Shuster receives AOPA's Hartranft Award

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) was recently presented with the 2014 Joseph B. Hartranft Jr. Award, one of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s (AOPA) greatest honors, for his unmatched work in Congress on behalf of general aviation.

Shuster chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and is a member of the General Aviation Caucus.

"Rep. Shuster is a strong supporter of general aviation and a key AOPA ally in Congress," AOPA President Mark Baker said. "He understands general aviation's important role in our economy and national transportation system, and we're grateful for his leadership on critical issues important to general aviation."

This year, Shuster’s committee will take up the Federal Aviation Administration's reauthorization legislation. Under his leadership, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee expedited approval of the Small Airplane Revitalization Act and passed legislation that makes the FAA undergo a rule-making process prior to implementing policy changes related to sleep disorders. Shuster also backed the aviation community when the FAA sought to close air traffic control contact towers in 2013, and he has opposed both the imposition of air traffic control fees at major aviation events and proposed per-flight FAA user fees.

The Hartranft Award is given annually to an elected or appointed government official who has made noteworthy contributions to the advancement of general aviation.