Paul Poberezny: Founder
Learn more about the legacy of EAA’s founder and one of aviation’s most respected figures.
The EAA Aviation Museum and headquarters will be closed on Friday, January 23, because of the weather. The EAA Aviation Museum will also be closed on Saturday, January 24.
The EAA website will be offline for scheduled maintenance on Friday, January 23, 2026, starting at 9:30 p.m. (CST). We expect the site to be unavailable for several hours. This includes all services such as membership login, renewals, shopping, and AirVenture ticketing. We appreciate your patience as we improve our systems.
History
There’s an element of excitement associated with the word “airplane” that creates the spirit of adventure. It knows no boundaries and encourages enthusiasm that’s as infectious as it is appealing. It is what has captured the imagination of more than 300,000 individuals who proudly call themselves EAA members.
EAA was founded in 1953 by Paul H. Poberezny who served as the organization’s president from 1953 to 1989 and then as chairman of the board until 2009.
It has grown from a handful of aviation enthusiasts to an international organization representing virtually the entire spectrum of recreational aviation.
Tom Poberezny
Learn more about EAA’s second president and his role in building EAA AirVenture into the world showcase it is today.
