EAA honors AOPA presidents

EAA President Jack Pelton cited BasicMed and the AOPA Foundation You Can Fly program as Baker’s most important contributions to the aviation industry. More than 80,000 U.S. pilots are flying under BasicMed rules, which are easier and less costly to comply with, yet have shown no reduction in flight safety.

The AOPA High Schools initiative, one of six under the You Can Fly umbrella, provides a free aviation curriculum to hundreds of schools and helps students prepare for aviation careers, as well as professional development for teachers—and scholarships for students and teachers.

“The high school program is growing rapidly and doing a lot of good,” Baker said, “and it was all done through donations. Its cost to AOPA members was zero.”

Current AOPA President Darren Pleasance also became an EAA director emeritus at AirVenture. Pleasance joined EAA in 1996 and was later an International Aerobatic Club member. He became an EAA board member in 2010 and resigned when he became AOPA president in January. 

“Darren’s knowledge and expertise in emerging technologies was extremely helpful to EAA during his time on our board,” Pelton said. “His passion for aviation has led him to own and fly a wide variety of airplanes.”