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Wisconsin's Experimental Aircraft Association celebrates 70th anniversary

The Experimental Aircraft Association celebrates 70 years in existence.
Experimental Aircraft Association
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Getty Images North America
The Experimental Aircraft Association celebrates 70 years in existence.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) was founded in Milwaukee in 1953 and has since grown into one of the world’s biggest organizations for aviation enthusiasts. It's perhaps best known for its museum in Oshkosh and its annual AirVenture festival, which is the biggest of its kind in the world.

This week marks the EAA's 70th year in existence of serving flying enthusiasts from around the world. The organization's communications director, Dick Knapinski, details the origins, current operations and legacy of the EAA.

The organization was founded by Milwaukee native and WWII veteran Paul Poberezny, who had been fascinated with flying. After returning from the Korean war, Poberenzny remanufactured a trainer plane from his earlier flight-fascinated youth and began piloting it.

After discovering several others who shared the fascination and who were building their own planes, they formed a club, and the EAA officially began on Jan. 26, 1953. While it started with 35 original founding members, the organization grew quickly after Poberenzy wrote an article in Mechanix Illustrated magazine about how to build an airplane for less than $800. This article quickly gained the attention of many airplane enthusiasts worldwide, and the EAA rapidly grew.

"It is people who are interested in recreational aviation in all of its forms. Whether it's as a pilot, a builder, or maybe just a dreamer. They're all part of the organization," Knapinski describes.

Though the term "experimental aircraft" may seem unsettling, Knapinski explains it's a distinction in classification. The Federal Aviation Administration must classify aircraft to identify ownership and intended operation purposes. As people began building and flying their own personal aircraft in the early 1950s after WWII, they couldn't be classified as factory, military, or research planes. With no other options of appropriate distinction, these personal planes were classified as "experimental" and remain so to the present day.

The EAA prides itself on being a resource for flying enthusiasts. Knapinski says, "[The EAA] created an entirely new segment of recreational aviation where there was not one before."

Knapinski further says, "Another thing we're very proud of is our Fly-In. Our convention in Oshkosh every year has become the world's largest Fly-In convention with more than 10,000 airplanes and more than 600,000 people."

Knapinski says the organization is proud of investing in the new generation of pilots through its Young Eagles program, which has introduced 2.3 million children to aviation through its operational time. Many alums of the program have become pilots both in the military and commercial fields.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on January 5, 2023.

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Joy is a WUWM host and producer for Lake Effect.
Rob is All Things Considered Host and Digital Producer.
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