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Governor honors retired Aeronautics Board member

Bob Hoff, who recently retired from the Idaho Aeronautics Advisory Board, has a new signature atop his unique retirement trophy. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter congratulated Hoff and autographed the propeller when he visited Idaho Falls March 8.

A 50-year veteran of flying, Hoff was honored Jan. 21 in Boise for his contributions to advisory board and his commitment to aviation in Idaho. He joined the advisory board in 1995. After serving 14 years on the board, he decided to step down and hand the controls to Chip Kemper.

During his tenure on the board, Hoff developed a sincere appreciation for the role aviation and airports play in Idaho’s economy.

“I’ve always said there’s an analogy between airports and communities. They go hand-in-hand. If you have a thriving airport, you have a thriving community,” he said after his January retirement.

“The first and last view that investors have of Idaho often is from the air."

Idaho is “very unique” because of its extensive network of state-owned backcountry airstrips, Hoff said. Only Alaska compares in terms of aviation related to tourism and recreation.

“We have the crown jewel in that box,” he says. “We’ve been very lucky in that virtually every (gubernatorial) administration has recognized the uniqueness of our airstrips and airports. We have to work all the time to keep that up."