AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2016 - 30

PILOT BRIEFING
CAPITOL HILL NEWS

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Sens. Inhofe, Manchin honored with Hartranft Award
Influential honorees talk medical reform
ON MAY 25, AOPA President Mark
Baker presented Sens. James Inhofe
(R-Okla.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)
with the Joseph B. "Doc" Hartranft
Jr. Award for their longstanding support of general aviation and work on
third class medical reform. AOPA
posed questions to the lawmakers
about their involvement in GA and
medical reform efforts.
WHAT DOES GA MEAN TO YOU?

Manchin: As a pilot myself and cochairman of the General Aviation
Caucus in Congress, I have always
been passionate about the issues
that affect the aviation community.
It is a top priority of mine to address
the unique challenges faced by the
general aviation sector, and to foster business growth and job creation
through this growing industry.
WHY DO YOU THINK THIRD CLASS
MEDICAL REFORM IS SO IMPORTANT?

Inhofe: The FAA's medical certification process is bureaucratic
and burdensome. It subjects recreational pilots to long wait periods
and repeated testing after the most
routine of medical procedures. In
addition, recreational pilots are often told they are not allowed to
fly, despite the fact they have been successfully treated for medical
diagnoses. This has discouraged pilots from disclosing and treating
medical conditions because they fear the FAA's punishment. The
Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 reforms the medical certification process by
untwisting this process. Rather than rely on FAA doctors-who

30 | AOPA PILOT July 2016

Sens. James Inhofe (top) and Joe
Manchin (below) accepted the
Hartranft Award, one of AOPA's
highest honors, from AOPA
President Mark Baker.

do not know the pilots-to evaluate medical airworthiness based
off of a paper trail, the reforms
place these decisions in the hands
of pilots and their personal doctors. Through robust medical
education requirements and mandated medical examinations, the
reforms will encourage pilots to
more aggressively treat medical conditions instead of hiding
them, which will make our skies
safer. Third class medical reform
could impact more than 230,000
recreational pilots immediately
and will ensure that all pilots are
safely able to spend more time
flying and less time fighting with
bureaucrats at the FAA.
WHAT IS THE REACTION WHEN
YOU TRY TO ADVANCE GA CAUSES
IN CONGRESS? HOW DO OTHER
MEMBERS VIEW THE INDUSTRY?
IS GA A BIPARTISAN ISSUE?

Manchin: General aviation is certainly an important issue in
Congress, and is one of the few topics that truly brings both sides
together. Furthermore, each member has a unique story to tell
about the positive benefits the industry has on the communities
Continued on page 32

"Third class medical reform could impact
more than 230,000 recreational pilots
immediately and will ensure that all pilots are
safely able to spend more time flying and less
time fighting with bureaucrats at the FAA."
-Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)

JOHN HARRINGTON

"My colleagues in Congress understand that
general aviation is key to driving economic
growth-providing crucial services such
as emergency medical evacuation,
agricultural aviation, and more."
-Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)

GENERAL AVIATION ADVOCATES
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2016
