GENERAL AVIATION IN CANADA A STUDY OF ITS DEVELOPMENT AND POLICY By Wayne C. McNeal B.A., University of British Columbia, 1965 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the School of Community and Regional Planning We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA April, 1969 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and Study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thes.is for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Wayne C. McNeal Department of Planning The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada April 30, 1969. 1 ABSTRACT GENERAL AVIATION IN CANADA A STUDY OF ITS DEVELOPMENT AND POLICY General aviation, which includes all aircraft except those of the military and the scheduled air carriers, is an important sector of the air transportation system. The impact of general aviation cannot be regarded lightly whether for business, pleasure, industrial use or comm• ercial air service, these aircraft account for 98 percent of the total civil aviation fleet and they flew over 80 percent of the total hours flown in 1967. General aviation is growing at a rate that, alone, could absorb all available capacity of air traffic control and ground- handling facilities at some major metropolitan airports. Paradoxically the growth of general aviation and its absorption of facility capacity causes congestion and delay and threatens to limit the system development. Despite the key role it plays in supporting the industrial and service bases that make our air transportation system possible, general aviation demands have not been adequately met because of an absence of data to formulate an effective policy. The objective of this study is to assess the devel• opment and future trends of general aviation for the purpose of policy considerations and facility planning. General aviation data presented in this study has been derived from responses to questionnaires mailed to private aircraft owners and commercial non-scheduled air carriers who had aircraft during 1967. The data was collected and compiled by the Department of Transport with assistance of the Aviation Statistics Centre in two segments: Part 1- Responses received from owners of private aircraft Part 2- Responses by Canadian carriers and statistical data reported directly to the Air Transport Committee. All the forecast demand factors indicate a monumental requirement for capital investment in airports and the airspace systems. It is apparent that the present general aviation policy will have to be adapted to meet the anticipated demand. Present policy does not treat the planning and allocation of our airways and airports as though they were scarce economic resources. All too often, the concept of efficient use of resources is not an integral part of the promotion of aviation or the fostering of its growth and development. It is therefore, recommended that a national general aviation policy is required in which the proper allocation of airways and airports for the most efficient use possible of general aviation facilities can be developed in re- lation to the total system demand. It is further recommended that the Federal Government review and modify its existing policy regarding federal contributions to or the responsibility for the direct contribution of general aviation airports. The Federal Government's heavy financial burden to meet the require• ments for mainline airports suggests the desirability of encouraging the provinces and local municipalities to assume a greater share of the developing and financing of non-mainline airports for general aviation use. General aviation benefits mainly a region or local community since it primarily serves only the air transportation needs of the regional district or the municipality. It seems natural, since the main benefits accrue to the province and municipality, that the Federal Government should establish a liaison with the other levels of government to promote general aviation. The main theme of such a liaison should be to stress the idea of integration of planning and devel• oping of general aviation within the framework of comprehen• sive regional and community plans as well as the national air transportation system. The expenditures for general aviation facilities could be shared by all three levels of government and these amounts should be matched by general aviation user charges. