FAA Facts


Facts about the FAA and Air Traffic Control

This holiday season is forecast to be the busiest travel period ever with passengers crossing the country in cars, trains, and planes. But did you know that every day, the FAA's Air Traffic Organization (ATO) provides service to more than 42,000 flights and 2.5 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace?
Some other facts about the world of air traffic:
• At any given moment there are more than 5,000 aircraft traversing the U.S. skies.
• The FAA is a year-round 24/7 operation, responsible for 5.3 million square miles of U.S. domestic airspace and 24 million square miles of U.S. airspace over the oceans.
• There are 43,290 average daily flights in and out of the U.S.
• More than 14,000 air traffic controllers manage traffic from many of the FAA’s 700 facilities.
• Fifty-five hundred airway transportation system specialists maintain more than 70,000 pieces of equipment.
• Aviation contributes $1.6 trillion annually to the U.S. economy and constitutes 5.1 percent of the gross domestic product.
• Aviation generates 10 million jobs in the U.S. annually.

Scott Sherer
Wright Brothers Master Pilot, FAA Commercial Pilot

Comments

  • <——FAA Air Traffic Controller here (Chicago TRACON).

    Other than Oshkosh week, today and next Sunday are generally our two busiest days for general aviation. This morning was fun, as the wx was generally VFR (some icing over Lake Michigan), and there were a lot of different a/c types flying into the Chicago-area satellites.

    I took Sunday off this year because I learned my lesson after the last 10 years of working Sunday afternoons :smile:

    Jim M.
    PA-28R-200
    Based at BUU
    ATC Chicago TRACON

  • Hi Jim,
    You're a Chicago TRACON guy?! Wow, that's amazing. Thanks for sharing that!

    Scott Sherer
    Wright Brothers Master Pilot, FAA Commercial Pilot

  • I sure am....I've been here for 9 years now...which means enough seniority to not have to work today :smiley:

    Jim M.
    PA-28R-200
    Based at BUU
    ATC Chicago TRACON

  • Hi Jim,
    Is it possible to post a few pics of the TRACON? It might be interesting for everyone.

    Scott Sherer
    Wright Brothers Master Pilot, FAA Commercial Pilot

  • The management is very much against the posting of pictures from the operational area, particularly of the radar scopes. I think there are a few floating around the internet, though, and I might be able to find a video map of the airspace. I'll see what I can come up with.

    Jim M.
    PA-28R-200
    Based at BUU
    ATC Chicago TRACON

  • Ok, thanks so much. I understand the security implications so if it's not possible, no worries :) Thanks for trying!

    Scott Sherer
    Wright Brothers Master Pilot, FAA Commercial Pilot

  • What I can do....if you or any members close by want to take a trip down to Elgin for a tour of the facility, see the scopes in person, and get a guided tour (by me!), I can certainly make that happen.

    Jim M.
    PA-28R-200
    Based at BUU
    ATC Chicago TRACON

  • Been following this thread...looks like DuPage is close to your location?

  • Elgin? I'm pretty close! Let me work on it.

    Scott Sherer
    Wright Brothers Master Pilot, FAA Commercial Pilot

  • Love Chicago....especially in August!

  • Not as nice in November through March

    Jim M.
    PA-28R-200
    Based at BUU
    ATC Chicago TRACON

  • They're getting 1/2 foot of snow tomorrow, lol.

    Scott Sherer
    Wright Brothers Master Pilot, FAA Commercial Pilot

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