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Thread: Homebuilt Aircraft Fleet Sizes

  1. #1
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Homebuilt Aircraft Fleet Sizes

    Per my usual practice, I downloaded the FAA Aircraft Registration database on 31 December. Here are the sizes of the number of aircraft that are registered as Experimental Amateur-Built. Note this does not include examples that are registered as Light Sport, or have a blank in the column where the type of registration is normally listed.

    For each year, the fleet size shown is on the last day OF that year. Final row is the total number of EAB aircraft in the registry for that year.
    Type
    2012
    2013
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    Air Command
    54
    36
    35
    31
    31
    25
    19
    18
    18
    Aventura
    77
    71
    68
    63
    65
    57
    50
    49
    50
    Avid
    453
    359
    359
    343
    352
    342
    296
    289
    280
    Baby/Junior Ace
    275
    230
    228
    228
    230
    225
    204
    201
    199
    Bede BD-4
    134
    98
    91
    93
    92
    90
    78
    82
    78
    Bede BD-5
    70
    49
    43
    40
    41
    38
    34
    35
    32
    Benson Gyro
    518
    271
    218
    200
    198
    158
    105
    79
    64
    Bowers Fly Baby
    244
    183
    168
    167
    167
    160
    140
    139
    135
    Carbon Cub (EAB)
    21
    29
    46
    64
    90
    119
    177
    244
    308
    Challenger
    657
    584
    594
    586
    593
    578
    491
    480
    476
    Christen Eagle
    238
    214
    207
    206
    205
    204
    194
    192
    192
    Cozy
    164
    158
    160
    164
    165
    163
    151
    151
    156
    Glasair
    651
    601
    606
    596
    603
    599
    571
    571
    563
    GlaStar/Sportsman
    358
    374
    386
    396
    407
    424
    410
    424
    438
    Harmon Rocket
    84
    88
    85
    87
    85
    85
    80
    77
    75
    Hatz
    109
    105
    107
    110
    111
    110
    112
    111
    110
    Kitfox
    1027
    905
    918
    936
    950
    946
    875
    871
    889
    Kolb (Ex-AB)
    296
    248
    241
    236
    235
    227
    205
    198
    186
    Lancair (All Models)
    850
    835
    847
    855
    875
    866
    824
    826
    834
    Lancair IV
    246
    246
    244
    259
    260
    249
    236
    240
    243
    Midget Mustang
    282
    241
    240
    236
    238
    233
    207
    205
    204
    Murphy
    182
    173
    171
    171
    176
    174
    156
    161
    159
    Pietenpol
    351
    307
    313
    311
    321
    319
    296
    297
    289
    Pitts (EX-AB)
    743
    639
    613
    617
    625
    608
    548
    543
    534
    Pulsar/KIS
    150
    130
    126
    124
    125
    122
    107
    108
    105
    Quickie/Q2/Q200
    277
    168
    148
    140
    143
    130
    109
    103
    100
    Quicksilver EX-AB
    296
    170
    163
    156
    162
    154
    134
    127
    129
    RAF-2000 Gyro
    124
    113
    114
    110
    111
    90
    69
    69
    69
    Rand KR-2
    314
    194
    175
    167
    167
    154
    132
    132
    124
    RANS
    684
    627
    638
    659
    677
    673
    636
    651
    652
    RANS S-12
    161
    130
    129
    128
    128
    121
    107
    106
    109
    RANS S-6
    216
    200
    201
    208
    213
    211
    204
    205
    200
    RANS S-7
    178
    180
    189
    202
    206
    209
    202
    210
    208
    Rotorway
    495
    404
    392
    374
    380
    350
    296
    296
    287
    Rutan Long-EZ
    482
    428
    418
    416
    417
    406
    379
    380
    378
    Rutan Varieze
    423
    323
    297
    286
    286
    272
    243
    238
    231
    SeaRey
    237
    231
    242
    242
    249
    255
    241
    238
    235
    Sonerai
    287
    215
    199
    194
    194
    184
    156
    156
    158
    Sonex
    346
    383
    420
    451
    484
    497
    486
    510
    527
    Steen Skybolt
    284
    250
    246
    247
    248
    235
    215
    215
    215
    Stolp
    458
    404
    396
    399
    402
    385
    358
    349
    354
    Stolp Starduster
    404
    357
    349
    351
    352
    337
    310
    302
    308
    Thorp T-18
    290
    261
    259
    259
    262
    257
    239
    238
    236
    Vans
    5674
    5745
    5956
    6110
    6293
    6414
    6447
    6634
    6779
    Vans RV-3
    172
    155
    154
    158
    160
    152
    149
    149
    149
    Vans RV-4
    987
    952
    956
    955
    965
    958
    921
    921
    921
    Vans RV-6
    1786
    1763
    1783
    1775
    1795
    1796
    1731
    1742
    1737
    Vans RV-7
    946
    1000
    1066
    1118
    1170
    1220
    1244
    1285
    1322
    Vans RV-8
    1012
    1038
    1082
    1123
    1161
    1198
    1215
    1252
    1278
    Vans RV-9
    484
    522
    552
    588
    611
    630
    638
    658
    677
    Vans RV-10
    281
    304
    340
    366
    394
    419
    434
    459
    492
    Vans RV-12 (EX-AB)
    28
    36
    49
    53
    63
    68
    74
    75
    74
    Vans RV-14
    0
    0
    0
    0
    14
    38
    66
    98
    134
    Velocity
    245
    232
    237
    235
    240
    236
    222
    224
    228
    Volksplane
    176
    104
    95
    85
    86
    76
    48
    47
    48
    Zenair
    841
    862
    920
    965
    1013
    1028
    992
    1013
    1028
    Zenair CH-601
    344
    340
    348
    353
    367
    367
    339
    332
    325
    Zenair CH-701
    316
    323
    326
    341
    344
    340
    310
    328
    333
    Zenair CH-750
    57
    86
    127
    145
    171
    187
    209
    229
    247
    Overall
    32041
    27946
    27909
    28078
    28830
    28451
    26572
    26842
    26941
    I added the Carbon Cub to my standard list this year. It includes all variations of CCs... the 1865, the 2000, the CCX, and the CCK.

