Gallery: Pace Plane Pilot, AAM Advocate at Reno Race

Credit: George Hague

Jay Obernolte (R-CA), who represents California’s 8th district in the United States Congress, flew an Embraer Phenom 300 as one of the pace planes for the jet division at the Stihl National Championship Air Races, September 2022.

Credit: George Hague

Rep. Obernolte is a type-rated airline transport pilot and flight instructor. He is a volunteer pilot for Veteran’s Airlift Command, which provides free air transportation to post Sept. 11 veterans and families for medical and compassionate purposes. He is also a volunteer pilot for the Young Eagles, which introduces students aged 8 to 17 to general aviation.

Credit: George Hague

He served on the Pilot Advisory Board during the development of the Phenom 300. “Actually, my wife Heather had more input in the design than I had,” he said. “She was originally invited as a plus one, but at the first meeting she had a lot to say about the interior of the plane. For the second meeting, she was invited as a member of the committee. Heather’s input made it a lot more family friendly.”

Credit: George Hague

After flying the pace plane for one of the Jet Gold heats, Rep. Obernolte secures the Phenom 300. The Jet Class is considered the world’s fastest motor sport, with speeds exceeding 500 mph. “You can forget just how dangerous this sport can be,” Obernolte says. “For that reason, my wife doesn’t let me race, but I’m able to be a part of it by flying the pace plane.” His words were sadly prescient when one of the participants, Aaron Hogue, was killed in a single-plane crash during the Gold final the next day.

Credit: George Hague

Rep. Obernolte is co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Caucus. This bipartisan group with more than 20 members seeks to provide a legislative framework for both safety and operational standards for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. “This technology will change the world,” Obernolte says. “I represent one of the most rural districts in the country. We don’t have a single commercial airport. Imagine being able to call up an electric hovering aircraft on your smartphone, just like you do an Uber or Lyft, and at comparable prices.” Obernolte says that the FAA could approve the first eVTOL aircraft in 2024.