ABSTRACT
General aviation is the largest segment of aviation based on number of aircraft, number of pilots, and number of airports and communities served. General aviation is the aerial application plane that treats one out of every five tillable acres of land, which facilitates greater food production and keeps the cost of food low. It is the land developer making survey flights and the police officer observing traffic. It is the family on a vacation trip and the air ambulance flying a mercy mission. It is the relaxation of a brief flight on a Sunday afternoon. The size and diversity of general aviation makes it difficult to categorize for statistical purposes. The most widely used service provided by the FAA to general aviation pilots is the flight service station (FSS) network of 75 facilities for collecting and disseminating weather information, filing flight plans, and providing in-flight assistance and aviation advisory services.
