Founder/Chairman of Sportsman’s Market and Sporty’s Academy
ATP with more than 10,000 hours
Sport Aviation Reader
Meet Hal Shevers.
As a kid, Hal always liked flying. “One of my earliest memories was my first
visit to Westchester County Airport at the close of World War II. I wanted to
see this secret airport I’d been hearing about for the protection of New York
City.” But Hal didn’t think he could be a pilot. “My mother would say that
as much as you like flying, it’s too bad you’ll never be able to do it because of
your bad eye.”
Things started to turn around in the summer of 1957. “I worked for Sikorsky
aircraft in college and found out there was a waiver process for my eye.” Being a
pilot opened a lot of doors for Hal early on in his career, but he wasn’t destined
to be a mechanical engineer.
“I changed careers and became a CFI.” During this time, Hal marketed a small
radio that picked up airport control towers. He sold it to pilots by mail, using the
trunk of his car as his first warehouse. This was the birth of Sporty’s Pilot Shop.
“My first EAA fly-in was in Rockford in 1961. I went there with my 4-page
catalog and all 250 planes got one! What I really like about EAA is their interest
in youth programs.” Hal has shown his dedication to future generations
through the Sporty’s Next Step program, which helps young people pursue
their aviation dreams. “If there’s no freshmen class, in just four years,
there will be no senior class.”
Why Hal reads EAA Sport Aviation…
“The new format is absolutely fabulous. There’s so much in it from all
different aspects of aviation, and so much applies to what Sporty’s stands
for. Heck yes I make decisions from Sport Aviation!”
Heck yes I make decisions
from Sport Aviation!
On average,
of EAA Sport Aviation readers
are looking to make 3 or more
aviation purchases other than fuel
in the next 18 months.
80%
To get your products and services in front of
aviation’s most active buyers and flyers,
call the EAA Advertising Office at 920.426.6127
