FAA Administrator Addresses Changing Safety Trends in GA

On July 30th, 2009, Randy Babbitt took to the podium for the first time as the FAA Administrator, addressing EAA AirVenture attendees in the Honda Pavilion.  With nearly 70,000 operations every day, and over 753 million people transported each year, Babbitt explained that the overall system is unquestionably the safest, most efficient system in the world.

In his first year, Babbitt placed substantial focus on addressing general aviation safety concerns. Though flying hours are indeed down, the rates of fatal accidents themselves are decreasing. 

Attributing the changes to continued professionalism throughout the industry, Babbitt highlighted several significant improvements seen in recent years.  Overall, fatal accident rates have seen a 12 percent decrease over the last two years.

Much of the improvement, Babbitt explains, reflects the industry’s willingness to embrace new technology. Between 8,000 and 10,000 new all-glass cockpit aircraft have entered the fleet. 

The technological enhancement provides pilots better spatial and situational awareness; though the technology does significantly increase safety, Babbitt urges pilots to continue to fly regularly in order to keep their skills sharp.

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