2012 Trends in General Aviation

2012 Trends in General Aviation

General aviation has sure been a tough row to hoe in the last good many years. Nevertheless things are not looking so bad moving forward. It looks as if China will open their general aviation market meaning wealthy Chinese will own private business jets, and light aircraft. That's good news for US aircraft manufacturers, but it also means that China will be breaking into the general aviation manufacturing sector, which has typically been owned by US companies. That will change the global dynamics of this sector.

Business jets are finally making a comeback, after being maligned by the Obama Administration, and the class warfare issues which currently are pervasive throughout our society. The costs to operate aircraft today are an incredible challenge for general aviation, thus, things like lighter materials, better aerodynamic designs, and more efficient electronics will be in demand to help in overcoming those challenges. Many of the new carbon composite advances in the airline sector and the military sector are now making their way into general aviation.

This also means lighter and more efficient aircraft with better performance, safety, and fuel economy. One trend which has some folks on edge is the prospect of more autonomous aircraft flying around in the same airspace posing a safety risk for general aviation aircraft. In fact these dangers may cause the Federal Aviation Administration to require all small light aircraft of any size to have special electronics for positioning data at all times. In some regards this takes away the freedom in general aviation, but it also introduces safety features which may come forth allowing for the future flying cars.

Another challenge is that with GPS systems, especially those devices on the lower end. The interference of devices made by light squared for mobile communication are a real issue now in debate. This "could" or "might" also cause safety risks, and it has the general aviation sector up in arms, as well they should. Some say these challenges are blown out of proportion, but we have to wait and see.

There have been some concepts floated in Congress about establishing taxes for each flight, if those are imposed as stated it would have a dire effect on general aviation overall. We don't know if that legislation will move forward, but perhaps not.

The very light jet market seems to have had a bubble burst in its early lifecycle just as it was getting off the ground, but you can expect in the future that this sector will be moving along at a more practical growth rate. Well, that's all for now, however you might wish to subscribe to my articles so that you don't miss future trends as they occur. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.