There are U.S.
congressmen, and then there’s Rep. Sam Graves (R) of Missouri’s 6th
District.
Rep. Graves, EAA 619761,
arrived at EAA AirVenture in style Sunday afternoon, landing his
immaculate 1943 Boeing/Hughes PT-13D Super Stearman biplane onto Runway
36 at Wittman Regional Airport. He and copilot Brooks Hurst flew up from
Missouri—about four hours total flying time—in the classic 650-hp
airplane, which happens to be the identical twin to the one on display
in the EAA AirVenture Museum.
Rep. Graves, who is also
a member of EAA Chapter 1405 in Tarkio, Missouri, remarked, "This
is the best way to come to AirVenture." He’s also been here
several times with his family and runs his own annual fly-in and air
show in Tarkio.
To top it off, Graves is
a homebuilder, currently working with his copilot on an RV-8, and
"a Skybolt on the side," he said.
The congressman serves on the House
Transportation Subcommittee, which is responsible for FAA oversight and
budgetary approval. He reluctantly had to return to Washington, D.C. for
votes on Monday, but planned to return Thursday for the weekend.
