BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

 March 18, 2015 

Ninety-Day Notice of 

Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. 

Of intent to terminate service at Docket OST-1998-4409 

Show Low, Arizona 

Pursuant to Title 49 of the 

U.S. Code, Section 41719, Air 

Service Termination Notice 

NOTICE OF GREAT LAKES AVIATION, LTD. 

TO TERMINATE SCHEDULED AIR SERVICE 

AT SHOW LOW, ARIZONA 

Pursuant to Title 49 of the U.S. Code, Section 41719, air service termination notice, Great Lakes 

Aviation, Ltd. hereby serves its notice of intent to terminate the scheduled air service it is providing at 

Show Low, Arizona. 

In accordance with Section 41719, Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. supplies the following information: 

1. Identification of Carrier 

Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. 

1022 Airport Parkway 

Cheyenne, WY 82001 

 Communications with respect to this document should be directed to: 

 Charles Howell, CEO 

 Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. 

 1022 Airport Parkway 

 Cheyenne, WY 82001 

 Telephone: (307) 432 7020 

 Fax: (307) 432 7001 

 
2. At the time of the filing of this notice, Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., operating as Great Lakes 

Airlines, provides service at Show Low, Arizona. Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. is a certified FAR 

Part 121 carrier that provides air transportation exclusively with aircraft having a seating 

capacity of no more than 30 passengers. Service is currently provided in a Beechcraft 1900D 

configured for nine seats. 

3. Great Lakes Airlines provides the only scheduled passenger air service at Show Low, Arizona. 

4. The Great Lakes Airlines service being offered is as follows: 

 Flight Number Frequency From Departing To Arriving Equip 

 

 3029 X67 PHX 0725 SOW 0811 BEH 

 3029 X67 SOW 0821 PHX 0908 BEH 

 3032 X6 DEN 1400 FMN 1522 BEH 

 3032 X6 FMN 1537 SOW 1531 BEH 

 3032 X6 SOW 1541 PHX 1628 BEH 

 3034 X6 PHX 1030 SOW 1116 BEH 

 3034 X6 SOW 1126 FMN 1320 BEH 

 3034 X6 FMN 1335 DEN 1455 BEH 

 3038 6 PHX 1100 SOW 1146 BEH 

 3038 6 SOW 1156 PHX 1243 BEH 

 

* BEH – Beechcraft 1900 in a nine (9) seat configuration 

 SOW Show Low, Arizona 

 PHX Phoenix, Arizona 

 DEN Denver, Colorado 

 FMN Farmington, New Mexico 

 

All times listed are local time in effect as of the date of this notice. 

5. Changes to FAA pilot qualification rules have created an industry-wide pilot shortage which has 

had an acute impact on Great Lakes. These rules mandated that prior to employment by a FAR 

Part 121 air carrier, first officers obtain an Airline Transport Pilot certification (“ATP”). A key 

factor to enable a pilot to receive an ATP certificate is the accumulation of 1,500 flight hours. 

While the FAA did provide exemptions for accredited flight schools to reduce the 1,500 flight 

hour requirement to 1,250 flight hours for two year accredited programs and 1,000 flight hours 

for four year accredited programs; the reality that was not considered by Congress and the FAA 

is that on average, students graduate from these programs with fewer than 300 hours of actual 

flight time. 

Attachment A of this document, illustrates a 52,212 reduction in certificated pilots from 2009 to 

2013 (year ending 2014 data has not yet been made available). This trend is likely to continue 

and illustrates a clear industry wide problem that has directly affected small community air 

service. Attachment B, illustrates approximately 2 million fewer domestic departures, or an 

approximate 20% reduction in domestic departures in the past 10 years. This is another trend 

that is likely to continue with a contributing factor being fewer pilots being eligible to enter FAR 

Part 121 air service in combination with mandatory pilot retirements. 

Attachment A

TABLE 12

ESTIMATED ACTIVE PILOT CERTIFICATES HELD

BY CATEGORY AND AGE GROUP OF HOLDER

as of December 31, 2013

Type of Pilot Certificates Flight 

Age Group

Total Student Sport Recre- Private 1/ Commercial 1/ Airline CFI 3/

ational Transport 1/

Total 599,086 120,285 4,824 239 196,848 123,466 153,424 98,842 

14-15 162 162 0 0 0 0 0 0 

16-19 16,253 12,505 30 5 3,397 316 0 50 

20-24 55,990 30,180 98 53 14,990 10,372 297 3,122 

25-29 63,257 24,404 123 34 14,585 19,248 4,863 8,805 

30-34 53,844 15,519 162 8 13,480 13,361 11,314 11,553 

35-39 48,020 10,720 187 6 12,949 9,544 14,614 10,195 

40-44 53,699 8,982 255 7 15,592 9,504 19,359 11,136 

45-49 54,363 4,915 468 9 16,661 8,704 23,606 10,779 

50-54 64,158 4,742 669 18 22,808 10,141 25,780 10,078 

55-59 64,940 3,529 885 22 26,870 11,111 22,523 9,517 

60-64 52,883 2,225 807 32 23,655 10,862 15,302 8,243 

65-69 39,917 1,357 593 17 17,460 10,862 9,628 7,506 

70-74 18,306 686 349 16 8,287 5,146 3,822 4,358 

75-79 8,448 217 140 5 3,876 2,643 1,567 2,185 

80 and over 4,846 142 58 7 2,238 1,652 749 1,315 

1/ Includes pilots with an airplane and/or a helicopter and/or a glider and/or a gyroplane certificate. 

