Pro-Aviation Legislator Leaves Behind Significant Record

A major player in aero-politics has gone west. 18 term Minnesota Congressman, Jim Oberstar, 79, passed away Saturday due to unknown causes.

In the decades that he served in Congress, Oberstar earned a position of serious, even-bipartisan influence when it came to aviation matters. He was a ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a member of the House General Aviation Caucus. His efforts are considered to have been key to the passage of the General Aviation Product Liability Reform bill and a number of aviation funding measures -- including AIR-21 and VISION-100.

GAMA President/CEO, Pete Bunce, noted that, "On behalf of GAMA, I want to express our sadness at the passing of Congressman James 'Jim' Oberstar, former Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the transportation infrastructure of the United States and also understood the importance of a healthy general aviation industry. He was proud to have Cirrus Aircraft in his congressional district and was a champion for their development and progress. As a graduate of the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, he also understood the importance of U.S.-European cooperation on aviation issues and the need to work with legislators and regulators globally to advance aviation safety. He will be greatly missed, and I join the entire GAMA family in extending our condolences to Jean and his family." 

FMI: www.gama.aero