Former AOPA President John Baker Passes Away

March 12, 2010 —John Lee Baker, the second president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) who served from 1977-1990, passed away on Thursday, March 11, at his home in Angier, North Carolina, at the age of 81.

He was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot in the Korean War and later was appointed assistant administrator in the FAA’s office of general aviation affairs. While with the agency in Washington, and later as head of AOPA, Baker and EAA Founder Paul Poberezny became close friends.

“John and I worked closely on many aviation problems,” Poberezny recalled on Friday. “We had many long talks discussing aerobatic aircraft, aviation safety issues, and we shared a love of fighter aircraft.”

He took a personal interest in EAA, Poberezny stressed. “John spent many hours visiting us, even cutting the grass to help us get ready for the fly-in. He was a good, close family friend and a wonderful guy.”

When he became AOPA president, Baker immediately engaged in a series of initiatives aimed at the fair distribution of the Aviation Trust Fund’s $4 billion surplus. His leadership led to more than 3,000 GA airports receiving improvement funds, cementing a lasting legacy for future generations of pilots.

Services will be held this Sunday, March 14, at the Bryan-Lee Funeral Home in Angier.