Life-Size Bronze Sculpture Honoring Former EAA President Tom Poberezny to Be Unveiled July 24

The late Tom Poberezny, who served as EAA’s president for more than 20 years and was also renowned for his aerobatic and air show flying careers, will be honored with a life-size bronze sculpture to be unveiled on Monday, July 24, at 10:30 a.m. at the EAA Aviation Museum.

The Tom Poberezny sculpture will be unveiled in the entrance atrium of the museum, immediately across from a similar sculpture honoring his father, EAA founder Paul Poberezny. The ceremony takes place on the opening day of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the fly-in convention Tom chaired from 1976 until 2010, a period that saw the event become one of world’s preeminent aviation gatherings. Tom died on July 25, 2022 – the opening day of last year’s AirVenture fly-in – at age 75.

“Tom Poberezny was responsible for so many programs that engaged people in flight, including the growth of AirVenture, the creation of the Young Eagles program, and the introduction of the sport pilot and light-sport aircraft categories,” said Greg Anderson, retired EAA executive vice president who led the private fundraising effort for the statue and a related aviation scholarship on behalf of the EAA Aviation Foundation. “It is fitting that a permanent remembrance be placed in the EAA Aviation Museum – a facility that was his brainchild as a world-class home for EAA headquarters when it moved to Oshkosh in the early 1980s.”

The sculpture was created by famed sculptor George Lundeen, who has created remarkable likenesses of noted personalities over his 40-year career. The Tom Poberezny sculpture features Tom’s likeness in his Eagles Aerobatic Team flight suit, looking up at the Christen Eagle aircraft he flew as part of the team’s performances.

The associated scholarship will be focused on giving a former EAA Young Eagle an opportunity for further flight training. More details on the scholarship will be announced as they are finalized. Additional contributions to the scholarship fund are welcome by contacting EAA Aviation Foundation at donor@eaa.org or 888-500-5600.