GA helps protect the planet against environmental hazards by providing scientists and regulators with the tools they need to survey and sample air, water, and soil across a wide geographic area. When problems are detected, aircraft transport environmental management teams and cleanup crews.
Airplanes are used to capture air samples from the atmosphere at all altitudes, helping researchers protect the ozone layer and minimize smog.

When ships threaten America’s lakes, rivers, or coastal waters with illegal discharges from cargo hold wash downs or sewage, aircraft are used to follow the trail of pollution back to the source. They also capture the video and photographic evidence needed to prosecute the captains and crews in court. If needed, environmental officials can be dropped onto the decks of rogue ships.

Forestry

America’s pulp, paper, and wood products companies use General Aviation (GA) extensively to enhance production while minimizing environmental damage. They can practice selective harvesting of mature trees from the air without having to clear-cut large areas. Aerial harvesting also minimizes the need to build logging roads, which helps to prevent soil erosion.

Surveying and land management flights help crews chart new areas for planting or harvesting. When the time is right to plant, aerial planting can reseed vast areas in a few days. Without aerial planting, the process could take months. Crop management flights help foresters monitor the progress of growth within new stands.

When insects or diseases threaten forests, the aerial application of biodegradable control agents can help protect the trees and save the wildlife that depend upon forests for their habitats. And when disaster strikes, aerial firefighting can quickly control wildfires that would otherwise destroy millions of acres, kill wildlife, and threaten homes.

Wildlife Management

Wildlife managers use small GA aircraft to help protect endangered species and to learn about the health and well-being of wildlife.

Temporary tracking collars can be placed on animals, which are then monitored from the air to determine the range of territory used. This helps wildlife managers to detect the habitat needs of different species, learn migratory patterns, and protect human populations from unplanned encroachment.

Aerial observation and photography is used to measure animal and bird populations and to monitor trends that can signal the success or failure of management programs.

When rare or endangered animals have been injured or are threatened by a wildfire or flood, rescue teams use small aircraft or helicopters to locate the animal, deploy a rescue team, and then relocate the animal to a safer area.