▁occasions ▁by ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party ▁encourag ing ▁him ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁political ▁office , ▁but ▁decl ined ▁on ▁each ▁occasion . ▁ ▁Pil ot ▁ ▁Pal mer ' s ▁early ▁" f ear ▁of ▁flying " ▁was ▁what ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁purs ue ▁his ▁pilot ▁certificate . ▁After ▁almost ▁ 5 5 ▁years , ▁he ▁logged ▁nearly ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁hours ▁of ▁flight ▁time ▁in ▁various ▁aircraft . ▁His ▁personal ▁website ▁reads : ▁ ▁On ▁Pal mer ' s ▁ 7 0 th ▁birth day ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁West mor eland ▁County ▁Airport ▁in ▁Lat ro be ▁was ▁renamed ▁Arnold ▁Pal mer ▁Regional ▁Airport ▁in ▁his ▁honor . ▁According ▁to ▁their ▁website : ▁"[ The ▁air port ] ▁started ▁as ▁the ▁Long view ▁F lying ▁Field ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁It ▁became ▁J . D . ▁Hill ▁Airport ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁Lat ro be ▁Airport ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁and ▁West mor eland ▁County ▁Airport ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁Com plement ing ▁a ▁rich ▁history ▁root ed ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁pione ers ▁of ▁av iation , ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁Arnold ▁Pal mer ▁Regional ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁honor ▁the ▁Lat ro be ▁native ▁golf ▁legend ▁who ▁grew ▁up ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁mile ▁from ▁the ▁run way ▁where ▁he ▁watched ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁official ▁air mail ▁pick up ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁and