Thomas Paul Poberezny (October 3, 1946 – July 25, 2022) was an American aerobatic world champion aviator, as well as chairman of the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-In and Convention (now named AirVenture) from 1977 to 2011 and president of EAA from 1989 to 2010, presiding over a time period of expansive growth for the organization and convention.

He led the effort to build what is now known as the EAA Aviation Museum, opened in 1983, and is a co-founder of the Young Eagles, an EAA program created in 1992 to give children the opportunity to experience flight and learn about general aviation, flying more than two million young people since its creation and making it the most successful program of its kind in history.

Because of his father's early key involvement with EAA, the basement of Tom's childhood home in Hales Corners, Wisconsin was considered "the regional social center of [aircraft] homebuilding.

This annual event takes place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and attracts over 600,000 visitors with 10,000 aircraft from 68 countries, making it the world's largest aviation gathering.

[12] Much of the convention's subsequent growth occurred under the leadership of Tom Poberezny,[7] bringing it from a national gathering of homebuilt and small plane enthusiasts to an international event that embraced every aspect of aviation,[13][14] with a nearly $200 million economic impact on the surrounding area by 2017.

[15] In the late 1970s, he led the campaign to build the present-day EAA Aviation Museum at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, which officially opened in 1983.

The goal of giving one million kids a ride in an aircraft was met in October 2003;[8] and in July 2016, the two millionth Young Eagle was flown by actor and former chairman of the organization, Harrison Ford.

[4][23][24] During the 2015 AirVenture convention, Poberezny returned to the show for the first time since his retirement, driving around the grounds in his "Red Three" Volkswagen Beetle.

Notable proponents behind the effort consisted of aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, Cirrus Aircraft CEO and Co-founder Dale Klapmeier, and retired test, fighter and air show pilot Bob Hoover.

He had a devout passion for the next generation of aviators and his passing, on the opening day of AirVenture 2022, reminds us all why we come together annually with [a] common purpose to share our love for all things aerospace.