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Sporty’s Pilot Shop Founder Dead at 90

Hal Shevers leaves behind more than 60 years of aviation education and innovation and community service.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 03:00 PM ET

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Hal Shevers [Credit: Sporty's Pilot Shop]

Key Takeaways:

Hal Shevers, the founder and longtime owner of Sporty's Pilot Shop, passed away at 90, having retired after 63 years of dedicated service to the company.
He pioneered aviation education and the general aviation mail-order catalog industry, starting Sporty's in 1961 from humble beginnings selling radios from his car.
Shevers transformed Clermont County Airport into a vibrant aviation hub, establishing Sporty's Pilot Shop, Sporty's Academy, and an aviation residential community.
A passionate pilot and educator, he was known for developing robust flight training programs and rigorously tested products, leaving an indelible mark on general aviation and community service.

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Hal Shevers, the founder and longtime owner of Sporty’s Pilot Shop, died Tuesday, according to company vice president Eric Radtke. He was 90.

Shevers retired from Sporty’s in 2024 after 63 years.

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.