Pilot Is Awarded $54 Million in Lawsuit
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A jury has ordered a charter airline that flies planes owned by celebrities, including Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, and three of its former employees to pay almost $54 million to a pilot who said he was defamed and fired because of his age.
The jury is still considering an additional punitive damage award for Doyle Baker, 64, of Apple Valley.
Although Baker exclusively flew a jet owned by Willis and Moore, he actually was employed over the years by various private companies that managed the aircraft, including PrivatAir Inc. Baker blames PrivatAir and three former co-workers for wrongfully attacking his health and competency in the cockpit in letters to the FAA, Willis and Moore.
