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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 of Sporty’s Pilot Shop, passed away at 90, leaving a 63-year legacy that transformed the company from a small car-trunk operation into a leading aviation retail and product development business.
He was a pioneering force in aviation education, developing widely-used remote ground school programs (VHS, DVD, online) that significantly impacted pilot training and earned him induction into the NAFI Hall of Fame.
Shevers was instrumental in developing Clermont County Airport into a vibrant aviation hub with Sporty's facilities and an aviation residential community, while also demonstrating a strong commitment to community service through programs like Scouting America.

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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.