OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A life-size bronze statue of longtime EAA president, Tom Poberezny, now stands tall in the museum, with his gaze toward the sky.
EAA unveiled the statue earlier this week in a ceremony as AirVenture kicked off its 70th year.
Poberezny passed away after a brief illness last year on opening day of AirVenture.
Poberezny was the EAA president from 1989 to 2010, succeeding his father, EAA founder Paul Poberezny.
“He made so many contributions to the world of aviation and to EAA and the EAA Museum was his brainchild, the growth of this event, AirVenture, of the Young Eagles Program, flying kids, so richly deserving and it was great to have his wife Sharon and his daughter Lesley and a lot of his friends there that day,” said EAA director of communications, Dick Knapinski.
Knapinski says the funds to create and install the statue was raising pretty quickly by friends of the Poberezny family. His friends say they will continue to raise money for an annual scholarship in his name for former Young Eagles who want to go on to further flight training. The scholarship will be administered through the EAA Foundation.
Tom’s statue stands across from his father Paul’s statue in the EAA museum.
EAA’s AirVenture continues through Sunday.
