Current as of March 2011 (if not otherwise stated)
Source: FAA U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics
Note: Certificate type (private, commercial, etc.) cannot be used to determine the number of "private pilots" or general aviation pilots. Many pilots who fly for personal business or pleasure earn higher FAA certificates or ratings for personal achievement. As a rule of thumb, about 20 percent of all pilots are actually employed full-time as pilots.
* "Other" includes helicopter (only) and glider (only). ** In March 2001, the FAA Registry changed the definition of this pilot category. *** In July 2010, the FAA issued a rule that increased the duration of validity for student pilot certificates for pilots under the age of 40 from 36 to 60 months. This resulted in the increase in active student pilots to 119,119 from 72,280 at the end of 2009. **** Forecast - 2011 |
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Year | Student | Recreational | Sport | Private | Commercial | ATP | Other | Total Pilots |
Flight Instructor |
2011**** | 115,000 | 210 | 4,350 | 195,650 | 123,900 | 142,650 | 36,900 * | 618,660 | 96,551 |
2010*** | 119,119 | 215 | 3,682 | 220,008 | 139,100 | 145,464 | 36,652* | 627,588 | 96,473 |
2009 | 72,280 | 234 | 3,248 | 221,619 | 125,738 | 144,600 | 36,566* | 594,285 | 94,863 |
2008 | 80,989 | 252 | 2,623 | 222,596 | 124,746 | 146,838 | 35,702* | 613,746 | 93,202 |
2007 | 84,339 | 239 | 2,031 | 211,096 | 115,127 | 143,953 | 33,564* | 590,349 | 92,175 |
2006 | 84,866 | 239 | 939 | 219,233 | 117,610 | 141,935 | 32,287 * | 597,109 | 91,343 |
2005 | 87,213 | 278 | 134 | 228,619 | 120,614 | 141,992 | 30,887 * | 609,737 | 90,555 |
2004 | 87,910 | 297 | 235,994 | 122,592 | 142,160 | 29,977 * | 618,930 | 89,596 | |
2003 | 87,296 | 310 | 241,045 | 123,990 | 143,504 | 28,866 * | 625,011 | 87,816 | |
2002 | 85,991 | 317 | 245,230 | 125,920 | 144,708 | 29,596 ** | 631,762 | 86,089 | |
2001 | 86,731 | 316 | 243,823 | 120,502 | 144,702 | 16,200 | 612,274 | 82,875 | |
2000 | 93,064 | 340 | 251,561 | 121,858 | 141,596 | 17,162 | 625,581 | 80,931 | |
1999 | 97,359 | 343 | 258,749 | 124,261 | 137,642 | 17,118 | 635,472 | 79,694 | |
1998 | 97,736 | 305 | 247,226 | 122,053 | 134,612 | 16,366 | 618,298 | 79,171 | |
1997 | 96,101 | 284 | 247,604 | 125,300 | 130,858 | 16,195 | 616,342 | 78,102 | |
1996 | 94,947 | 265 | 254,002 | 129,187 | 127,486 | 16,374 | 622,261 | 78,551 | |
1995 | 101,279 | 232 | 261,399 | 133,676 | 123,877 | 18,416 | 638,879 | 77,613 | |
1994 | 96,254 | 241 | 284,236 | 138,728 | 117,434 | 17,195 | 654,088 | 76,171 | |
1993 | 103,583 | 206 | 283,700 | 143,014 | 117,070 | 17,496 | 665,069 | 75,021 | |
1992 | 114,597 | 187 | 288,078 | 146,385 | 115,855 | 17,857 | 682,959 | 72,148 | |
1991 | 120,203 | 161 | 293,306 | 148,365 | 112,167 | 17,893 | 692,095 | 69,209 | |
1990 | 128,663 | 87 | 299,111 | 149,666 | 107,732 | 17,400 | 702,659 | 63,775 | |
1989 | 142,544 | 293,179 | 144,540 | 102,087 | 17,660 | 700,010 | 61,472 | ||
1988 | 136,913 | 299,786 | 143,030 | 96,968 | 17,319 | 694,016 | 61,798 | ||
1987 | 146,016 | 300,949 | 143,645 | 91,287 | 17,756 | 699,653 | 60,316 | ||
1986 | 150,273 | 305,736 | 147,798 | 87,186 | 18,125 | 709,118 | 57,355 | ||
1985 | 146,652 | 311,086 | 151,632 | 82,740 | 17,430 | 709,540 | 58,940 | ||
1984 | 150,081 | 320,086 | 155,929 | 79,192 | 17,088 | 722,376 | 61,173 | ||
1983 | 147,197 | 318,643 | 159,495 | 75,938 | 16,731 | 718,004 | 62,201 | ||
