Get caught, change the law: Inhofe to introduce 'Pilot's Bill of Rights'

As a pilot, if I did what the idiot Inhofe did, I'd have had my certificate taken right then and there and never see it again. Of course since the idiot Inhofe is part of the powered elite, he got to keep flying, no matter how dangerous as a person he is.
He also maintains his innocence: "I did nothing wrong, but at any time I could have suffered the revocation of a license." - THERE WAS A BIG F$%^$ "X" ON THAT RUNWAY!!! - Grow up, take responsibility and own your ___!

Inhoff feels he is above the law. He should be happy that he only received a slap on the wrist. This will go nowhere.

On one hand, an influential person had both FAA barrels pointed at them. That person didn't like what he saw and can make changes to help pilots.

On the other hand, someone who F-ed up big still isn't taking responsibility for their actions. (Shocking behavior from a member of congress... right?)

Air space defined by Jim Inhofe, the vacant air molecules between the ears.. In Inhofe's case its called a vacuum. Those on the Hill really do not get it...

Agreed! Sen. Inhofe fails to realize his stupidity. Further, the rules are made to protect all pilots, including the idiots that disobey them.

Where does fairness come into government operations. I sure as a senator he will get an exemption to do whatever the hell he wants. Probably get the retraining at our (taxpayers) expense. I suspect there are way more important things to work on than salving his hurt personal feelings.

It's so sad that these clowns are returned to Washington for term after term. He's a walking advertisement for term limits. Isn't there ANYONE else in Oklahoma who is more in touch with the real world? Or has Inhofe bought enough votes by diverting piles of federal money to a sparsely-populated state to ensure he gets the post for life?

As an Oklahoman I like neither his flying nor his politics. I guess I will go hide my face in shame.

I'm confused. Article states "he landed on closed runway" and "I did nothing wrong". Can both statements be true? What happened here? Was the runway not marked as closed? It mentions the new law changing NOTAM process. Was the runway closure not in a NOTAM?

I wonder why the FAA didn't suspend or revoke Sen. Inhofe's certificate.:) As "flybuoy" noted ... any non VIP pilot would have been in very big trouble for landing on a closed and occupied runway. Maybe Sen. Inhofe thought the closure had something to do with global warming.

I am in complete agreement with other posts here - this is one cowboy pilot who should have his certificate cancelled permanently. He put his passengers and everyone on the ground at risk of death or serious injury - but got away with a check ride. Any other private pilot would no longer be flying. Inhofe is a disgrace to the aviation community.

Abolish the FAA in fact Abolish the DOT

I'm a lawyer who has represented pilots in FAA enforcement cases for more than 35 years, and everyone should understand that Inhofe was treated favorably by the FAA because of who he is. However, good may come of his conduct since there seem to be very positive points in his proposed legislation that will help all pilots who are charged with violations.

No argument about landing on a closed runway being wrong, unless of course, it was an emergency. On the subject of "agency overreach", I'm looking forward to reading his Pilot's Bill of Rights legislation to see if it addresses the Pilot Records Information Act (PRIA) and the potential for additional "agency overreach" with the Part 121 ATP legislation signed into law last year. Both of these existing pieces of legislation walk a very fine line when it comes to pilot's rights. Unethical and/or inept Part 135/121 management can take advantage of these two existing pieces of legislation along with the At Will Employment laws to ruin a pilots career without proper cause. Yes, there is legal recourse if a pilot has been wronged but it's very expensive and time consuming and the pilot must pay for all of the fees up front with little guarantee he will receive any payback. If you have the opportunity to work for a good unionized coompany, that's the employment to seek.

That terrific Inhofe! He flies by the seat of his pants, which is in close proximity to his brain. Be thankful that he spends more time in the Senate than flying blindfolded (or landing on closed runways).

While this guy is a douche who made a big mistake that he is not willing to even have the balls to own up to and apologize, there really should be a pilots bill of rights. The FAA and NTSB are far too powerful with no check and balance.

I am not defending this guy, but it would be nice to be able to go to a court than let an over-eager FAA inspector destroy your life because of a minor infraction (like missing a page of your GOM for instance).

When I drive and a police officer pulls behind me, surely i get a little tense, I look down at the spedo to make sure I am not speeding and think for a second if all my tags are squared away but I am NEVER on the verge of a panic attack.

On the other hand when the FAA shows up, I get a near panic attack almost immediately. I do my best to not show my fear but its true - they have a LOT of power and if you piss one of them off you are going to have one hell of a time getting anything close to justice.

TO that end, I want to be an inspector, and be a good one... one that doesn't intimidate or harass. But so far they I haven't gotten a call for an interview. That being said many of our POI's have been tools with no airline experience, so why are they getting these jobs and I am not?

Is this a secret society? LOL

He should be held on the tarmac in an aluminum tube with a hundred or so other citizens for hours without food or water or bathroom. Wonder what would happen then?

What happened to the days when it was US(Pilots) aginst them (FEDS) from the post I believe that You all are them and do not have any business in the aviation business. Jason if by a fluke your mother and father are/were married you do not qualify to work for the FAA.

Inhofe's vehement actions in Congress to stop any and all government plans to address the perilous issue of global warming rival those of his thinking to exonerate himself from his egregious abilities as a pilot.....pure, unabashed ignorance. The voters that elected him should be deeply ashamed.

I have voted against him every time, but Oklahoma is a red state and I am making no progress in that regard.

Yesterday I read an article in which AOPA was singing his praises. Apparently the only people that see him for what he really is, is the average working class person, as usual.

Many alphabet groups are claiming that flight instructors are to blame for low student starts and high attrition rates. A large percentage of people who seek a pilot license never make it past the Medical Examiners office. The medical certification process definitely needs an overhaul.

In spite of this incident (where he was clearly flying foolishly and with disregard to NOTAMS) Inhofe has been a good friend to general aviation. Just because he acted inappropriately doesn't mean he's not correct about an overreaching government bureaucracy like the FAA. There can be no dispute that the FAA often acts capriciously and in a heavy handed manner, as do many other government agencies (how about the TSA?). It would be nice for the public to have some common sense protections against all these guys, in my opinion.