Tom Poberezny, a two-time former aerobatic champion and air show performer who later served as President, Chairman and CEO of the EAA and established the EAA Young Eagles program to encourage youth to become pilots, was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame on October 1st along with three others in Dayton, Ohio.
EAA CEO/Chairman Jack Pelton heartily congratulated Poberezny on receiving what he described as the singular honor of being inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, where he joins the nation’s most legendary aviation figures. “We at EAA are overjoyed at the recognition for Tom in respect to his long and varied career in the flying community,” said Pelton. “That includes his aerobatic skill as U.S. National Unlimited Aerobatic Champion, a member of the American world championship team in 1972, and dazzling air show audiences as a member of the Red Devils and Eagles aerobatic teams for 25 years.”
Pelton said his leadership as president of EAA also left an indelible mark, including the construction of the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh, the growth of the annual EAA fly-in convention as a world-class event, the creation of the Young Eagles program that has flown more than 2 million young people since 1992, and his leadership that led to the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft category in 2004. “Tom is well deserving of this honor, as his vision and dedication made the sport aviation community a better place for all of us.”
Tom Poberezny’s induction also marks the first father-son tandem as part of the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Tom’s father, EAA’s late founder Paul Poberezny, was inducted in 1999.
Also inducted on Saturday were Capt. Robert Crippen, the first Space Shuttle pilot; NASA’s first flight director, Christopher Kraft; and the late Medal of Honor recipient Col. George “Bud” Day.
More information on the event is available at the National Aviation Hall of Fame website: http://www.nationalaviation.org/.
