Shawn Crosgrove

Shawn started flying with his father when he was two years old in a 1948 Cessna 170. As a kid, whenever he heard the sound of an airplane he was compelled to look skyward, a trait that he is still “afflicted” with. Over time, he learned to identify all types of flying aircraft and to distinguish the difference between an airborne Cessna 172 and 182 by the sound of the engine. When Shawn was 14 his father traded the C-170 for a 1958 C-182A that remains in the family to this day. 

During a break between earning an associate’s and bachelor's degree in 1988-89, Shawn enrolled in flight school and earned his private pilot certificate in C-152 and C-172. After renting these aircraft for a couple of years he checked out in his father’s C-182 and has been flying it ever since. In 1999, Shawn and his father made their first trip from SLC to OSH and camped under the wing in the Vintage camping area. Since then they have made the trip multiple times. Shawn has also made the trip with his son multiple times.

After returning from OSH in 2009, Shawn started attending the local EAA Chapter 23 meetings periodically. In December, a chapter board member invited him to become a chapter officer. Wanting to become more involved, he agreed, but was unable to attend the officer elections. The next day the board member informed Shawn he was elected chapter president! Immediately Shawn attended his first chapter officers training and fell in love with volunteering for EAA. He has attended AirVenture every year since and started sponsoring a Wednesday night BBQ for all Utah EAA members at the Chapter Pavilion.

Shawn served five two-year terms as president of Chapter 23. During that time the chapter grew to over 200 members, sponsored five to six Young Eagle rallies per year, sponsored B-17 and Ford Tri-Motor visits multiple years, and held monthly chapter meetings. After 10 years and 120 monthly meetings, Shawn happily passed the baton to a new chapter president. He is now serving as chapter membership coordinator, a role he thoroughly enjoys — promoting and recruiting new EAA and chapter members. Shawn loves to fly Young Eagles in the C-182 and has flown over 300 youths. He has also embraced homebuilding, and is currently building a standard Vans RV-8 kit that he plans to paint in a WWII P-51 theme. 

Professionally, Shawn has spent 35 years working in the financial services industry managing 401k and 403b plans for tax-exempt organizations. Shawn and his wife Lori live in Riverton, Utah, and have three adult children, one of which shares in his passion for aviation.