Former U.S. Senator James Inhofe, R-Okla., has been awarded the 2022 R.A. “Bob” Hoover Trophy by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Inhofe, who retired from the Senate in January, has supported and introduced legislation to allow FAA certificate holders to appeal immediate revocations of their certificates to the National Transportation Safety Board, reform the medical certification process for recreational pilots, raise the mandatory retirement age of commercial pilots from 60 to 65 and improve legal protection for pilots. A pilot himself, Inhofe has logged more than 11,000 flight hours and is noted for being only U.S. senator to have flown around the world.
“If you look at the past winners of the Hoover Trophy, you will notice a few common traits with Bob—leadership, inspiration, giving, adventure, and breaking barriers,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “This year’s winner has no shortage of those important traits and has truly embodied the spirit of aiming high.”
Inhofe was presented with the trophy at the R.A. “Bob” Hoover Trophy reception, which took place at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) last week. First presented to Bob Hoover in 2016, the trophy is awarded annually to “aviators whose airmanship, leadership, mentorship, and passion for aviation inspire a love of flight in others.” Previous winners include Wally Funk, Sean D. Tucker, Harrison Ford, Clay Lacy and Burt Rutan.
“supported and introduced legislation to allow FAA certificate holders to appeal immediate revocations of their certificates to the National Transportation Safety Board”
Well yea, especially after you try and land over six vehicles and ground personnel on a closed runway in Texas, sending frightened airport workers fleeing for their lives. Personally I avoid his kind of bad piloting and thus never have the need for appealing a certificate revocation.
You funny, Arthur!
I don’t think that him trying to land on a closed runway filled with people and equipment as particularly “funny”.
https://www.avweb.com/news/faa-investigating-senator-inhofes-closed-runway-landing/
Yep, Inhofe’s landing on closed rwy with men and equipment working on it not funny.
hi all,
its a true story. oct 21 2010. C-340 with 3 others on board. port isabel texas
cameron county airport. flew over big white ‘X’ & 6 vechicles.
said hes too busy to check notams. rwy was notam clsd for construction. of course the the faa fsdo had the mgr give him ‘remedial training. ‘
the construction workers were livid.
you make your own conclusion.
80 yrs old.
You guys are judging Inhofe for one flight evolution out of 11,000 hrs of flying and ignoring all the positive things he’s done for GA and pilots and passengers. I guess ya’ll forgot that we have Basic Med specifically because of him (despite what AOPA and EAA say). And that’s just one of many things he’s done for us. I’ve attended his forums at Airventure for years and can attest that he truly cares about GA and when you bring a pilot problem to him … he puts his staff “on” it.
My opinion is somewhere in the middle. He was clearly reckless that day he landed on a closed runway with people on it and he didn’t seem to think he did anything wrong. Clearly not good pilot traits.
On the flipside he pushes for pilot friendly regulatory changes that we all enjoy. I’m on basic med now.
As anything in this culture, if you are not “perfect” I will find that out. I will judge you. I will condemn you for life! No redemption, no forgiveness, no nothing for you! You have got to be perfect! If not, you have no place here! laughable to say the least. Everybody is perfect! There’s no place for not perfect people here. It means nothing if you have done tons of good to many. What is important is to be perfect all the time. No? done! trash you to the black book. Next!
This man stated that God creates the weather and that if you believe in climate science (i.e. that MAN can effect the weather) then you cannot believe in God.
I think it’s cool that he’s a high profile pilot who did great things for pilots and aviation and I totally think the award is warranted on that level.
If the climate/God statement above is correct, what do you think Inhofe would say if one argued that a warming atmosphere was God’s way of punishing humans (and the rest of the planet) for digging up the earth and pumping it into the atmosphere?
I didn’t find any info when I did a quick search for Bob Hoover’s views on man-made atmospheric warming. Anybody find that?