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Paul Poberezny came from humble beginnings, yet he created one of the world largest aviation organizations and emerged as one of the 20th century's greatest aviation leaders, creating a worldwide aviation organization and the world's largest annual fly-in event, EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
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EAA Founder Paul H. Poberezny:

He died on August 22, 2013, in Oshkosh after a career that spanned more than 70 years of flight at the controls of more than 500 different types of aircraft.

Paul is survived by his wife, Audrey; one son, Tom (Sharon) Poberezny of Brookfield, Wisconsin; one daughter, Bonnie (Chuck) Parnall of Oshkosh; two granddaughters, Audra (Michael) Hoy of Oshkosh and Lesley Poberezny of Brookfield, Wisconsin; and one great-granddaughter born in 2012, Charlotte "Charley" Hoy.

Paul Poberezny often said that there was not a day that went by that he didn't say the word "airplane." His flight experiences began as a high school student and continued through service in World War II and the Korean conflict. Between the wars, he began his hands-on approach to aircraft design and building that would direct his future and his legacy.

In January 1953, he organized about three dozen aircraft builders and restorers in a local Milwaukee, Wisconsin, club that was named the Experimental Aircraft Association. Later that year, the first EAA fly-in gathering formed the foundation of what has become EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Paul Poberezny's life and career was a shining example of vision, self-reliance, and leadership. He is regarded as one of the individual giants of aviation’s first century, with an influence that reaches beyond a single flying accomplishment to affecting tens of thousands of people who have dreamed of flying. This site is a small glimpse of the man who will forever be connected with the personal freedom of flight.

Thank you Paul, rest in peace. Your name and legacy will live forever in the spirit of aviation, and you will fly every time an airplane emerges from a garage and takes to the air.

I am going to make a suggestion on one of the EAA discussion forums that EAA prints up thousands of small stickers that simply say "Thank you Paul", and distribute them free of charge, so that everyone who builds or flies a homebuilt airplane can show a small tribute of thanks on their airplane.

On behalf of Paul's memory, and in the spirit of doing the right thing to honor what his legacy means for all of us, I ask and urge everyone to support this idea publicly. Help me get a groundswell going for this idea if you believe in it as I do.

God Speed Paul!


EZ that is a great idea. I see lots of experimentals with EAA fly-in stickers on the back windows. I'm sure many would be happy to sport a memorial sticker.

EZFlap wrote:On behalf of Paul's memory, and in the spirit of doing the right thing to honor what his legacy means for all of us, I ask and urge everyone to support this idea publicly. Help me get a groundswell going for this idea if you believe in it as I do.

I love this idea. Please share some links to where you are proposing it so we can pile on.

Even if there isn't a huge groundswell elsewhere, I'd be willing to pay for a batch of a couple hundred for BCP members.

[deleted]

Update: I posted something on the EAA forums, and have gotten several positive replies. More importantly one of the EAA staff has put this suggestion directly to Jack Pelton.

My idea was to use a slightly modified version of the ORIGINAL EAA logo, the round one with the little Volksplane at the bottom.

All support on that forum is welcome, or if anyone wants to e-mail Jack Pelton or anyone else at EAA HQ directly, please be my guest.

My second post was to let people know that the full retail cost of a 2x3 sticker was less than 7 cents (qty 10,000) through a place called Probably half that with some negotiation, and die-cutting the sticker to the shape of the old logo would still be relatively inexpensive.

Here is the EAA forum link to the topic:

http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?427 ... -at-Age-91

Here was my original post on that forum:

Originally Posted by Victor Bravo View Post
I would like to pass this suggestion uphill to EAA HQ. Mr. Bryan and/or any other staffers here, can you get this to the proper place, or even directly to Mr. Pelton?

I would like to suggest that EAA print up small stickers, with a version of the original EAA logo, that simply says "Thank you Paul" and nothing more. These stickers should be distributed free of charge. Every owner or pilot of a homebuilt airplane (any airplane for that matter) should have the ability to put one or two of these stickers on the tail, as a lasting tribute.

This idea is just one small tribute, added to the many other tributes that will surely come. But it's a tribute EVERY pilot can participate in, anywhere in the world. I think it would be poignant, classy, and appropriate. I didn't know Paul very well, but I met him several times, and I think he would be honored by having this simple and humble thanks on thousands of airplanes all over the world.

We can't all go to a funeral, we can't all send flowers, and we can't all contribute money to a foundation. But we can all say thanks to Paul every time we fly, at a very very small cost of time, money, and effort.

If the rank and file EAA membership thinks my idea is a good one, please join me in spreading the word and suggesting it to EAA HQ.

I volunteer to help design this sticker, although there are certainly much better graphics experts than myself. I believe that using the original EAA logo is important because it best honors the Founder and his original idea better than any subsequent logos IMHO.

Bill Berle
EAA Chapter 40
Los Angeles