George Baker
George H. Baker was born January 19, 1930 in Hawthorne, NJ and has been flying since the age of 16. He soloed in 1946 while in the eleventh grade in high school. At the age of 20, he started in the aircraft restoration profession, starting with a Culver Cadet.
George is well known for his restoration work on Beechcraft T-34’s and flying his aerobatic routine in the unique Curtis-Wright R-3350 powered Hawker “Sky Fury”.
Over the years George has won numerous awards for his T-34, N341GB, including Grand Champion Warbird at EAA AirVenture 2000, along with the Reserve Grand Champion at the 2001 & 2002 Sun ‘n Fun Fly-Ins. He was also awarded the Golden Wrench for his meticulous restoration work. In 2004, he won a Preservation Award at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In. George has also travelled the globe to recover and restore a number of warbird aircraft.
He is also recognized for his efforts to inspire future aviators, mechanics, and other warbird enthusiasts, by sharing his vast knowledge of aviation and restoration work.
George has been a member of EAA Warbirds of America since 1974 and was a founding member and past commander of the Valiant Air Command. He has served as the chief pilot for NASCAR and the Daytona International Speedway and has flown over 100 different types of aircraft, accumulating over 20,000 hours of flying time.