Written by BA (04/2009), transcribed and reformatted by JS (10/2011)
David Baker passed away on January 1, 2009. He was well known as a primary spark plug in the OT movement in England. I’ll let former SAM President Mike Myers briefly summarize David’s modeling life.
“David Baker was one of the prime organizers in setting up SAM 35- the first English SAM Chapter. He started the club newsletter. He and a couple of friends bought modeling supplies in bulk and sold them to other OT modelers who didn’t have a source for such things at the time. “He later formed a second English chapter, SAM 1066. Again, he wrote the club newsletter, the Clarion, and tirelessly promoted SAM.
“He promoted a series of Anglo American 50th Anniversary Wakefield contests, which ran from about 1983 to 1989 or so. In alternate years, English modelers came to Southern California to fly Vintage Wakefield at Taft; then the next year American modelers went to England to fly. Sal Taibi, Jim Adams, Chet Lanzo, Tom McCoy and many others from Southern California and the East Coast participated in one or more of those Anglo American contests.
“David was also a frequent attendee at SAM Champs in the US and other countries. But his biggest contribution to Old-Time modeling in England may have been in securing the use of the Middle Wallop Airfield for free flight flying on several weekends each year. “Those of us who have been to Middle Wallop for the SAM European Free Flight Champs that have been held there since circa 1990 know that it can be a modeler’s paradise. David was one of the first members of the SAM Hall of Fame – an honor he richly deserved. He was a very dear friend to many of us who will miss him very much.”
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