Tom Poberezny
Encyclopedia
Tom Poberezny has been the Chairman of the annual Experimental Aircraft Association
Fly-In and Convention from 1977 to 2011, and president of EAA from 1989 to 2010.
Tom took over from his father Paul Poberezny
who founded EAA in 1958.
Poberezny graduated from Northwestern University
and became interested in aviation soon after. He joined the US National Unlimited Aerobatic Team and was part of the team that won the World Championship in 1972 at Salon, France. In 1973, Poberezny won the individual US National Unlimited Aerobatic Championship. In 1971, Tom Poberezny, Charlie Hillard
, and Gene Soucy
formed the aerobatic team of The Red Devils (soon renamed the Eagles Aerobatic Team) and went on to perform at airshows until the Daytona Skyfest in 1995. This makes the Eagles the longest performing aerobatic team with one group of members. Poberezny also appeared as a pilot in the movie Cloud Dancer
in 1980.
Tom Poberezny has been the chairman of the EAA Fly-In Convention (now known as the EAA AirVenture Fly-In) since 1977. This annual event takes place in Oshkosh, WI and attracts over 750,000 visitors with 10,000 aircraft from 68 countries. In the late 1970s, he led the campaign to build the present-day EAA AirVenture Museum
at Wittman Regional Airport
in Oshkosh, WI.
In 1989, Poberezny was elected president of the EAA. EAA promotes the hobby of building and flying small aircraft and has 160,00 members worldwide. He led the creation of the Young Eagles
program which introduces young people to aviation, in 1992. The goal of giving one million kids a ride in an aircraft was met in October 2003.
He was also a member of the Centennial of Flight Commission, a six-person board created by Congress to coordinate the nation's celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers
' historic first flight.
Poberezny has promoted the EAA's role in the light-sport aircraft
category bringing new opportunities for people to learn to fly or keep flying.
In March 2009, Paul Poberezny stepped down as Chairman of EAA, and Tom Poberezny took on these duties as well with Rod Hightower as President and CEO from September 7, 2010. Tom Poberezny retained the positions of Chairman of both EAA and AirVenture.
On July 26 2011, at a hastily arranged press conference, Poberezny and the EAA announced at AirVenture that Poberezny would be retiring from EAA effective August 1st, 2011. Current President and CEO Rod Hightower will assume Poberezny's duties until a replacement is determined.
Poberezny was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame of Wisconsin in October 1996. He was also awarded the Distinguished Wisconsin Aviator Award in May 2007. Past recipients of this award includes Astronaut Mark Lee, Major General Albert Wilkening, Major General Fred R Sloan, and Astronaut Jim Lovell
.
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....
Fly-In and Convention from 1977 to 2011, and president of EAA from 1989 to 2010.
Tom took over from his father Paul Poberezny
Paul Poberezny
Paul Howard Poberezny is a US aviator and aircraft designer famous for his work in establishing the Experimental Aircraft Association in 1953 and promoting homebuilt aircraft.-EAA:...
who founded EAA in 1958.
Poberezny graduated from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and became interested in aviation soon after. He joined the US National Unlimited Aerobatic Team and was part of the team that won the World Championship in 1972 at Salon, France. In 1973, Poberezny won the individual US National Unlimited Aerobatic Championship. In 1971, Tom Poberezny, Charlie Hillard
Charlie Hillard
Charlie Hillard was an American aerobatics pilot, and the first American to win the world aerobatics title.Hillard formed the Red Devils aerobatic team in 1971 with fellow pilots Gene Soucy and Tom Poberezny...
, and Gene Soucy
Gene Soucy
Gene Soucy is an American aerobatics pilot. The son of 2 pilots, he would wash airplanes at a local airport in exchange for flight time while growing up in Kentucky. He soloed in a glider at age 14, and in a regular airplane at 16....
formed the aerobatic team of The Red Devils (soon renamed the Eagles Aerobatic Team) and went on to perform at airshows until the Daytona Skyfest in 1995. This makes the Eagles the longest performing aerobatic team with one group of members. Poberezny also appeared as a pilot in the movie Cloud Dancer
Cloud Dancer
Cloud Dancer is a 1980 adventure drama film directed by Barry Brown. It stars David Carradine, Jennifer O'Neill and Joseph Bottoms. The film follows a competition aerobatic pilot. It had its premiere in Milwaukee on 29 May, 1980.-Plot:...
in 1980.
Tom Poberezny has been the chairman of the EAA Fly-In Convention (now known as the EAA AirVenture Fly-In) since 1977. This annual event takes place in Oshkosh, WI and attracts over 750,000 visitors with 10,000 aircraft from 68 countries. In the late 1970s, he led the campaign to build the present-day EAA AirVenture Museum
EAA AirVenture Museum
The EAA AirVenture Museum is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historical and experimental aircraft located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin adjacent to the Wittman Regional Airport. Paul Poberezny proposed the idea of the EAA Air Museum-Air Education center in August 1958. The current...
at Wittman Regional Airport
Wittman Regional Airport
Wittman Regional Airport is a public airport located two miles south of the central business district of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. The airport is owned and operated by Winnebago County. Wittman Field, as it sometimes called, is used almost exclusively for general aviation, but has...
in Oshkosh, WI.
In 1989, Poberezny was elected president of the EAA. EAA promotes the hobby of building and flying small aircraft and has 160,00 members worldwide. He led the creation of the Young Eagles
Young Eagles
Young Eagles is a program created by the US Experimental Aircraft Association designed to give children between the ages of 8 to 17 an opportunity to experience flight in a general aviation airplane while educating children about aviation. This program is offered free of charge with donations and...
program which introduces young people to aviation, in 1992. The goal of giving one million kids a ride in an aircraft was met in October 2003.
He was also a member of the Centennial of Flight Commission, a six-person board created by Congress to coordinate the nation's celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
' historic first flight.
Poberezny has promoted the EAA's role in the light-sport aircraft
Light-sport Aircraft
A Light-sport aircraft, also known as light sport aircraft or LSA, is a small aircraft that is simple to fly and which meets certain regulations set by a National aviation authority restricting weight and performance...
category bringing new opportunities for people to learn to fly or keep flying.
In March 2009, Paul Poberezny stepped down as Chairman of EAA, and Tom Poberezny took on these duties as well with Rod Hightower as President and CEO from September 7, 2010. Tom Poberezny retained the positions of Chairman of both EAA and AirVenture.
On July 26 2011, at a hastily arranged press conference, Poberezny and the EAA announced at AirVenture that Poberezny would be retiring from EAA effective August 1st, 2011. Current President and CEO Rod Hightower will assume Poberezny's duties until a replacement is determined.
Poberezny was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame of Wisconsin in October 1996. He was also awarded the Distinguished Wisconsin Aviator Award in May 2007. Past recipients of this award includes Astronaut Mark Lee, Major General Albert Wilkening, Major General Fred R Sloan, and Astronaut Jim Lovell
Jim Lovell
James "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., is a former NASA astronaut and a retired captain in the United States Navy, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission, which suffered a critical failure en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission...
.
See also
- Competition aerobaticsCompetition aerobaticsCompetition aerobatics is an air sport in which judges rate the skill of pilots performing aerobatic flying. It is practiced in both piston-powered single-engine airplanes and gliders....
- FAI World Aerobatic Championships
- FAI European Aerobatic ChampionshipsFAI European Aerobatic ChampionshipsThe FAI European Aerobatic Championship is an aerobatic competition held biennially, alternating with the World Aerobatic Championship.- Individual winners:- Winners by teams :- Bibliography :* * - See also :*FAI World Aerobatic Championships...