    Ron Wanttaja

  2. #2
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    A bit of detailed information on the homebuilt fleet sizes. The previous posting will show the net change between years, but this shows how many EAB aircraft were actually added in a given year.
    Year
    New EAB
    EABs Deregistered
    2009
    1136
    464
    2010
    1077
    309
    2011
    1022
    666
    2012
    954
    1951
    2013
    918
    5013
    2014
    1047
    1084
    2015
    950
    781
    2016
    977
    225
    2017
    917
    1296
    2018
    888
    2767
    2019
    1186
    916
    2020
    959
    860
    The FAA re-registration process is really biting into the fleet sizes. The US registry is down about 85,000 airplanes from 2010 (the year the re-registration process started), and homebuilts are down about 5,700 aircraft.

    Edit: It should be noted that the "New Homebuilts" include aircraft previously de-registered, but that have been added back to the fleet. So they aren't all new construction.

    Ron Wanttaja
    Last edited by rwanttaja; 12-31-2020 at 01:49 PM.

  3. #3
    planecrazzzy's Avatar
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    I don't register mine every year ...
    They try to hit me with a late fee...
    several notices ...and costing more .

    Finally I have to call them to tell them I'm not flying it ...
    When I do...I'll be sure that it has current registration .
    They back off .
    .
    I do plan on flying the Kolb this year... Registering it is the cheap part...only $25 bucks
    Being Current ...and insurance are the big palms that need to be greased .
    .
    Gotta Fly...
    .

  4. #4
    Sam Buchanan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by planecrazzzy View Post
    I don't register mine every year ...
    They try to hit me with a late fee...
    several notices ...and costing more .

    Finally I have to call them to tell them I'm not flying it ...
    When I do...I'll be sure that it has current registration .
    They back off .
    .
    I do plan on flying the Kolb this year... Registering it is the cheap part...only $25 bucks
    Being Current ...and insurance are the big palms that need to be greased .
    .
    Gotta Fly...
    .
    Ron's excellent table of stats is referring to FAA registration, not registration with the state or locality in which you reside.

    FAA registration renews every three years and is applicable once issued regardless of whether or not the aircraft is flying.
    Sam Buchanan
    The RV Journal RV-6 build log
    Fokker D.VII semi-replica build log

  5. #5

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    I don't know why, but it cheers me to see 289 Pietenpols still active on the register.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  6. #6

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    My aircraft is FAA registered. But it isn't active. In the past they sent an "activity" query each year but haven't seen that in years. So I don't think anyone knows the inactive number.

  7. #7
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    I don't know why, but it cheers me to see 289 Pietenpols still active on the register.
    Even better, SEVEN Piets were added to the rolls in 2020. Four were new builds, three were previously-deregistered airplanes returned to the registry.

    Ron Wanttaja

  8. #8
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Berson View Post
    My aircraft is FAA registered. But it isn't active. In the past they sent an "activity" query each year but haven't seen that in years. So I don't think anyone knows the inactive number.
    Sounds like you used to receive the annual FAA General Aviation Survey. They use the survey to estimate a variety of factors related to GA activity.

    https://www.faa.gov/data_research/av...eral_aviation/

    Chapter 2.1 includes an estimate of how many aircraft are active. For instance, the 2019 Survey estimated that

    66.1% of fixed-wing piston GA aircraft with fewer than four seats were active
    84.3% of fixed-wing piston GA aircraft with four or more seats were active
    66.2% of Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft were active.
    88.6% of Special Light Sport aircraft were active.

    They combine these percentages with the FAA registry to determine how many active aircraft there there are. The survey also estimates how many hours the average aircraft files every year, so they can generate an estimate of the total hours flown. This is used, for instance, by the Nall Report folks to provide estimates of the accident rate per 100,000 flight hours.

    The FAA began the requirement for triannual aircraft re-registration in 2010, and it REALLY hosed up the Survey process. The analysis is based on surveys returned. However, people who DIDN'T respond to their re-registration notice had their planes removed from the registry.

    So the survey's estimate of active aircraft hardly changed, but the overall FLEET SIZE dropped dramatically. This meant that the Survey's estimate of active aircraft ALSO dropped dramatically, even though, in truth, the same number of aircraft were active.

    The FAA never released the 2011 survey; I believe it was because of the effect of the new re-registration process.

    Ron Wanttaja

  9. #9
    Dana's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    I don't know why, but it cheers me to see 289 Pietenpols still active on the register.
    Glad to see Hatzes holding steady, too... Hatzes and Piets just seem to go together. The hotter planes (Pitts, Starduster, Skybolt, etc.) without current kit support are dwindling, I guess people are breaking them faster than new ones are being built.

  10. #10

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    I counted 312 Tailwinds in the registry, didn't look to see how many new, etc.

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