The GA Safety Highlight Reel
‘Your Choice, Your Flight: A Compilation of Our Most Popular Articles’ Magazine Issue
By Larry Fields, FAA Flight Standards Service executive director
As we wind down the end of 2024 and begin preparing for the holidays, it’s important to reflect on what has been an exciting and productive year for aviation safety. This year brought about several regulatory changes that aim to enhance airman testing and training, as well as improve safety and efficiency in the National Airspace System (NAS). Among them is a final rule that incorporates the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and Practical Test Standards (PTS) into the regulations, a rule that improves safety for passengers and crewmembers when using supplemental restraint systems, and a rule that removes the expiration date from flight instructor certificates.
We also saw the passing of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which contains several provisions specifically related to general aviation. These include an expansion of BasicMed, additional funding for GA airports under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), and investments in workforce training and development to help bolster the next generation of pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers. The FAA is currently hard at work addressing these provisions.
Another milestone achievement was the outstanding safety record for general aviation in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2024. As of Sept. 2, 2024, the GA fatal accident rate was 0.69 per 100K flight hours, well below the 0.93 per 100K flight hour target. The experimental aircraft sector saw a similar downward trend, at 10 accidents below its target for FY24 at the beginning of September. While these numbers are still preliminary, we’re on track to have one of our safest years ever in GA! That’s an incredible accomplishment and a direct reflection of your commitment to safety and professionalism. Of course, our vision is to have no accidents, but this is certainly a trend in the right direction.
To help round out this extraordinary year, we decided to celebrate your preferences in GA safety content by curating a collection of some of our most-read articles over the last decade. I would add that our readers have good taste in what’s important. The selections in this reader’s choice issue cover a wide array of topics that were — and continue to be — relevant to GA safety. The editorial staff has also included updates in each article to keep readers apprised of any recent changes or enhancements.
Here’s the list:
🛩️ ADS-B 101 — This article, which appeared in the lead-up to the FAA’s 2020 ADS-B Out mandate, covers what this game-changing technology is and what it means to you in the GA community. While most aircraft are now equipped with this life-saving technology, the article serves as an important opportunity to re-educate yourself on how ADS-B works, what’s changed, and how to ensure that your equipment functions properly.
🛩️ How to Talk Like a Pilot — Proper communication in aviation is critical, and so should your approach to handling the mic during flight. This article provides several key pointers to help you sound like a pro and avoid some common radio pitfalls.
🛩️ Is My Aircraft Right for Flight? — This article emphasizes the importance of preflight preparation and takes a step-by-step approach to properly evaluate your aircraft before flight.
🛩️ Round Up the Usual Suspects — This article addresses the persistently consistent causes of GA safety mishaps and tips on how to avoid them.
🛩️ Is That My Runway? — Wrong surface operations happen more often than you might think and among pilots at all skill levels. This article looks at a host of strategies and tools to help keep you in the right place at the right time.
We hope you enjoy and find value in this issue’s tribute to the journey we’ve taken together throughout the years. Stay tuned for more in-depth articles in future issues as we continue to explore the evolving landscape of aviation safety and strive to keep you informed and prepared for what lies ahead.
Here’s to a safe and successful year ahead!
