Former airport chairman had passion for aviation, teaching others to fly

E. Allan Englehardt had a passion not only for flying, but also for teaching others how to fly. He piloted planes with United Airlines for 38 years and worked as a flight instructor for much of his life.

Englehardt died Monday in Lake Bluff at the age of 69.

Englehardt was an alumnus of Southern Illinois University, where he studied aviation. He worked with United Airlines until 2007, when he retired as a B777 captain.

It was also in 2007 that Englehardt was appointed chairman of the Chicago Executive Airport board of directors.

He also served as the regional representative for the United Pilots Association and as a designated pilot examiner with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Englehardt was at times "larger than life" and "somebody who was always encouraging," said Chicago Executive Airport spokesman Rob Mark, who knew Englehardt for 40 years.

"I knew if I had a flying-type question I could ask him, and he would spend an hour on the phone during dinner," Mark said. "That was just Al."

And his positive outlook stuck with him through his life, Mark says.

"Enough people in the industry talk down because of the economy and costs, but I never heard him say a bad word," Mark said.

In his time with the airport, Englehardt pushed the installation of an Engineered Material Arresting System that would stop or slow down an airplane if it slid off the runway, Wheeling Village President Dean Argiris said.

"As a former pilot, that was a big thing that he lobbied for," said Argiris, who served on the board while Englehardt was chairman.

"He had a passion for the airport, and as a pilot, he brought a lot of technical knowledge to the board."

Englehardt's final meeting with the board was in January of 2013.

Englehardt was a member of the airport's Leading Edge Flying Club. He attended the club's monthly breakfast events and could be found talking with new and old pilots.

"He knew everybody," Mark said.

Throughout his life, Englehardt ran a weekend ground school program and refresher clinics for flight instructors.

"We sent all of our students to him because he knew how difficult it was to get through exam," Mark said.

"And we flight instructors always looked forward to going to his refresher clinics."

A YouTube video of Englehardt giving an oral exam for a private flight certificate has been viewed more than 727,000 times. People working to earn the certificate watch the video to prepare for the exam.

In a resume created some time after taking his spot as CEA board chairman, Englehardt listed one of his most satisfying personal accomplishments as teaching all three of his children to fly.

Mark says Englehardt was opinionated, and wasn't afraid to share his ideas.

In 2014, Englehardt wrote a Daily Herald guest column asking the Chicago Executive Airport to "stop costly, unnecessary runway ideas at private airport."

He cited concerns regarding the cost of a longer runway for taxpayers. The idea was the runway would allow private jets to fly farther internationally.

"Yes, a longer runway would be great for many reasons, and I like the proposed plan for all of those reasons, but it will never happen," Englehardt wrote.

"There is just too much population around the airport that will say no."

Englehardt received several aviation honors and awards, including being inducted into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame in May 2009.

He was named FAA national, regional and district flight instructor of the year in 1976, and FAA regional and district Aviation Safety Counselor of the Year in 1990 and 1993.

Englehardt is survived by his wife, Diana Englehardt of Lake Bluff; three children, Tricia (Paul) Nagel of Palatine, Tison (Nannette) Englehardt of Lake Forest, and Allen Joseph "A.J." Englehardt of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; five grandchildren; and a brother, William Englehardt.

Visitation for Englehardt will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12, at Burnett-Dane Funeral Home, 120 W. Park Avenue in Libertyville. Interment will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at New Prospect Church in downstate Eldorado.

A suburban memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, at the First Presbyterian Church, 219 W. Maple Avenue in Libertyville.