Sunshine State Now Number Two For GA Traffic Nationwide

In terms of general aviation traffic... what's the second-busiest state in the Union? If you said Florida, you're correct. Traffic in the Sunshine State is growing at a remarkable rate and it's now caught the attention of the FAA.

The reason? MSNBC reports the airspace over Central Florida is becoming increasingly crowded, thanks to its fine weather and relatively flat topography. At a time when the number of GA aircraft based in Florida seems to be growing at a remarkable rate, the state in 2003 dropped its requirements for runway operations reports. Instead, it now relies on a voluntary online reporting system. Local zoning authorities now regulate the expansion of private airports. The number of accidents -- those involving injuries and those that don't -- is growing in Florida. That's especially true of the central part of the state.

MSNBC reports that, during the last six years, the number of GA accidents in Florida has averaged about 131. At the top of the list of Florida counties where aviation accidents have occurred... Volusia County, home of Embry-Riddle Aviation University. The average rate for all accidents there is 10-12 a year.

In part, that's the reason the FAA will introduce in October the FAA Safety Team program, which replaces the agency's Aviation Safety Program. It will focus on what the FAA calls especially "elusive accident causes" whereas the current solution, the FAA Aviation Safety Program, focuses on those accidents most easily prevented.

FMI: www.faa.gov