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<br />projected to grow at 1.2 percent <br />annually, The strong growth projected <br />for the turbojet aircraft is the result of <br />the strong U.s. and worldwide economy, <br />growth in the fractional ownership <br />industry, new product offerings (which <br />include both new entry level aircraft <br />and long range global jets) and a shift <br />from commercial air travel to <br />corporatelbusiness air travel by many <br />business travelers and corporations. <br /> <br />Although the general aviation active <br />fleet is projected to increase at less than <br />one percent annually, general aviation <br />hours flown are forecast to increase by <br />1.7 percent annually over the twelve <br />year planning period. The total pilot <br />population is projected to grow at 2.1 <br />percent annually through the planning <br />period. <br /> <br />GENERAL AVIATION <br />USER SURVEYS AND <br />SERVICE AREA <br /> <br />The initial step in determining the <br />general aviation demand for an airport <br />is to define its generalized service area <br />for the various segments of aviation the <br />airport can accommodate. The airport <br />service area is determined primarily by <br />evaluating the location of competing <br />airports, their capabilities and services, <br />and their relative attraction and <br />convenience. Also, to aid in identifying <br />the generalized service area for San <br />Marcos Municipal Airport, a general <br />aviation user survey was conducted. <br />With this information, a determination <br />can be made as to how much aviation <br />demand would likely be accommodated <br />by a specific airport. It should be <br /> <br />recognized that aviation demand does <br />not necessarily conform to political or <br />geographical boundaries. <br /> <br />The airport service area is an area <br />where there is a potential market for <br />airport services. Access to general <br />aviation airports, commercial air <br />service, and transportation networks <br />enter into the equation that determines <br />the size of a service area, as well the <br />quality of aviation facilities, distance, <br />and other subjective criteria. <br /> <br />As in any business enterprise, the more <br />attractive the facility is in services and <br />capabilities, the more competitive it will <br />be in the market. As the level of <br />attractiveness expands, so will the <br />service area. If an airport's <br />attractiveness increases in relation to <br />nearby airports, so will the size of the <br />service area. If facilities are adequate <br />and rates and fees are competitive at <br />San Marcos Municipal Airport, some <br />level of general aviation activity might <br />be attracted to the airport from <br />surrounding areas. <br /> <br />General Aviation <br />User Survey <br /> <br />In order to obtain a profile of local <br />general aviation users and their <br />preferences, a general aviation user <br />survey was conducted with the results <br />presented in Table 2B. The survey <br />was sent to San Marcos Municipal <br />Airport tenants and from a search of <br />aircraft owners living in the area <br />(provided by FAA database). In all, <br />approximately 350 surveys were sent <br />out and 56 responses were received <br /> <br />2-9 <br />