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One thing that sticks out is how many airports the US and Canada have and how few China has. Does anyone know if the data is incomplete for China, or is this a
by jweir 7y ago
One thing that sticks out is how many airports the US and Canada have and how few China has.
Does anyone know if the data is incomplete for China, or is this accurate?
- ceejayoz 7y agoThe US is fairly unusual in its vibrant general aviation infrastructure. A lot of those airports are tiny ones suitable to only propeller and small jet planes, not airliners. China's extensive recent work on a high speed rail network is probably relevant here, too.
- kart23 7y agoHeres a list of Airports in China vs the US. Looks to me that America has a lot more smaller airports, vs china which mostly has bigger airports for airliners and such. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_by_ICAO_code:_Z https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_by_ICAO_code:... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_by_ICAO_code:_K https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_by_ICAO_code:...
- daveslash 7y agoI can't speak for China, but after a quick glance, I can name two actively used airports in the US that I can find on this map that are nothing more than flat stretches of dirt. [Edit] They're generally used for hobbyists. Although, I once watched a V-22 Osprey practicing touch-and-goes at [1] below -- kicked up all kinds of desert dust. I've never felt more like being in Half-Life than at that time. [1] Ocotillo Wells Airport https://www.google.com/maps/@33.1469143,-116.1300329,587m/data=!3m1!1e3 https://www.google.com/maps/@33.1469143,-116.1300329,587m/da... [2] Salton Sea Airport https://www.google.com/maps/@33.2420755,-115.9513012,1246m/data=!3m1!1e3 https://www.google.com/maps/@33.2420755,-115.9513012,1246m/d...
- sand500 7y agoI also don't think China has anywhere near the general aviation community as their airspace is controlled by the military.
- Kaibeezy 7y agoSeriously! Russia too. It looks like there are more airports in New Jersey than in China and Russia combined. That's got to be _some_ kind of opportunity?
- ddoolin 7y agoThis is more of a regulatory issue than anything. Airspace is very strictly controlled in both countries. Further, outside of NA and Europe, GA is simply not as commonplace and in many cases like China/Russia, it's because it's (for all intents) inaccessible. Besides being heavily regulated, it's also relatively expensive, even by first-world standards.