINE TURBOPROP

TURBINE HELICOPTER

Average annual flight hours by aircraft category- EASA MS only

Flight Hours (all aircraft categories – EASA MS only)

12

(N = 2,038)

ALL

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2019 Flight Hours (SEP, MEP and SET only)

13

(N = 1,363)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Proportion of Flight Hours by Type of Operation (SEP/MEP/SET only)

14

Private Travel and Leisure A to B flights

54%Sightseeing and Leisure A to A flights

16%

Flight Training15%

Business Transportation

10%

Aerial Sport3%

Other2%

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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In 2019, did your aircraft fly more or less than in 2018?

15

8%

9%

9%

45%

10%

10%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Over 20% more

10-20% more

0-10% more

About the same

0-10% less

10-20% less

Over 20% less

(N = 506)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Is your aircraft certified for IFR?

16

48%

52%

0%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Yes

No

I don't know

(N = 507)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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How do the hourly costs of your aircraft in 2019 compare to the previous year?

17

4%

31%

62%

2%

0%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Significantly higher

Higher

Similar

Lower

Significantly lower

(N = 491)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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What were the primary causes of the increase in flight hour cost in 2019 compared to 2018? Note: please rank the top 3 reasons

18

100%

89%

88%

43%

38%

32%

29%

28%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Unscheduled maintenance

Scheduled maintenance

Fuel

Regulatory obligations - e.g. new transponder

Insurance

Other

Hangar fees

Landing fees

(N = 224)

ALL

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What were the primary causes of the increase in flight hour cost in 2019 compared to 2018? Note: please rank the top 3 reasons

19

100%

87%

82%

36%

35%

31%

29%

26%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Unscheduled maintenance

Scheduled maintenance

Fuel

Regulatory obligations - e.g. new transponder

Insurance

Other

Landing fees

Hangar fees

(N = 172)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Does this aircraft have an installed transponder?

20

13%

85%

2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Mode A/C

Mode S

None

(N = 505)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Does the aircraft have an installed ADS-B Out device?

21

29%

66%

5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Yes

No

I don't know

(N = 495)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Does the aircraft have an installed ADS-B In receiver?

22

23%

72%

5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Yes

No

I don't know

(N = 505)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Which ADS-B In receiver is installed in the aircraft?

23

8%

21%

33%

38%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

UAT only

1090ES only

UAT and 1090ES Dual-band

I don't know

(N = 117)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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What type of radio is installed on your aircraft?

24

96%

11%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

8.33 kHz COM Radio(s)

25 kHz COM Radio(s)

I don't know

(N = 504)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Is any of the following equipment installed on your aircraft?

25

81%

50%

24%

30%

35%

14%

10%

18%

24%

9%

59%

19%

49%

74%

67%

62%

79%

89%

80%

75%

91%

41%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

NAV VOR/ILS Receiver(s)

GPS/GNSS VFR only: not IFR approved

GPS/GNSS IFR Enroute Operations without Approach

GPS/GNSS IFR for LNAV-Approach

GPS/GNSS IFR with WAAS/EGNOS for LPV- or LNAV/VNAV…

GPS/GNSS IFR for Baro-VNAV-Approach

FLARM (classic)

Power FLARM

TAS (Traffic Advisory)

TCAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance)

DME (Distance Measuring Equipment)

Yes No I don't know

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Is any of the following equipment installed on your aircraft? (Continued)

26

45%

53%

71%

5%

7%

52%

36%

54%

45%

27%

94%

97%

96%

92%

48%

63%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

ADF (Automatic Direction Finder)

Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) 121,5 MHz

Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)406 MHz

Datalink: SATCOM (Comsat, Inmarsat)

Datalink: CPDLC - Reg. EU 29/2009 compliant

Datalink: FANS (1/A)

Electronic Flight Bag - Fixed Installed

Autopilot with HDG/NAV and/or ALT Capability

Autopilot with Approach Capability

Yes No I don't know

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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Do you regularly use any mobile phone/tablet applications in the cockpit?

