Founders' Wing

Our Founders

Interested in aviation at a young age, Paul Poberezny has lived and dedicated his life to bettering the industry. Whether as a flight instructor in the military, a fighter pilot in the Korean War or the spearhead for EAA, Paul's passion for aviation was at the forefront of everything he did.

Paul wasn't alone in his endeavors, either. His high school sweetheart, Audrey, while not an aviation enthusiast herself, was passionate in her support for Paul. Helping write correspondence, type newsletters, mail meeting notices and hosting fellow aviators, Audrey was the managerial backbone.

Together they worked tirelessly with a core group of other EAA founders and volunteers who shared their dedication and impeccable standards. From removing litter off the fly-in grounds, to advocating safe homebuilt engineering, to printing EAA's first newsletter, the camaraderie and passion of our founders became the heart and soul of EAA.

Our founders lived and breathed the spirit of aviation from the very start. They shared it. They grew it. And, so grew EAA.