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 Air Transport and National Economy 1 Air Transport: Prospects and Problems g General Aviation: A Definition U II. HISTORICAL ASPECTS 17 Early Pioneer Flights ]_7 Developments During World War I 21 After the "Great War" 22 Early Canadian Government Aviation Policy 24 Doldrum Flying 25 Early Business Use of Aircraft 25 Aviation Comes of Age 2 8 Plans for a Trans-Continental Airway 3^ The Flying Club Movement 32 The Flying Club Movement During the 34 Depression Other Government Sponsored Assistance 35 Programs Early Air Mail 36 Trans-Continental Airway Construction 4^ Program Airway Construction During the Depression 42 Commercial Air Operations During the 45 Depression Pre-War Changes in Civil Aviation 4-7 Other Pre-War Developments 59 World War II and Aviation Developments ^3 in Canada Post-War General Aviation 57 Specialty Air Services 82 Airport Development 95 Summary of General Aviation History 93 III. GENERAL AVIATION IN THE SIXTIES 101 General Aviation Activity by-Type of Flying -j_g2 The Aircraft Fleet -^Q3 Operation of Commercial Non-Scheduled -J.^Q Registered Aircraft Development of Commercial Flying U3 Fixed Base Operations ]_14 General Framework of Operations ^2 2 Unit-Toll Operations , ^25 Bulk Flying Operations !27 V Proposed Changes in the Regulation of Charter ,129 Air Services Specialty Air Services 135 Operation of Privately-Registered Aircraft 163 State Aircraft 203 IV. 'GENERAL AVIATION BY 1980 206 Forecasting technique 206 General Aviation by 1980: A Forecast 227 V. GENERAL AVIATION POLICY 2 40 General Aviation Demand 240 Demand for Aviation Facilities 241 Responsibility of the Federal Government 242 Canadian Airports 254 Federal Capital Assistance for Airports 276 Provincial Airport Capital Assistance 288 Programs General Aviation and Community 29 7 Consequences Benefits 297 General Aviation as a National Resource 299 Economic Impact of General Aviation 301 Costs 304 A National Airport System 312 Framework of a National General Aviation 320 Policy Constructs of a National General Aviation 324 Policy APPENDIX vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Trends in Direct Intercity For-Hire Transportation Costs as a Percent of GNP, 1953-1980 3 2. Trend in Private Transportation Costs and the GNP (Constant 1949 Dollars) 1953-1980 4 3. Total Operating Revenues of Canadian Air Carriers 5 4. Summary of Canadian Commercial Air Operations 26 5. Operating Statistics of Commercial Aviation in Canada 1925-1929 30 6. The Flying Club Movement During the Depression Period 1929-1935 35 7. Total Licenced Air Personnel in Canada, 1933-1939 37 8. Mail Carried by Commercial Air Transport Operators, 1929-1935 40 9. Airway Construction Progress, 1930-1931 43 10. Airport Construction and Development Expenditure from Unemployment Appropriations 45 11. Gold Production in Canada During the Depression Years 48 12. Operating Statistics of Civil Aviation in Canada, 1930-1935 49 13. Federal Government Expenditure on Airway Development 1937-1940 52 14. Licencing Statistics, Board of Transport Commissioners 54 15. Operating Expenses per Ton-Mile, Canadian Airways and Six Other Largest Operators, 1936 56 16. Selected Statistics, Trans-Canada Air Lines, 1938-1940 60 17. Commercial Air Transport Operators, Exclusive of TCA, 1936-1940 62 18. Civil Aviation in Canada, Traffic Statistics, 1936-1940 63 19. Domestic Air Carriers Licenced by the Air Transport Board 1944-1948 70 20. Non-Scheduled Fixed Base Operators, ATB Licences in Force as of December 31, 1948, Geographical Distribution 71 vii List of Tables, contd. 21. Domestic Non-Scheduled carriers, 1946-1951 74 22. Charter Operations in Canada (Bulk Transport), 1952-1958 76 23. Flying Training in Canada, 1952-1958 80 24. Recreation Flying and Aircraft Rentals, 1952-1958 81 25. Statistics of Helicopter Operations, 1949-1958 84 26. Changes in the Degree of Concentration in the Helicopter Industry, 1954-1958 85 27. Aerial Application and Distribution, Commercial Air Carriers, 1952-1958 87 28. Number of Aircraft Owners, Aircraft and Hours Flown in Commercial and Private Agricultural Spraying and Dusting and Other Private Agricultural Flying in Canada in 1957 88 29. Aerial Photography and Survey, Commercial Air Carriers, 1952-1958 90 30. Aerial Photographs, Commercial Air Carriers, 1952-1958 91 31. Aerial Inspection and Reconnaissance, Commercial Air Carriers, 1952-1958 93 32. Aerial Advertising, Commercial Air Carriers, 1952-1958 94 33. Registered Civil Aircraft in Canada, 1946-1958 96 34. Licenced Airports in Canada, 1946-1958 98 35. Airport Investment Expenditures by the Department of Transport 99 36. Civil Aviation Aircraft by Type of Registration 107 37. Active Civil Aviation Aircraft by Registration, by Class, 1967 108 38. Civil Aviation Hours, by Registration Type, by Aircraft Class, 1967 110 39. Total Revenue Hours by Commercial Air Carriers, 1960-1967 116 40. Types of Business Ownership Reported by 272 Commercial Operators 117 41. Hours Flown as a Service to Industry Groups in 1967 by Commercial Air Carriers 120 42. Passengers and Freight Carried by Non-Scheduled Air Carriers 1960-1967 121 List of Tables, contd. viii 43. Non-Scheduled Air Carrier Employment (Average Number) 1960-1967 122 44. Unit-Toll Hours, 1960-1967 129 45. Bulk Transportation Hours, 1960-1967 134 46.