AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - September 2024 - 31

DAVID TULIS
FLOWN WEST /
In 2021, Inhofe included AOPA-backed language
in the National Defense Authorization
Act, which was signed into law, requiring the
FAA and Department of Defense to develop
a system that will provide real-time status of
special-use airspace, including military operations
areas, directly into the cockpit, thereby
improving the efficient use of the national airspace
system.
Inhofe also made a lasting impact in the
commercial sector, from introducing legislation
to raise the mandatory retirement age of
commercial pilots from 60 to 65 in 2007, to
ensuring retirement security for all American
Airlines employees after the carrier's bankruptcy
in 2011.
Inhofe was on the front lines in the fight for
AOPA President Mark Baker interviews Sen. Inhofe during EAA AirVenture 2021.
Sen. Inhofe has died
Pilot and champion for aviation retired from Congress in 2023
" A LEADER, A GENTLEMAN, and a pilot best describes Senator Jim Inhofe. General
aviation is, in large part, growing and vibrant in the United States today because
of the senator's passion for flying and his years of dedicated public service to help
make it so, " said AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Coon on
the occasion of Inhofe's retirement in 2023.
The longtime congressman died at his home in Oklahoma over the July 4,
2024, weekend. He was 89.
Inhofe made numerous contributions to aviation throughout his career that
spanned almost three decades, which helped the GA community as well as those in
the commercial aviation sector.
In 2011, Inhofe introduced legislation to level the playing field between individual
pilots and the FAA. Known as the Pilot's Bill of Rights, this legislation was
unanimously passed and signed into law in 2012. The bill made FAA enforcement proceedings
and NTSB reviews fairer for pilots by ensuring pilots understood their rights
and had access to information to appropriately defend themselves during enforcement
proceedings.
Third class medical reform was a key provision in Inhofe's Pilot's Bill of Rights
2. The legislation to reform the medical certification process for recreational pilots
was introduced by Inhofe in 2015, and BasicMed was enacted into law in 2016. Today,
more than 70,000 pilots have qualified to fly under the program since its inception.
When the bill was signed into law, Inhofe said, " The implementation of BasicMed
is a huge win for the general aviation community. The rule will cut bureaucratic red
tape and will encourage pilots to disclose and treat medical conditions that may
affect their ability to fly. Further, the new rule will ease the medical certification
process for pilots while increasing their knowledge of risk and requiring treatment
of recognized conditions. "
Bob Hoover and other aviators with his 1999 legislation
that came to be known as the " Hoover
Bill, " which allows FAA certificate holders to
immediately appeal emergency revocations to
the National Transportation Safety Board, after
the FAA made the decision to revoke Hoover's
medical certificate without cause.
Inhofe also championed the continued
operation of all federal contract towers, leading
efforts to ensure this program is funded every
year. Inhofe's legislation incentivized the hiring
and retention of full-time air traffic controller
instructors was signed into law in 2016, ensuring
the men and women managing our nation's
airspace have the best training possible.
To help combat the shortage of trained
pilots, aviation technicians, and other necessary
professionals, Inhofe introduced legislation in
2018 to support the development and spread of
necessary high school aviation science, technology,
engineering, and math curriculum to help
grow the aviation workforce. He also introduced
legislation to establish the National Center for
the Advancement of Aviation focused on bringing
the industry together to eliminate aviation
workforce shortages and keep U.S. aviation prepared
and competitive in a global market.
" Senator Jim Inhofe's contributions to general
aviation over the years are significant and
appreciated by hundreds of thousands of pilots
across the nation, and our gratitude for his tireless
efforts cannot be measured, " said AOPA
President Mark Baker. " I am so proud to have
considered Jim a friend and fellow pilot. Our
condolences to his wife Kay and his family. "
AOPA PILOT / September 2024
31
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - September 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - September 2024
