Come Fly with Me (Sustainably) : Pathways to Sustainable General Aviation and Private Pilot Training

Abstract: Whereas commercial aviation is attempting to achieve the reduction of its substantial carbon footprint, general aviation’s (GA) climate change contribution is negligibly small, which is why the sector is facing other sustainability challenges mainly entailing the operation of dated technology and aircraft, increasing regulatory constraints, rising costs, noise emissions, and popular discontent, as well as remaining the last mobility sector in the world to still use leaded fuels. Throughout recent years, there have been remarkable sustainability trends in GA as well as heightened efforts to improve its emissions profile (noise, pollutants, CO2) and environmental reputation, for instance by the increased use of electric aircraft, especially for private pilot training. From a sociotechnical perspective, this mixed-methods study highlights current sustainability challenges and trends in GA as well as potential pathways towards more sustainable GA and private pilot training. Eight in-depth semi-structured interviews with Swiss and international GA stakeholders were complemented with a bilingual representative quantitative online survey (N=427) among Swiss GA stakeholders, a comparative CO2 analysis showing the emissions advantages and feasibility limits of supplementing private pilot training with lessons using electric aircraft, as well as participant observation. The data show that most Swiss GA stakeholders have increased environmental awareness and are concerned about sustainability and the environment both, in flight and other activities. Although the majority advocates for sustainable development in GA there are not one but many challenges and obstacles to a more sustainable GA. The largest challenges are the abatement of noise emissions and the facilitation of the leaded aviation gasoline (AVGAS 100LL) phaseout. The most pertinent obstacles towards sustainable GA innovation are said to be bureaucracy, overregulation and reluctance in the civil aviation authorities, high costs, averseness to risk and innovation, as well as a trend of decline in GA activity due to continuous demographic change. No single sustainability pathway but rather a mix of immediate and long-term sustainability measures was identified. Despite its current limitations, electric aviation proves to be one of the most feasible pathways to sustainable private pilot training. For more sustainable GA, the use of more fuel-efficient planes and available unleaded fuels, propeller, and muffler retrofits, as well as is feasible short- and midterm measures. In the long run, electric and hybrid aviation as well as bio- and synfuels are likely to become attractive options for GA. The study shows the importance of sustainable development in GA and private pilot training, not because it will majorly contribute to climate change mitigation, but because it will ensure the improvement of its negative environmental reputation and societal acceptance, which will be vital to ensuring the survival of the GA sector.