Air Population over the Great Plains

Abstract

Early trails through the Great Plains remind us that humans have passed through the area for many years. The area was seen as an impediment; the purpose was simply to get to the other side. The Great Plains are now often referred to as “flyover country,” a disparaging description indicating that most people simply fly over. The “flyoverness” of the Great Plains can be examined through air population, the total number of people flying above the earth at any point in time. The instantaneous location of aircraft can now be tracked through an extensive network of ground aircraft sensors based on ADS-B (Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) that provides the position of an aircraft along with its identification, aircraft type, altitude, and speed. Air population can then be estimated by multiplying the number of seats for each aircraft by the current seat occupancy rate. This population is further divided by state and county. Maps show the total air population, the density of air population (population/area), and the ratio of air population to ground population. While high ground population areas also have a high air population, “flyover” states have a higher ratio of air population to ground population. The analysis also shows that many counties in the Great Plains regularly have more people above them than live on the ground.