Rep. Sam Graves Is a Pilot. How Will That Influence a Bill Governing Federal Aviation?

Rep. Sam Graves, the Missouri Republican who chairs the committee in charge of issuing the congressional authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration, owns at least two planes — a 1954 North American T6-J and a Vans RV-8.

He’s a pilot, frequently flies out of the municipal airport in his hometown of Tarkio and, in the recently introduced House version of the bill, secured a whole sections worth of priorities for the pilots of smaller planes that generally aren’t used to shuttle large quantities of people and products around the country.

“Having a chairman of a full committee who is a general aviation pilot, who completely and fully understands the industry is just very important,” said Jim Coon, the vice president of government advocacy at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. “And I think over the years, many of the FAA bills focused on the commercial side of things. And I think this is Chairman Graves’ opportunity to show the importance of general aviation to the country.”

Coon said there are about 200,000 airplanes in the general aviation fleet compared to 5,000 in the commercial fleet, which makes up the vast majority of planes in the country. There are also more public use airports used by the general aviation fleet than by the major airlines, which only use about 400 to 500.

In the past week, both the House and Senate have introduced their versions of the FAA re-authorization bill, which helps lay out funding and rules for the agency that helps keep air-traffic moving and safe. The current version is set to expire in September, which would risk a shutdown that jeopardizes the jobs of airplane inspectors and air traffic controllers, potentially causing a disruption to passenger flights.

It is the beginning of what will be a long process — both the House and Senate will pass their versions of a bill and will likely have to agree over a final version sometime before September. Already, the bill is delayed in the Senate and Congress takes the month of August off.

The 773-page House version contains more robust provisions for general aviation than the 461-page Senate version. It includes the implementation of a pilot’s bill of rights that requires notice when a pilot is subject to reexamination and provisions related to fuel private pilots can use, allowing more pilots to get private physicians to sign off on medical exams and funding more airplane hangars.

Graves’ office did not reply to a request for comment on how his experience as a pilot shaped the construction of the House version of the FAA Authorization. During campaigns, he has been criticized for using federal money to support his flying hobby.

In his remarks before a committee meeting about the bill, Graves touted its focus on general aviation. He founded the general aviation caucus in Congress.

“I’m proud to say that our bill includes the first ever General Aviation (GA) title,” Graves said. “GA is foundational to our aviation system. It’s where many of our pilots, mechanics, and others begin their careers, gaining valuable experience on their path to professions throughout the industry.

Graves is one of three lawmakers from the Kansas City region who has a say in the airlines bill, alongside Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, and Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat. Moran and Graves are leading congressional delegations to Paris this weekend to make a speech at the Paris Air Show.

Lawmakers have particularly highlighted provisions in the bill aimed at helping consumers. The Senate version of the bill aims to clarify the laws surrounding refunds when an airline cancels or significantly delays a flight. It also forbids airlines from charging extra for families to sit together and says airlines can no longer publish unrealistic flight schedules that lead to delays.

The House version also forbids airlines from charging extra for families to sit together and requires the airlines to reimburse people for meals and hotels when they cancel a flight.

“In recent months, we’ve seen a frustrating rise in mass flight cancellations, runway near-misses, and costs for air travelers. It’s time Congress acts to provide Americans with a sense of security while traveling,” Davids wrote in a statement. “I’m proud to have worked with Republicans and Democrats on legislation that includes many of the priorities I’ve pushed for, including more protections for consumers, updated safety regulations, and incentives to boost the aviation industry here in America.”

Davids last year sponsored a bill that focused on advanced air mobility — new technology that would pave the way for drone-like aircraft that would initially be used for things like delivering packages and could one day be used as air taxis to help people reach hospitals.

The Senate’s version of the bill creates two more sites where companies could start experimenting with the technology for package delivery and helps creates a path for the safety certification of air taxis.

Moran worked on the Senate version of the bill, and attempted to protect the number of flights that go through the airports in Kansas, specifically the brand new terminal at Kansas City International airport. He also focused on workforce issues, including a training program at Wichita State University.

But on Thursday, a scheduled meeting about the Senate bill was delayed as lawmakers battled behind the scenes as lawmakers battled over whether to require more training hours for pilots and whether to allow longer flights out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Moran said the bill shouldn’t be derailed by political whims, while acknowledging that negotiations will continue as the bill works its way through Congress.

“The FAA is at an important juncture as it navigates an evolving environment and challenges,” Moran said. “When traveling by air, Americans expect to arrive to their destination safely, with minimal delays and without spending all their savings on a plane ticket. It is these expectations that have been at the forefront of our discussions as we drafted this legislation.”

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