The Experimental Aircraft Association was founded in 1953 at Curtiss-Wright (now Timmerman) Field by a group of individuals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who were interested in building their own airplanes. Paul Howard Poberezny, the leader of a small group of aviation enthusiasts who had been assembling at his home on an irregular basis, founded the Experimental Aircraft Association and he was elected its first President.
Through the decades, the organization expanded its mission to include antiques, classics, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft, ultralights, helicopters, and contemporary manufactured aircraft.EAA’s purpose quickly encompassed the promotion of all facets of aviation – especially sport aviation, the preservation of Americas rich heritage of personal flight – and the promotion of aviation safety. The organization derives its name from the Experimental Aircraft category, which is assigned to airplanes used for recreational and educational purposes only. One of the keys to the associations constant growth is the fact that its membership is open to everyone interested in aviation.
How does one describe an EAA member? Well, how does one describe the feeling of taking off into a stiff headwind? The answer: If you don’t know, you’ll just have to join us to find out. EAA members are what we like to call the “keepers of the flame.” Sure, we love airplanes. We fly them. We fix them. We even build them. But it goes beyond that. It’s about passion, camaraderie, that ol’ can-do spirit, and a grassroots way of sharing our love of aviation with others. Whatever it takes to stand in the footsteps of Orville and Wilbur … if only for a moment.