Mike Blyth Inducted into EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame

By Garth Calitz

South African aviation has another reason to celebrate. Mike Blyth, founder of Sling Aircraft and one of the country's most recognisable figures in recreational aviation, has been inducted into the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) Homebuilders Hall of Fame for 2026.

Blyth was among six aviation notables recognised during a ceremony and dinner held at the EAA Aviation Centre in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on 11 November. The induction recognises individuals whose contributions have helped shape recreational aviation and the wider EAA community.

The honour represents recognition of a career that has spanned nearly three decades of aircraft design, development, manufacturing and, occasionally, proving that the best way to test an aircraft is actually to go out and fly it.

His aviation credentials were well established long before the Sling name became familiar worldwide. In 1995, Blyth won the Microlight World Championships flying a prototype trike with just four hours on the Hobbs. It was hardly the conventional route to international aviation recognition, but conventional has never been particularly high on Blyth's list of priorities.

By 2005, he was looking for a new challenge. As South Africa's distributor for Rotax engines, he wanted to develop an aircraft that would make proper use of the Austrian manufacturer's reliable and fuel-efficient powerplants. Working with an aeronautical engineer, aerodynamicist and draftsman, Blyth began turning the concept into reality. By 2008, a prototype had emerged, laying the foundations for what would eventually become Sling Aircraft.

The company went on to establish an international reputation for its range of kit-built and factory-produced aircraft, with the Sling 2, Sling 4 and Sling TSi becoming familiar sights at airfields well beyond South Africa's borders.

Blyth's contribution, however, extends beyond the aircraft themselves. He has been closely involved in the design, construction, marketing and sale of aircraft, while documenting many of his aviation adventures through films that have introduced audiences around the world to the possibilities of recreational flying.

His latest ambitions include the Sling Twin, a project that promises to add another chapter to the company's development. With its design completed and prototype construction progressing in Cape Town, the aircraft is expected to make its first flight in 2027.

The EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame induction is therefore not simply recognition of a successful aircraft manufacturer. It acknowledges an individual whose willingness to experiment, build, fly and occasionally challenge conventional thinking has helped put South African recreational aviation firmly on the international map.

Blyth was joined in the 2026 EAA Sport Aviation Halls of Fame by five other aviation personalities.

Tom Brown of Wisconsin was inducted into the Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame for his extensive involvement in vintage aircraft restoration and his commitment to helping fellow enthusiasts.

Mike Goulian, the American aerobatic pilot, airshow performer and former Red Bull Air Race competitor, entered the International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame.

Ronnie Smith of Mississippi was recognised in the Ultralights Hall of Fame for his longstanding contribution to the light-aircraft industry and technical support for aircraft owners.

Ron and Diane Fagen of Minnesota were jointly inducted into the Warbirds of America Hall of Fame for their work establishing and developing the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum, a major institution dedicated to preserving military aviation heritage.

The Tom Brown of Wisconsin was inducted into the Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame were established to recognise individuals whose achievements embody the spirit of recreational aviation. More than 150 people have been honoured since the first halls were established in the 1990s.

For South Africa, Blyth's induction is particularly meaningful. While the country has produced some remarkable aircraft designers, builders and pilots, international recognition of this calibre reinforces the fact that South African aviation innovation is not confined to the history books or the occasional appearance at an international airshow.

The Sling story is a reminder that world-class aircraft development does not necessarily require a massive aerospace corporation, a government-backed research programme or a boardroom full of executives discussing strategic synergies. Sometimes it starts with an aviation enthusiast, a good idea, a workshop and the determination to see whether the thing will actually fly.

Congratulations to Mike Blyth on a thoroughly deserved place in the EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame.