HANDS ON
Charles and Gladys Day built their own airplane
and flew it 16,000 miles, to cities around the
world. Gladys wrote about their journey for the
June 1932 issue of National Geographic.
Looking Back
Thinking ahead
BY PAUL H. POBEREZNY
BY THE TIME YOU read this, EAA will have begun its 60th year of existence, having held our first organizational meeting on January 26,
1953. EAA has been privileged to be a part of many individuals’ lives
throughout the world. Many have long said that EAA has a culture of
bringing people together through high standards, aviation creativeness, and a love and respect for something a bit different as
compared to other activities. We are a huge family, spanning many
generations, sharing our love of aviation and caring for each other.
As a young lad, I always had an admiration for those who flew,
designed, and built their own aircraft. This still holds true for me to
this day. EAA hasn’t changed much from our humble beginnings; our
members still enjoy coming together to share their aviation passion.
They travel to the annual EAA Oshkosh convention, bringing family
and joining friends from all over the world. They enjoy each other as
well as the great variety of aviation. Many attendees save for years to
be able to afford to come to Oshkosh.
Looking back at the growth of Oshkosh over the years, as the avi-
ation industry continues to grow more companies have followed on
EAA’s success, showcasing their products at Oshkosh and sharing in
our culture. Isn’t it their culture, too?
Many who have believed in EAA have contributed their time and
personal wealth to support the various programs EAA has sponsored
in the past and those still in existence today. Some have asked me
about my feelings regarding EAA’s “progress” and what the association has become. All I can say is that Audrey and I are thankful. At
the age of 90, life continues to go by so fast that it seems like she and
I sitting in our basement office back in 1953 is just a dream.
No one could have made EAA what it has become without
the support and assistance of so many individuals who helped
make our dream come to life. Today, our EAA chapters all over the
world (approximately 1,000) serve as
“churches,” sharing their knowledge and
love of aviation and carrying on the mission
of the organization.
As a young lad, I always had
an admiration for those who
flew, designed, and built their
own aircraft.
Corners, Wisconsin. I said to all who were
working, “We will prepare the site to our
high standards and continue working until
that’s met, or we’ll delay the fly-in for yet
another year.”
We all should be proud of the together-
ness and turnout of the members and
volunteers who stepped up to meet the chal-
lenge. Some members brought their entire
families to lend a hand, all for the love of
