Airfields Being Repurposed As Pilot Population Wanes

We all know about the decline in the number of pilots in the U.S. It is often discussed when airline executives or pilots meet to discuss the future of their industry.

But the number of private pilots is also declining. According to FAA statistics, there were 593,499 active pilot certificates in 2014, down from 599,086 in 2013 and over 600,000 the year before.

And the number of airports is in decline as well. The most recent DOT statistics shows that there were 5,155 public use airports in 2013, which was down from 5,858 in 1985. And the statistics show a steady decline over those years

A microcosm of that can be seen in Iowa, where small airports have been closing across the state, according to an Associated Press report posted on JournalStar.com. For example, the airport in Onawa, IA has been closed and its 3,400 foot runway has been repurposed into a drag strip, which will open June 30. The airport had been in existence for 60 years, according to the report. In Hartley, IA, the town closed the airport, tore out the runway, and leased the land to a farmer. The airport is now a cornfield. Howard Orchard, a local resident considered the town's unofficial historian, said that there was so little activity at the airport that when the runway and hangars needed maintenance, the town board decided it was too much money and effort.

One who is holding on in Iowa is Gene Martin, who owns Martin Airfield in South Sioux City. He said that while he has seen a steady decline in interest in flying ... "young people seem to be more interested in video games," he said, he is continuing to try to make his business work. The number of flight instructors has fallen from 12 to 3 at Martin Airfield, and Martin said they could use more students.

One pilot who currently keeps his plane in Onawa and will move it to an airport 25 miles away when that airport closes said that if the town would put some effort into the airport, it would be economically more beneficial than the drag strip. Ed Weiner, age 70, said that more people would fly if they had ever had the experience of flying. But trying to describe the sensation of flight to someone who has not had the experience is a bit like trying to describe the taste of chocolate cake. "If you've never had it, you'll never miss it," he said.

FMI: Pilot Statistics, Airport Statistics