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.

FMI: www.eaa.org