Economic Impact

The Pennsylvania System Pennsylvania’s aviation industry con- vate aircraft owners, and recreational Study Process tinues to provide high quality jobs airplane pilots. Manufacturers in the and spur important local spending by state rely on airports to access mar- This study, sponsored by the Pennsylva- on-airport businesses and agencies. kets and to receive supplies. Busi- nia Department of Transportation, Bu- The commonwealth’s system of 15 nesses rely on airports to conduct reau of Aviation, analyzes the economic impact of Pennsylvania’s aviation indus- commercial service and 117 general face-to-face meetings with customers try as a whole, as well as the impacts of aviation airports connects Pennsylva- and business associates within the its individual airports. The study confirms nia businesses and residents to the United States and abroad. Leisure that many people—beyond the immediate national and global economy. This travelers use airports to reach recre- environs of each airport—derive signifi- system is comprised of a network of ational and tourist sites and to visit cant economic benefits from the daily op- airports, airlines, air cargo business- with family and friends. eration of the airport system. The study es, corporate flight departments, pri- also evaluates some of the less-quantifi- able impacts linked with aviation, such as Pennsylvania’s Total Annual Economic Impacts health, safety, recreation, education, and overall community strength. from Aviation A detailed modeling effort was undertak- en to quantify the economic impacts of When all of the impacts of Pennsyl- construction. A part-time employee is on-airport activities (airlines, fixed base vania’s system airports are added counted as half a full-time employee. operators, flight schools, corporate flight together, nearly 304,500 total jobs Payroll measures the total annual departments, government, and various can be traced to the aviation industry. wages and benefits paid to all work- other business). Also quantified were the These employees receive more than ers whose salaries are directly attrib- impacts derived from the expenditures of $9.2 billion in total payroll, and gen- visitors who arrive via scheduled service utable to airport activity. erate nearly $23.6 billion in total eco- and general aviation aircraft. These on- nomic activity. In addition, Pennsyl- Economic Activity (Output) measures airport impacts and visitor expenditures vania’s airports provide a number of the value of goods and services re- support additional economic activity health, welfare, and safety benefits, lated to airports in Pennsylvania. The throughout Pennsylvania. the impacts of which are immeasur- output of on-airport businesses is As initial waves of activities associated able. Such services include aerial ag- typically assumed to be the sum of with the airport system are released into ricultural spraying, medical transport annual gross sales and average an- Pennsylvania’s economy, successive and evacuation, flight training, law nual capital expenditures. waves of employment, payroll, and eco- enforcement, wildlife management, nomic benefit occur. These additional benefits are measured using sector-spe- military exercises, and search and Total Jobs – 304,464 cific employment, payroll, and economic rescue operations. impact multipliers. Impact Measures Total Payroll – $9.2 billion Employment measures the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs related Total Output – $23.6 billion to airport activity, including on-airport Economic Impact of Ridge Soaring Gliderport Direct On- Visitor Airport Impacts Output Output Confidential Confidential Qualitative Benefits

Ridge Soaring Gliderport is located two miles Induced Multiplier southwest of the Borough of Unionville in Cen- Indirect Impacts tre County, northwest of State College and Inter- Output state 99. Access to the airport is available from $503,800 U.S. 220. The gliderport is open seasonally from the end of March through November of each year. Ridge Soaring Gliderport is classified as a Special Total Total Jobs: 12 Use airport by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Avia- Total Payroll: $297,600 Impacts tion. The airport has 34 based aircraft, nearly all Total Output: $1.2 million gliders, and experiences approximately 18,000 an- nual aircraft operations. The airport has one turf/ Source: Wilbur Smith Associates asphalt , Runway 07/25, that is 3,322 feet Impact Types long by 100 feet wide. Direct Impacts include both direct im- The Ridge Soaring Gliderport is a privately-owned, pacts related to on-airport businesses public use airport that serves both business and rec- and government agencies, and off-air- reational flying, but is most famous for its activity, port impacts, which are usually attribut- including ridge, thermal, and wave soaring. Students from able to visitor spending. Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State Multiplier Impacts are comprised of University often utilize the facility for glider flights. Glider indirect and induced impacts. These training and education is also available at the airport. impacts are attributed to employees In addition to the extensive glider activity, local businesses spending their earnings at local busi- occasionally rely on Ridge Soaring Gliderport to support their nesses, and the on-airport businesses activities. The airport is also utilized as a tourism gateway to purchasing goods and services locally. This re-circulation is commonly referred area attractions, including Black Moshannon State Park, Penn- to as the “multiplier effect.” sylvania State University, and Sayer’s Dam. Total Impacts are the combination of all direct, indirect, and induced impacts.