How many people in the world are pilots?
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How many people in the world are pilots?
You'd think a simple Google search would answer this but apparently not. What is the percentage of people in the world who are at least a Privat Pilot? How about the percentage of those who have at least soloed? I imagine it's *well* under 1.0% ...?
Sorry, only a microlighter. Private (sic!) pilot's license is well above my present budget.
So I do not count, so it can never be a significant part of the global population ,as you expected.
So I do not count, so it can never be a significant part of the global population ,as you expected.
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I guess I should have not (albeit accidentally) excluded microlight plots.
(sorry in funny mood today)I would think well under .01 %
Pace
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I remember reading once that fewer than 5% of the world's population had ever flown on an aircraft.
I believe there are approximately 0.5 million powered aircraft operating in the world, and even if you assume 10 pilots per aircraft that would only yield 5 million pilots (i.e. less than 0.1% of the population). I doubt that adding in glider pilots would make a big difference. Even if you factor 3 or 4 ex-pilots per active pilot you'd struggle to get anywhere near 1%.
I believe there are approximately 0.5 million powered aircraft operating in the world, and even if you assume 10 pilots per aircraft that would only yield 5 million pilots (i.e. less than 0.1% of the population). I doubt that adding in glider pilots would make a big difference. Even if you factor 3 or 4 ex-pilots per active pilot you'd struggle to get anywhere near 1%.
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So the stats for the UK are 30,000 active pilots for a population of 60,000,000. So i make that 0.05%.
And the US has 250,000 pilots for 250,000,000 people so thats your 0.1%.
And given these are two of the most pilot/aircraft dense countries in the world then for the 6 billion people in the world there's probably less than 1-2m pilots. (But that still a scary amount of ego for one small planet)
If you want to get into the really rare atmosphere ask how many of those 1-2 m people are willing to turn the aircraft upside down.
And the US has 250,000 pilots for 250,000,000 people so thats your 0.1%.
And given these are two of the most pilot/aircraft dense countries in the world then for the 6 billion people in the world there's probably less than 1-2m pilots. (But that still a scary amount of ego for one small planet)
If you want to get into the really rare atmosphere ask how many of those 1-2 m people are willing to turn the aircraft upside down.
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Another pedant would also suggest that it is a bit of an assumption to say that the UK and US are the most pilot / aircraft dense countries. I'd suggest that there are other contenders like perhaps Australia.. where aircraft are practical / common transport, and they don't have that many people!
Another pedant would also suggest that it is a bit of an assumption to say that the UK and US are the most pilot / aircraft dense countries. I'd suggest that there are other contenders like perhaps Australia.. where aircraft are practical / common transport, and they don't have that many people!
I don't believe that such an aviation hostile country as the UK has 30,000 pilots with a license that is in force.
The Centre of the Aviation Universe is North America. In addition to the large US number already quoted, Canada has 40,000 PPL or higher pilots licenses in force for a pop of around 36 Million. I would wager that the combined US/Canada total is larger than the rest of the world put together.
Last edited by Big Pistons Forever; 28th Apr 2011 at 00:39.
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The CAA holds this kind of info for the UK. 
Not specifically what you asked, but may give you some insight.
Statistics - Licence and Rating By Year - between 2000 / 2010 | Personnel Licensing | Safety Regulation
Not specifically what you asked, but may give you some insight.
Statistics - Licence and Rating By Year - between 2000 / 2010 | Personnel Licensing | Safety Regulation
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I don't believe that such an aviation hostile country as the UK has 30,000 pilots with a license that is in force
http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/BGA...onse1-11v2.pdf
Annex A. UK Pilots
The following table lists the estimated number of UK pilots.
Flight engineers and navigators are excluded.
Licence Holders with Valid Medical Certificates at 1st January 2008
In the UK, 43 000 pilots out of a total of 62 000 are private pilots.
Professional Licences
JAR ATPL 7,522
UK ATPL 4,886
JAR CPL 3,989
UK CPL 659
BCPL 196
JAR ATPL H 518
UK ATPL H 657
JAR CPL H 640
UK CPL HG 45
UK CPL AS 3
UK CPL B 170
Professional 19,285
Private Licences
JAA PPL A 9,003
UK PPL A 10,576
NPPL A 548
UK PPL M 33
UK PPL SLMG 19
JAR PPL H 1,572
UK PPL H 1,048
UK PPL B 66
UK PPL G 39
NPPL (Microlight) with
declaration. (BMAA data.)
3,000
SLMG and SSEA NPPLs
6
(LAA data.)
3,695
Glider pilots. (BGA data.) 8,000
Hang Gliding &
Paragliding. (BHPA data.)
6,000
Less those included twice - 548
Total private 43,051
Total UK Pilots 62,336
So it looks like about 0.1% of people in the UK are actually pilots.
Last edited by Conventional Gear; 28th Apr 2011 at 00:23.
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Originally Posted by 18greens
If you want to get into the really rare atmosphere ask how many of those 1-2 m people are willing to turn the aircraft upside down.
You can count me in that total...
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If you want to get into the really rare atmosphere ask how many of those 1-2 m people are willing to turn the aircraft upside down.
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"If you commit aviation and *not* at some stage of the flight become inverted you should either a) be strapped in the back of something large, with access to a drinks trolley, hosties and a choice of movies or b) be strapped at the front of same and being paid to keep it from becoming inverted, lest it upset the drinks trolley. If (a) or (b) do not apply, then you're simply wasting fuel."
Personally I got kinda bored with just going from A to B.. then finding new B's meant going much further afield, and so on. Then I discovered how much fun you can have going nowhere. Each to their own I suppose!
Personally I got kinda bored with just going from A to B.. then finding new B's meant going much further afield, and so on. Then I discovered how much fun you can have going nowhere. Each to their own I suppose!
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FWIW I had my Group A rating renewed on my NPPL this week and asked the LAA if they wanted a photocopy.
They replied that this was not necessary and when I queried this was told that the CAA didn't want to know either.
So no-one knows how many NPPL pilots are currently flying!
They replied that this was not necessary and when I queried this was told that the CAA didn't want to know either.
So no-one knows how many NPPL pilots are currently flying!
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If you want to get into the really rare atmosphere ask how many of those 1-2 m people are willing to turn the aircraft upside down. Gets really old and boring after awhile though.....
It makes you think we are a pretty special bunch really.
and dont some of us know it.
Then again it is just a matter of money - it is not difficult really. I reckon you could train a monkey given enough time.
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Fuji
We Could make a fortune
: I know someone in television who would love to cover that story.
Fuji trains Monkey to solo Cessna 150.
We could get a suitable monkey male or female,you train him/her and run a television programme.
The viewing levels would be amazing and fortunes made.
PM me if serious
Dont know what we would do with the RT licence bit can the things talk ?
If it busts Heathrows airspace dont blame me
Pace
We Could make a fortune
: I know someone in television who would love to cover that story.Fuji trains Monkey to solo Cessna 150.
We could get a suitable monkey male or female,you train him/her and run a television programme.
The viewing levels would be amazing and fortunes made.
PM me if serious
Dont know what we would do with the RT licence bit
can the things talk ?If it busts Heathrows airspace dont blame me
Pace