Tom Poberezny statue unveiled during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 week - Oshkosh Northwestern

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The bronze statue is on view at the EAA Aviation Museum, which is open year-round.

OSHKOSH – One of the more notable moments to occur during the week of the 70th EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Fly-In & Convention happened on the ground, not in the air.

On Monday — the first day of the event that runs through Sunday at Wittman Regional Airport — a life-size bronze statue honoring Tom Poberezny was unveiled at the EAA Aviation Museum, which is open year-round at 3000 Poberezny Road.

The sculpture stands across from a similar statue of Tom’s father, EAA founder Paul Poberezny, and presents Tom with a big smile on his face, looking up at the Christen Eagle he performed in for decades.

Tom Poberezny was a champion aviator, former president and CEO of the Experimental Aircraft Association, and a member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame who passed away last year at age 75 on July 25, 2022, the first day of last year’s AirVenture. He was chairman of EAA AirVenture from 1977 to 2011.

An aviation icon: Remembering Tom Poberezny, who made EAA AirVenture a 'world-level aviation event' and inspired a new generation of aviators

Tom Poberezny’s time as president of EAA, from 1989 to 2010, saw the organization’s growth into a year-round museum and an air show that encompasses all aspects of flight. Last year’s AirVenture brought a record attendance of around 650,000 people.

The EAA Aviation Foundation has also created a scholarship to recognize Tom Poberezny’s impact and help a new generation of aviation enthusiasts pursue their aviation goals. Contributions to the scholarship fund and more information can be found at eaa.org/poberezny.

Tom Poberezny made a name for himself in the skies and left a lasting impact through EAA's Young Eagles and more.

Tom Poberezny followed in his father’s footsteps as an aviator and began his career in the early 1970s by making a name for himself in the skies.

After flying with aerobatic teams that won national and world titles, he flew as one wing of a civilian aerobatic team alongside Charles Hillard and Gene Soucy. The team was first known as the Red Devils, then called the Eagles Aerobatic Team.

Poberezny flew with Soucy and Hillard until the team retired in 1995, even after Poberezny became chairman of the EAA Convention and Fly-In, now known as EAA AirVenture, in 1977.

Many people who knew Poberezny said one of his most important legacies was establishing EAA’s Young Eagles program. Launched in 1992, the program has dedicated 30 years to giving youth ages 8-17 their first free ride in an airplane. More than 2.3 million young people have enjoyed a free introductory flight through the Young Eagles program since it started.

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For his contributions to aviation, Tom Poberezny was inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2016.

Greg Anderson, who served as EAA’s director of development from 1983 to 2004, told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin last year that under Tom Poberezny’s leadership, EAA gathered talent and expanded its focus. It grew beyond a community of people who built their own airplanes into a celebration of all things aviation, engaging in community outreach and the world around them.

He said these changes led to EAA becoming what it is today, a “gathering place for the world of aviation.”

AirVenture 2023: Look up, Oshkosh! EAA AirVenture is back July 24-30. Here's what to know if you go.

If you go ...

• EAA Aviation Museum: The museum is at 3000 Poberezny Road in Oshkosh and is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. It hosts events, features exhibits and has virtual cockpit tours people can climb into to see what it’s like to be in the pilot’s seat. Admission is free for EAA members, $15 for adults 19 and older, $13 for seniors 62 and older and military members and family, $12 for ages 6-18, and free for kids 5 and younger. A family rate is $37. Call 1-800-564-6322 or go to eaa.org/eaa-museum for more information.
• EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023: AirVenture runs through Sunday at Wittman Regional Airport, 525 W. 20th Ave., Oshkosh. Daily tickets are $43 for adult members or $61 for adult non-members; $43 for veterans and active military and their families; and free for kids 18 and younger. Air shows feature a variety of performances including aerobatics, military, and rare and unique flying machines. Day shows begin at 2:15 p.m. A night show will start at 8 p.m. July 29 and feature fireworks. Visit eaa.org/airventure for more details.

Rebecca Loroff and Katy Macek contributed to this report.

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.

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2023-07-27 10:04:12Z
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