"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 airliner, charter or taxi operation, nor military flying.  On the other hand, it does not mean, as some popular opinion would have it, that GA is simply a leisure activity of private (implicitly wealthy) individuals.

GA is a modern transportation system which serves people, and 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:

BUSINESS

for the local community

AGRICULTURE

protecting crops and forests

DELIVERY

of mail, newspapers and essential items

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

RECREATION

including flying as a chosen leisure pursuit and flying model aircraft

HELPING THE DISABLED

to experience the pleasures of flying

FLYING FOR YOUTH

giving air experience to young people

FLYING DISPLAYS

entertaining hundreds and thousands of spectators each year

PILOT TRAINING

providing the pilots to fly the airliners which carry people on holidays and other personal journeys, and those on professional or other business

Did you know for instance that:

• there are more Private Pilot Licences than Commercial Licences?
• there are eight times more GA aircraft in the UK than there are airliners?
• there are at least six times more movements by GA aircraft in the UK than by CAT craft?
• worldwide, GA aircraft accounted for 75% of all hours flown by civil aircraft?

• of the 118 million aircraft departures Worldwide, 101 million were General Aviation
• in 1989 there were 40,230 people employed in CAT Worldwide but 335,400 employed in GA
• in 1989 CAT employed only 21% of all pilots Worldwide
• in Europe, of 24.3 million aircraft movements in 1989, 18.6 million were accounted for by GA
• in the UK in 1989, there were on average 1,289 daily movements of CAT aircraft.  The figure for GA aircraft was 8,375

View the GAAC "Why General Aviation?" document (low resolution)

"More Considerate Flying"
 
Problems for General Aviation

Your Local Aerodrome
 

Education