Will Receive Award At AirVenture 2004
Alex Sloan, an active EAA volunteer
Technical Counselor, Flight Advisor and aircraft builder, as well
as the first Chairman of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council, has
been selected as the 2004 recipient of the Tony Bingelis Award.
The Bingelis Award recognizes an individual's contributions to
the homebuilt-aircraft community, and honors the memory and
involvement of the late Tony Bingelis. Sloan will be recognized for
his 30 years of contributions and service to EAA members and the
homebuilt aircraft community. He will receive the award during the
annual Homebuilders' Dinner on July 29 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh,
which is scheduled July 27-August 2 at Wittman Regional Airport in
Oshkosh.
"Alex Sloan truly embodies the values of EAA and the legacy
established by Tony Bingelis," EAA President Tom Poberezny said.
"He epitomizes volunteerism within the organization and is
consistently willing to share his knowledge and resources to
promote better airplanes, more prepared pilots and safer flight. He
is an outstanding and most deserving recipient of the Bingelis
Award."
Sloan, of Florence (AL), was a founding member of EAA Chapter
615 in the 1970s and has served in numerous capacities within that
group. He volunteered as an EAA Technical Counselor in 1985,
advising other aircraft builders on safe completion of their
projects. Sloan added responsibility as an EAA Flight Advisor in
1994, helping local pilots assess their flying skills to be able to
safely fly their newly built or restored aircraft. In 2000, he was
named the first Chairman of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council,
which provides policy and program direction for EAA programs.
Today, Sloan continues to educate
and guide aircraft builders through numerous presentations in
northern Alabama, as well as forums during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
and the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland (FL). He has constructed two
RV-model aircraft and is currently building a Pietenpol Aircamper.
Sloan is also active in the EAA Young Eagles Program and has made
many aviation presentations to school groups. In addition, he has
been honored with the EAA President's Award and EAA's Major
Achievement Award in 2001.
Sloan was nominated for this honor by EAA Chapter 615 in Muscle
Shoals (AL) and EAA Chapter 941 in Madison (AL).
The Bingelis Award was created in 2002 to honor Bingelis, a
noted homebuilding authority and EAA Sport Aviation columnist who
passed away in 2001. The award recognizes significant contributions
to the encouragement of aircraft projects for fellow EAA members,
the promotion of aviation safety and for maintaining the values of
EAA. A nominee must have been an active and current EAA Technical
Counselor for at least five consecutive years.
Bingelis had the remarkable ability to present technical subject
matter in terms an ordinary person could understand. Known and
admired throughout the international aviation community, his
monthly "Sportplane Builder" column in EAA's Sport Aviation
magazine and series of how-to books became a "Bible" for
homebuilders.