U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, second from right, speaks in favor of the American Aviation Act in this photo from his Facebook page. At right is U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins.

BEMUS POINT — Nick Langworthy remembers the horrific night of Feb. 12, 2009, in Western New York. Within hours after Colgan Air Flight 3409 went down in Clarence, he was at the scene witnessing the flames, devastation and heartache while serving as district director for then U.S. Rep. Chris Lee.

Since the middle of April, those memories and experiences from more than 14 years ago led the District 23 Congressman to team with colleagues who included Republican Claudia Tenney and Democrat Brian Higgins to get the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act passed in the House of Representatives in July. The initiative also included an amendment to maintain the current 1,500-hour in-air training rule for pilots.

“This has been the longest period in modern history where we’ve had no commercial aviation disasters,” Langworthy said on Wednesday during a stop in the village. “Lives have been saved because of that standard.”

That action was a significant moment for Langworthy, who has now served one-third of his 24-month term as of today. As a Congressional newcomer, he found his footing almost immediately in Washington while maintaining a presence in the region he served.

Shortly after taking office, he made a stop in Dunkirk to hear concerns on the potential issue of turbines being placed in Lake Erie. Later that winter, he was in Barcelona pledging to have the harbor dredged. Before spring, he stopped at 21 Brix in Portland to learn about the winery’s operation.

Wednesday’s stop in Chautauqua County was another hectic day. Opening with the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Congressional Breakfast at Shorewood Country Club in Dunkirk, Langworthy then headed south to Bemus Point and finished his afternoon at a roundtable regarding the health of Chautauqua Lake.

A supporter of small business, Langworthy hoped to say hello to Laurie Miller, owner of the Bemus Point Inn Restaurant, during one 40-minute stop. She wasn’t available at the time, but he told one of the staff members to pass on his regards.

He also takes pride in the work of his district staff, especially Christine McAllister, in the Jamestown office, and Philip Gow, who is based in Williamsville and was traveling with the congressman on this day. “There’s no problem too big or too small for our attention,” he said, stressing the importance of constituents reaching out to the offices if they are facing any issues. One currently garnering a lot of time and attention at the moment is the passport backlog.

Covering a district that includes Erie and Chautauqua counties — and a large swath of the western Southern Tier — keeps Langworthy on the go when he’s not in the District of Columbia. As the state’s former Republican Party chairman, he brings a style that is much different than his predecessor in Tom Reed, who had an outgoing and folksy demeanor.

Langworthy will not be doing regular in-person town hall meetings, which often became contentious under Reed.

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He also has not been a part of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which attempts to bring both sides of the aisle together.

He does, however, aim to build relationships and partnerships with the counties and municipalities he serves. One of his priorities in the coming days is the next version of the Farm Bill.

On Wednesday at the Cornell Cooperative Extension location in Portland, U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania– who serves as House Committee Agriculture Chairman — will be Langworthy’s guest during a Farm Bill Listening Session from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Those hoping to attend must RSVP at RepLangworthyinfo@mail.house.gov or by calling 716-547-7844.

Langworthy is especially proud of the agricultural community along Lake Erie that produces some of the best grapes in the nation. Serving a place where he grew up is just as special.

“It’s an honor of a lifetime to represent my hometown in Congress,” Langworthy said. “It’s been great … and I’ve spent a lot of time in Chautauqua County.”

John D’Agostino is the editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.