27

84%

61%

83%

72%

28%

7%

3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Yes - for flight preparation

Yes - to file a flight plan

Yes - for navigation

Yes - for weather information

Yes - for other communication

No

Yes - Other (Please specify)

(N = 505)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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What type of fuel does your aircraft primarily use?

28

4%

76%

5%

14%

1%

0%

0%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Jet Fuel (e.g. Jet-A1)

Avgas 100LL

Avgas 91/96 UL

Automotive Fuel/MOGAS

Automotive Diesel

Electric

Other (Please specify)

(N = 505)

SEP/SET/MEP ONLY

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What would you consider to be the best way to improve General Aviation safety in Europe? Please rank your top 3 in order of importance.

29

100%

45%

28%

26%

18%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Fly more regularly

Better in-flight technology (GPS, ADS-B, etc.)

Improved initial training (more hours, more criteria, etc.)

Better support from Air Traffic Control

More frequent flight proficiency checks (with instructor or…

(N = 957)

12%

8%

5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Better emergency support (parachute, emergency auto-land, etc.)

More frequent theoretical knowledge checks

More surveillance from the regulator (inspectors, examiners, etc.)

ALL

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What has been preventing you from flying more in the last year?Select up to 3 options

30

37%

24%

6%

62%

7%

55%

6%

14%

2%

9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Cost of flying

Aircraft unavailable due to maintenance

Personal health issues

Weather

Lack of people to share the experience with

Lack of free time

Hassle of pre-flight preparations

Airport access difficulties

Environmental concerns


(N = 965)

ALL

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What is the best way to reduce the environmental impact of GA, in your view?

31

40%

12%

34%

6%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

More efficient conventional engines

Fully electric engines

Alternative / more sustainable fuels

Carbon Fibre/light weight composite structures


(N = 956)

ALL

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What technological improvement in GA avionics would you consider to be the most important? Please select your top 3, in order of importance.

32

100%

86%

71%

20%

19%

12%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Advanced surrounding traffic Info (ADS-B, FLARM, etc)

In-flight weather information

Advanced navigation (GPS, Galileo etc.)

Improved communications systems

Autopilot systems

Emergency automatic landing system

(N = 956)

ALL

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If a simpler process for validating pilot licenses/ratings between Europe and the USA is introduced, would you be more likely to take advantage of it?

33

45%

7%

20%

3%

23%

2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Yes, I would be more likely to validate my licence if the processwas simplified

Yes but I plan to validate my licence anyway

No, I already have both EASA and FAA licences

No, I can't have it (too expensive, too time-consuming)

No, I am not interested


(N = 965)

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If more local airfields had IFR approach procedures based on GPS, would you be more likely to IFR-certify your aircraft?

34

24%

11%

21%

18%

10%

10%

6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Yes, and I would equip my aircraft

Neutral/No Opinion

Not applicable - my aircraft is already IFR-certified/GPSapproach equipped.

No, I'm not interested

No, it would be too expensive to equip my aircraft

No, it would be too complicated or expensive to maintain an IFRlicence


(N = 958)

ALL

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If weather, traffic and NOTAM information was available via ADS-B receivers during flight, would you consider purchasing it for your aircraft?

35

62%

16%

6%

2%

10%

4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Yes I'd be more likely to buy

Yes but I will buy/have already bought ADS-B in any case

No, it still would not convince me

No, I see no value in ADS-B

I don't know enough about it

No Opinion

(N = 962)

ALL

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Are you aware of the EASA General Aviation Roadmap?

36

11%

32%

18%

39%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Yes, Fully aware

Yes, aware of some elements

Yes, but never read it

No

(N = 958)

ALL

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How satisfied are you with the support of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to General Aviation in Europe?

37

2%

21%

35%

22%

11%

9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

No Opinion / I don't know

(N = 969)

ALL

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How satisfied are you with the support of your National Aviation Authority (NAA) to General Aviation in your country?

38

3%

13%

23%

27%

30%

4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Very Satisfied

Satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

No Opinion / I don't know

(N = 969)

ALL

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Questions

If you have any questions about these results or require further information, please contact:Cate BrancartManager, European Operations & [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]

Documents

GAMA-IAOPA European General Aviation Survey 2020