Northern California Aviation Maintenance and Safety Symposium

by Frank Boksanske AMFA National Safety and Standards Director

AMFA National Safety and Standards recently attended a symposium in Newark California on March 15 and 16, 2002, that included seminars each day followed by an aviation trade show. The seminars included some of the following topics: Aircraft conformity, records, stage III technology, falsification, repair station compliance software, parts approval, introduction to ATP Navigator FAR and AD research, ending with the Charles E. Taylor presentations.

The FAA was present at the symposium, which was sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter – PAMA and Aerospace Products International (API). Eighteen various FAA web site addresses containing pertinent government data was procured from the FAA for our AMFA national web site for our members reference.

A CD was also obtained titled, The U.S. Aviation Regulatory Library (ATP Navigator), for a trial and evaluation period. This includes a complete library of the FAR's.

The FAA, in honor of the first aviation mechanic initiated the Charles E. Taylor Award. I understand you are all probably very familiar with this award, but what was most impressive to me is that the stigma placed on the aircraft mechanic today appears to have begun with the Wright brothers, that is if we conform to current thinking, but in reality the mechanic was well respected during the early days of aviation.

Charlie Taylor designed and built the engine that was installed on the Wright brothers' first and subsequent airplanes. Charlie had limited knowledge about gasoline engines, but used his craftsmanship, genius, enthusiasm, and efficiency to complete the project in six (6) weeks. Charlie Taylor also designed and built the wind tunnel that the Wright brothers depended upon to design their aircraft.

Charlie once said that he always wanted to learn how to fly, but never did as the Wrights discouraged the idea because they needed him in the shop and to service their machines.

Charlie Taylor died November 1955 in Los Angeles, unrecognized and almost a destitute man at the age of 88.

The aviation industry raised funds for Charlie just before his death and he was buried in the Portal of Folded Wings Mausoleum dedicated to aviation pioneers in Los Angeles.

Charles E. Taylor was the last of the three to pass that built the first powered airplane. Though never known to the masses and having died penniless and virtually unrecognized for his achievements until today, Charlie Taylor will live on and serve as a reminder that the craftsmanship, genius, enthusiasm and efficiency that many, many of today's aircraft mechanics possess, far surpasses that of the art of flying itself.