Population of the United States in 1903: 80.6 million
Total number of pilots in 1903: 1
Percentage of population: 0.00000001
Population of the United States in 1929: 121.8 million
Total number of pilots in the United States in 1929: 9,215
Percentage of population: 0.000075
Population of the United States in 1975: 216 million
Number of active FAA-certified pilots in the United States in 1975: 728,187
Percentage of population: 0.003
Population of the United States in 2014: 317.7 million
Number of active FAA-certified pilots in the United States in 2014: 593,499
Percentage of population: 0.002
Percentage of active FAA-certified pilots who were women in 2014: 6.63%
Total female pilots in 2013: 39,621
Number of U.S. Presidents who were pilots: 3 (Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush)
Number who flew in wartime: 1 (the elder Bush; 58 combat missions in WWII)
Number of student pilots in the United States in 1975: 176,978
Number of student pilots in the United States in 2014: 120,546
Number of private pilots in 1975: 305,863
Number of private pilots in 2014: 174,883
Number of commercial pilots in 1975: 189,342
Number of commercial pilots in 2014: 104,322
Number of Airline Transport Pilots in 1975: 42,592
Number of Airline Transport Pilots in 2014: 15,511
Number of female Airline Transport Pilots in 2013: 6,205
Number of flight instructors in 1975: 44,777
Number of flight instructors in 2014: 100,993
Percentage of female flight instructors in 2013: 6.46%
Total number of Sport Pilots in the United States: 5,134
Total number of active non-U.S. FAA-certified pilots: 46,962
Total number of non-U.S. Sport Pilots: 23
Number of active FAA-certified pilots, ages 14-15: 140
Number of active FAA-certified pilots, ages 80 and over: 4,760
Number of student pilots, age 80 and over: 140
Average age of active FAA-certified pilots in 1993: 41.3
Average age of active FAA-certified pilots in 2014: 44.8
Average age of Sport Pilots in 2014: 55.8
Average age of student pilots in 1993: 33.7
Average age of student pilots in 2014: 31.5
Most hours by a male pilot: 65,000, Ed Long, Alabama
Most hours by a female pilot: 57,635, Evelyn Johnson, Tennessee
State with the most active FAA-certified pilots: California, 59,213
State with the least active FAA-certified pilots: Rhode Island: 975
Total number of pilots in Alaska: 8,382
Number of FAA student pilot certificates issued in 1978: 137,032
Number of FAA student pilot certificates issued in 2013: 49,566
Average cost of obtaining a private pilot’s license: $9,900
Average cost of obtaining a recreational pilot’s license: $7,700
Hours of flight training the FAA requires for a private pilot certificate: 40
National average of flight training hours to obtain a private pilot certificate: 75-80