1982 | 156,361 | 322,094 | 165,093 | 73,471 | 16,236 | 733,255 | 62,492 | ||
1981 | 179,912 | 328,562 | 168,580 | 70,311 | 16,817 | 764,182 | 57,523 | ||
1980 | 199,833 | 357,479 | 183,442 | 69,569 | 16,748 | 827,071 | 60,440 | ||
1979 | 210,180 | 343,276 | 182,097 | 63,652 | 15,462 | 814,667 | 54,398 | ||
1978 | 204,874 | 337,644 | 185,833 | 55,881 | 14,601 | 798,833 | 52,201 | ||
1977 | 203,510 | 327,424 | 188,763 | 50,149 | 14,086 | 783,932 | 49,362 | ||
1976 | 188,801 | 309,005 | 187,801 | 45,072 | 13,567 | 744,246 | 46,236 | ||
1975 | 176,978 | 305,863 | 189,342 | 42,592 | 13,412 | 728,187 | 44,777 | ||
1974 | 180,795 | 305,848 | 192,425 | 41,002 | 13,658 | 733,728 | 42,418 | ||
1973 | 181,905 | 298,921 | 182,444 | 38,139 | 13,198 | 714,607 | 36,795 | ||
1972 | 181,477 | 321,413 | 196,228 | 37,714 | 14,037 | 750,869 | 37,858 | ||
1971 | 186,428 | 312,656 | 192,409 | 35,949 | 13,567 | 741,009 | 37,760 | ||
1970 | 195,861 | 303,779 | 186,821 | 34,430 | 11,838 | 732,729 | 37,822 | ||
1969 | 203,520 | 299,491 | 176,585 | 31,442 | 8,990 | 720,028 | 33,992 | ||
1968 | 209,406 | 281,728 | 164,458 | 28,607 | 7,496 | 691,695 | 30,361 | ||
1967 | 181,287 | 253,312 | 150,135 | 25,817 | 7,380 | 617,931 | 44,421 | ||
1966 | 165,177 | 222,427 | 131,539 | 23,917 | 5,697 | 548,757 | 38,897 | ||
1965 | 139,172 | 196,393 | 116,665 | 22,440 | 5,100 | 479,770 | 34,904 | ||
1964 | 120,743 | 175,574 | 108,428 | 21,572 | 4,724 | 431,041 | 32,158 | ||
1963 | 105,298 | 152,209 | 96,341 | 20,269 | 4,583 | 378,700 | 29,618 | ||
1962 | 94,870 | 149,405 | 95,047 | 20,032 | 4,617 | 363,971 | 28,873 | ||
1961 | 93,973 | 144,312 | 92,976 | 19,155 | 2,444 | 352,860 | 30,165 | ||
1960 | 99,182 | 138,869 | 89,904 | 18,279 | 1,828 | 348,062 | 31,459 | ||
1959 | 107,816 | 139,804 | 93,815 | 18,950 | — | 360,385 | |||
1958 | 103,456 | 140,673 | 93,126 | 15,840 | — | 353,095 | |||
1957 | 98,498 | 124,799 | 70,813 | 13,964 | — | 308,074 | |||
1956 | 95,124 | 96,864 | 54,542 | 11,173 | — | 257,703 | |||
1955 | 80,494 | 132,526 | 72,957 | 11,774 | — | 297,751 | |||
1954 | 71,959 | 184,595 | 80,340 | 12,129 | — | 349,023 | |||
1953 | — | — | — | 18,279 | — | 18,279 | |||
1952 | — | 371,174 | 191,824 | 10,893 | — | 573,891 | |||
1951 | — | 371,854 | 197,900 | 10,813 | — | 580,567 | |||
1950 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
1949 | — | 328,380 | 187,789 | 9,025 | — | 525,194 | |||
1948 | — | 306,699 | 176,845 | 7,762 | — | 491,306 | |||
1947 | — | 244,270 | 181,912 | 7,059 | — | 433,241 | |||
1946 | — | 189,156 | 203,251 | 7,654 | — | 400,061 | |||
1945 | — | 128,207 | 162,873 | 5,815 | — | 296,895 | |||
1944 | — | 111,883 | 66,449 | 3,046 | — | 181,378 | |||
1943 | — | 106,951 | 63,940 | 2,315 | — | 173,206 | |||
1942 | — | 108,689 | 55,760 | 2,177 | — | 166,626 | |||
1941 | — | 93,782 | 34,578 | 1,587 | — | 129,947 | |||
1940 | — | 49,507 | 18,791 | 1,431 | — | 69,729 | |||
1939 | — | 20,832 | 11,677 | 1,197 | — | 33,706 | |||
1938 | — | 13,985 | 7,839 | 1,159 | — | 22,983 | |||
1937 | — | 10,206 | 6,411 | 1,064 | — | 17,681 | |||
1936 | — | 7,622 | 7,288 | 842 | — | 15,752 | |||
1935 | — | 6,707 | 7,062 | 736 | — | 14,505 | |||
1934 | — | 5,789 | 7,484 | 676 | — | 13,949 | |||
1933 | — | 5,771 | 7,635 | 554 | — | 13,960 | |||
1932 | — | 10,297 | 7,964 | 330 | — | 18,591 | |||
1931 | — | 9,226 | 8,513 | — | — | 17,739 | |||
1930 | — | 7,433 | 7,847 | — | — | 15,280 | |||
1929 | — | 4,162 | 5,053 | — | — | 9,215 |
Updated Friday, March 25, 2011