Wouldn't it be nice to have a pilot, a real grass-strip kind of guy, representing us on capitol hill? We do, and one of them is Oklahoma's Sen. James Inhofe, who is among general aviation's modern champions.
Inhofe came to Congress in 1987, when he entered the House of Representatives for the first of four terms. He became a senator in 1994. His efforts in Congress have included leading the battle for general aviation product liability reform, establishing VFR corridors in congested airspace, opposing the privatization of the FAA, and defying the president on the issue of air traffic user fees. In June, he helped to derail the forcedown proposal that had been inserted into the tobacco bill.
Inhofe is now fighting for pilots with the introduction of the FAA Emergency Revocation Reform Bill — the "Hoover Bill" — which would force the FAA to support its reasons for any emergency certificate revocation before the NTSB within seven days.
He seems a consummate politician at first glance. Inhofe has a firm gaze; he keeps a hundred issues in his head all at once. But mention airplanes, and the politician's facade evaporates. He becomes a pilot with hangar-flying tall tales, a glint in his eye, and a technical understanding of antique aircraft.
Inhofe's political career has lasted 32 years. It started almost as a hobby, born of a desire to keep government from overregulating its people. He served in both houses of the Oklahoma state legislature, and he was the mayor of Tulsa from 1978 to 1984.
His flying also began as a hobby. He first soloed in 1957, after leaving the Army. "It was a little grass field called Harvey Young. Close your eyes and picture the perfect little grass airstrip. At that time you could get a license for $35 in an old, beat-up 1939 Aeronca Champ, including gas and instructor," Inhofe recalls.
Inhofe, 63, has logged 7,000 hours of flight time, and still averages seven flight hours a weekend. He commutes to Oklahoma on Thursdays, and for at least two days before returning to Capitol Hill, he flies to town hall meetings all over the state. On Sundays he goes to Airman Acres, a grass strip north of Tulsa, to fly antique aircraft with friends.
Inhofe, a Republican, believes "If it weren't for aviation, I probably would not be in the United States Senate. Oklahoma is more than two-to-one registered Democrat, and so I had to be everywhere during the 1994 campaign. What I did was, I left [Tulsa's] Riverside Airport in the morning long before sunup, and I'd fly back long after dark every single night."
Flight instruction, charter flying, and aircraft trading are part of Inhofe's long aviation career. He owns a Cessna 303 Crusader, a Grumman Tiger, and an L-2 World War II observation plane. In the past, he has owned a Piper Aztec, a Cessna 421 and 414, a Stinson 10A, a Boeing Stearman, and a Bellanca Citabria.
Inhofe tells a story of the time he bought 54 airplanes in a single lot. "That was when Gulfstream bought Grumman and they didn't want their reciprocating-engine airplanes. They had 54 Tigers and Cheetahs in a field in Savannah, Georgia. One of the conditions was that I had to move these 54 planes off the field. I checked out a whole bunch of pilots, then we all went on the red-eye to Savannah. It occurred to us that this might be the largest civilian airlift in history, and I was leading it. We took off and turned toward Tupelo, Mississippi; I looked down and [saw that] I didn't have a chart."
His biggest flying adventure, however, was a 1981 around-the-world flight in a light twin to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of Wiley Post's flight in the Winnie Mae. Inhofe and three friends flew a Cessna 414 fitted with extra fuel tanks. The intention was to fly Post's route as closely as possible.
Their arrival in Moscow led to some anxious moments. The Soviet ambassador to the United States had approved the route, but visas had not come in time. Inhofe and his friends chose to fly into Moscow without the visas.
He remembers, "We were put in a truck and carted off to what they call 'a hotel for visitors without visas' — a slave labor camp. We were able to use a phone and call the embassy and had that stopped."
The senator's love for aviation is a strong part of his political motivation. He has been a tireless friend of general aviation pilots, but he admits that he cannot fight the good fight alone. Washington is rife with misconceptions about what GA is and what it contributes to society, he says. Pilots should do everything they can to sway their representatives in government, and Inhofe recommends a three-point plan.
First, it is necessary for pilots to be fully educated about what is happening in government concerning their interests. Membership in pilot organizations is a good way to stay abreast of the latest news.
Second, they should know the players. There are friends to aviation, and there are bullies. Some of each sit on the different subcommittees that affect aviation. Others are up for reelection.
Finally, it is important for pilots to participate in the political process. Letters, phone calls, and even e-mail help tremendously, especially if there is a close committee vote on an important issue.
It can also help to be a U.S. senator.
