Minnesota's own Mark Baker inducted into Livings Legends of Aviation

AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker was among a distinguished group of aviators inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation January 19, at a ceremony in Beverly Hills, California.

Baker was recognized for his passion for aviation, his willingness to share it with others, and for his leadership in supporting general aviation causes.

Other honorees included GE Aviation President and CEO David Joyce, who received the Lifetime Industry Award; Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Director General J.R. "Jack" Dailey, who retired in January, received the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Award; Bigelow Aerospace Founder Robert Bigelow received the Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award; and businessman H. Ross Perot Jr. was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation alongside Baker.

Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to sparking children's interests in aviation, produces the awards as its annual fundraiser.

In 2015, Baker was the recipient of the Harrison Ford Legacy in Aviation Award for his contributions to general aviation and as leader of the world's largest aviation association.