Here are some brief highlights from the 2017 Survey:

• There have been some positive changes in the types of aircraft that COPA members are now flying compared to our last surveys done in 2007 and 2012 however 2017 survey is showing an increase. Members say that they are flying more light certified airplanes, from 84% and now 85.7%. They are also flying a little more floatplanes in 2017, from 20.9% and currently 29.2%. Members are flying the equivalent number of  ultralights, from 17.5% and down to 17.3%, amateur built aircraft are continuing to increase from 19.7% to 24.8% and now 25.1%.
• The lowest total reported lifetime flying time was 2.0 hours and the highest was 30,000 hours. The median COPA member has 750 hours total flying time compared to 680 hours in 2012.
• The lowest amount of time flown in 2015 was 1.0 hours and the most was 800 hours, with a median flying time of 35.0 hours up from 27.0 hours in 2012, in line with the next question regarding hours flown since last survey 37.8% answered lower and 46.1% answered about the same.
• The median COPA member has been flying for 27 years increased by 5 years compared to 2012.
• Aircraft ownership has been on the increase since our last survey. From 60.4% to 64.3% in 2017, members reported owning an aircraft or a share of an aircraft.
• The number of COPA members who browse the internet has gone up since the 2012 survey 73.4% and is now 82.1%, up from 59.1% in 2007.
• Our members greatly value the COPA aircraft insurance program, this year the question was changed from do you want to do you use and 66.1% said that was the program that they most used followed by Rust Removers (safety seminars) that moved up to second at 27.2%.
• While the results in this survey are relatively very good regarding value from their COPA membership, it is worth noting that the mean has decreased a fair degree over three successive surveys, especially in this survey.
• Most members think that COPA should first conduct more lobbying 48.6% and promotion 24.3%, followed by providing more training, articles and current information at 16.0%.
• It is worth noting that the mean age of 60.3 is 3.1 years older than the mean age reported in 2012, which was 57.2, and 4.45 years older than the mean age reported in 2007, which was 55.85.  These facts highlight the importance again of redoubling efforts to attract younger members; otherwise the membership will continue to decline over time.
• Women make up 2.2% of COPA members, which is 1.0% less than observed in the two previous surveys.

Click here for the report including graphs of the 2017 COPA Membership Survey.