When will it end? A new survey shows that rising fuel prices have impacted general avaition. Pilots who own and rent aircraft have significantly curtailed the amount of flying they’re doing, it found.
Conducted by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a Washington trade group, the survey found that three out of four pilots have cut back the amount of flying they do. Forty percent said have cut back 50 percent or more.
Aircraft owners are feeling the impact more than those who rent planes, it appears: 72 percent of the owners have cut back flying compared to 67 percent of the renters who have.
A cut in flying impacts flight schools, which make a significant portion of their income from aircraft rentals, and fixed base operators, which sells fuel. That means fewer taxes and fuel flowage fees going into local communities. Rising fuel prices can also impact public service flying, such as medical airlift operations, which rely on volunteers.