AOPA presents Hartranft Award to Inhofe, Manchin
“As both pilots and advocates for general aviation on Capitol Hill, Senators Inhofe and Manchin have played a vital role in protecting our freedom to fly and the 1.1 million American jobs that general aviation supports,” said Baker. “From third class medical reform to the Part 23 rewrite, they consistently take the lead on the policies that benefit the pilot community and the economy, and on behalf of our members we thank them for their service and support.”
Inhofe thanked AOPA for its work to educate members of Congress and discussed GA’s economic contributions in his home state of Oklahoma and across the country.
"Aviation has been a bright point in Oklahoma’s economy in recent years, largely due to the robust general aviation community,” said Inhofe. “As a pilot who regularly attends fly-ins across the state, I can attest to the doors of opportunity general aviation has opened to our local businesses and job creators. It’s been a great honor to work hard in the Senate for the general aviation community to ensure they have free and safe skies to continue flying and supporting our economy, not only in Oklahoma but also across the nation. I appreciate AOPA for honoring me with the Hartranft Award, and thank them for all the work they do to educate my colleagues in Congress on issues that affect pilots.”
Manchin also discussed GA’s economic contributions and noted he has been an AOPA member since the late 1960s.
“I first joined AOPA in 1968 and as a senator I rely on them for their insight and advocacy,” said Manchin. “As a multi-billion dollar industry, general aviation is woven into the economic fabric of every community, and I thank AOPA for this honor and look forward to continuing our work on behalf of pilots in West Virginia and across America.”