 Pilots with multiple ratings will be reported under highest rating. For example a pilot with a private 

 helicopter and commercial airplane certificates will be reported in the commercial category.

2/ Not included in total active pilots.

3/ Certified Flight Instructor

Age Group Certified Pilots excluding Students, Sport and Recreational

20-39 221,111 80,823 139,617 56,004 52,525 31,088 33,675 

40-59 237,160 22,168 212,659 81,931 39,460 91,268 41,510 

Totals 2013 458,271 102,991 352,276 137,935 91,985 122,356 75,185 

Totals 2009 464,856 57,959 404,488 173,959 109,380 121,149 74,253 

4 year change (6,585) 45,032 (52,212) (36,024) (17,395) 1,207 932

Percentage Change -12.91% -20.71% -15.90% 1.00%

Total 2013 Pilots 60 years and older 117,749 55,516 31,165 31,068 

Total 2009 Pilots 60 years and older 109,714 52,020 31,118 26,576 

4 year change 8,035 3,496 47 4,492

Percentage Change 7.32% 6.72% 0.15% 16.90%

 In July 2010, the FAA issued a rule that increased the duration of validity for student pilot certificates for pilots 

 under the age of 40 from 36 to 60 months. 

 This resulted in the increase in active student pilots to 119,119 from 72,280 at the end of 2009.

Instructor 2/
Attachment A

TABLE 12

ESTIMATED ACTIVE PILOT CERTIFICATES HELD

BY CATEGORY AND AGE GROUP OF HOLDER

as of December 31, 2009

Type of Pilot Certificates Flight 

Age Group

Total Student Sport Recre- Private 1/ Commercial 1/ Airline CFI 3/

ational Transport 1/

Total 594,285 72,280 3,248 238 229,767 141,027 147,725 94,863 

14-15 202 202 0 0 0 0 0 0 

16-19 14,492 10,159 13 3 3,788 529 0 65 

20-24 47,785 16,251 49 31 18,184 13,098 172 5,000 

25-29 54,318 10,719 65 7 17,217 22,423 3,887 10,632 

30-34 46,612 6,512 96 11 15,291 14,673 10,029 9,947 

35-39 53,636 5,563 124 10 18,539 12,767 16,633 10,177 

40-44 61,254 5,415 241 21 21,960 11,407 22,210 10,308 

45-49 66,118 5,447 432 15 23,753 10,931 25,540 9,837 

50-54 71,157 4,719 608 30 29,706 11,882 24,212 9,458 

55-59 63,976 3,333 632 37 29,309 12,199 18,466 8,894 

60-64 53,419 2,059 480 25 23,221 12,843 14,791 8,752 

65-69 33,477 1,085 305 16 15,398 9,564 7,109 5,754 

70-74 15,248 507 143 9 7,183 4,536 2,870 3,303 

75-79 8,136 208 50 13 3,992 2,657 1,216 1,745 

80 and over 4,455 101 10 10 2,226 1,518 590 991 

1/ Includes pilots with an airplane and/or a helicopter and/or a glider and/or a gyroplane certificate. 

 Pilots with multiple ratings will be reported under highest rating. For example a pilot with a private 

 helicopter and commercial airplane certificates will be reported in the commercial category.

2/ Not included in total active pilots.

3/ Certified Flight Instructor

Age Group Certified Pilots excluding Students, Sport and Recreational

20-39 202,351 39,045 162,913 69,231 62,961 30,721 35,756 

40-59 262,505 18,914 241,575 104,728 46,419 90,428 38,497 

Totals 464,856 57,959 404,488 173,959 109,380 121,149 74,253 

Total 2009 Pilots 60 years and older 109,714 52,020 31,118 26,576 

Instructor 2/
Attachment B

United States Department of Transportation

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology 03/18/15

Bureau fo Transportation Statistics 10:52 AM

Domestic Passenger Airlines ‐ Departures Performed (Flights)

2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 200

January 624,843 662,112 677,716 681,174 694,866 709,936 793,275 803,924 785,364 807,33February 576,768 607,640 647,034 625,559 623,022 659,905 746,679 724,657 715,843 760,95March 696,039 710,309 728,653 754,694 739,935 747,367 817,511 830,373 823,793 866,59April 676,183 693,861 707,046 720,117 722,593 728,892 799,666 809,663 794,390 838,12May 695,597 721,437 725,746 743,824 741,616 749,038 820,130 844,074 824,051 872,96June 701,838 719,339 735,119 756,735 751,359 760,198 815,936 832,163 820,310 863,42

July 733,359 751,520 757,513 783,853 782,506 794,077 844,755 863,659 852,114 887,08

August 724,109 747,073 753,513 767,983 781,460 781,361 823,531 872,349 866,551 890,93September 665,163 683,380 678,037 706,423 718,697 709,839 728,389 805,076 799,777 814,93October 690,381 708,575 694,760 723,246 737,265 726,611 758,540 841,179 828,218 831,26November 644,736 655,890 669,426 682,682 704,414 694,780 707,252 804,635 792,523 797,46December 659,523 662,343 670,923 701,368 702,620 704,870 720,064 803,981 805,058 802,06Totals 8,088,539 8,323,479 8,445,486 8,647,658 8,700,353 8,766,874 9,375,728 9,835,733 9,707,992 10,033,14Yr/Yr dif ‐234,940 ‐122,007 ‐202,172 ‐52,695 ‐66,521 ‐608,854 ‐460,005 127,741 ‐325,148

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics 10 year change ‐ 2014 vs 2005 ‐1,944,60

10 year percentage change -19.38%