Just the facts, ma'am

Just the facts, ma'am

Ever wondered what the busiest airports are in the United States?

Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas/McCarran top the list.

OK, so of the 10 busiest airports, how much does GA contribute to the traffic count?

About 4.5 percent - so much for the airlines' claim that general aviation is "using" more than it's "paying for."

That's just one of the interesting things you can learn from AOPA's 2006 Aviation Fact Card. It's just been updated and posted on our Web site for you to use to amaze and astound your friends.

How many GA aircraft are in the United States?

There are 219,780 general aviation aircraft, 66 percent of them piston-engine singles.

And GA carries 17 percent of air travelers - more than 640 million passengers a year - but uses only six percent of the fuel consumed for aviation.

The card is in a handy PDF format, so you can print it out for those times when you need a GA stat at your fingertips.

April 19, 2006