Everybody is flying less these days. Flight time in piston-powered personal airplanes is probably off the most due to the high fuel prices, but the economy and fuel costs are trimming flight hours for airlines and corporate operators, too. The noise office at my home base, Westchester County Airport just north of New York City, sends a monthly activity report to the owners of all airplanes based there. The primary reason for the report is to note noise complaints and the number of violations of the voluntary curfew. But all traffic movements for the month, and cumulatively for the year, are included.
The report divides traffic into scheduled airline, corporate and light general aviation. Corporate is a code word for turbine-powered airplane, and light GA is piston powered. Whether the airplane is based at the airport or is a transient is also noted. Touch-and-go landings are counted separately so only actual departures and arrivals make the normal traffic count.
