ARSA CORNER
CELEBRATING CHARLIE BY BRETT LEVANTO, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, AERONAUTICAL REPAIR STATION ASSOCIATION
CHARLES TAYLOR, THE WRIGHT BROTHERS’ MECHANIC AND FATHER OF AVIATION MAINTENANCE, WAS BORN ON MAY 24, 1868. NOW — MORE THAN 150 YEARS LATER — WE CELEBRATE HIM WITH EVERY SAFE ARRIVAL.
In 2008, a congressional resolution dedicated the date in honor of Taylor, establishing National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day. While the “holiday” doesn’t get anyone out of work (there are no days off from aviation safety), it’s important to celebrate the commitment, integrity and skill of every AMT and all those who support them; this is Taylor’s legacy and our shared responsibility. He was born in a log cabin, began his industrial career binding books at 12 and found his way to Dayton, Ohio after marrying Henrietta Webbert. In Dayton, he met a pair of bicycle shop owners named Orville and Wilbur Wright, whose business he managed while providing mechanical assistance in the development – and maintenance – of the Wright’s series of “Flyer” aircraft that changed the world.
What I choose to honor about Taylor each May is his simple and focused devotion to duty, without flair or exaggeration. I once read a 1948 Collier’s article he wrote, reflecting on his life and career, in search of a perfect “quotable” through which I could highlight his indelible (if overlooked) mark on human history. Instead, Taylor provided just more than 4,000 words of clear prose describing his professional life, including his work with “Will” and “Orv.” No grandiose proclamations, no statements of historical occasion, just a talented technician reporting back on his task list. That quiet focus and devotion is part of what made him
great and what propels our maintenance community today. It also makes it vital that we take time to recognize what he means to us…and what we mean to the world. How are you celebrating Charlie this year? If you have
an event or activity planned, particularly if it’s a standard part of your company’s annual calendar, I want to hear about it (
brett.levanto@arsa.org). If you don’t, there’s till time to plan something (even if you’ve picked this up after the 24th, you can have a belated birthday party). While I wait to hear about how the maintenance
community observed this year’s AMT Day, it’s fun and useful to reflect on past celebrations. For a great (and
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“Taking the time to say ‘Thank You’ for what our technicians do day in and day out is just a small way to show they are appreciated,” one of Airborne’s team members told me while describing the value of celebrating AMT Day as part of the company’s continual effort to recognize and engage its people. “Every person that is part of the Airborne team is responsible for our growth and providing world class MRO service to our customers, so
recent) example, I’ll turn to one of ARSA’s most-proactive members when it comes to recognizing the past while highlighting everything that’s good about its current workforce. Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services – an ARSA member in Wilmington, OH – uses Taylor’s birthday to demonstrate appreciation for technicians in a way that lasts more than a single day. The company shares a message about his legacy and provides personnel with a custom-designed sticker (new each year) that can be displayed on work stations or toolboxes.
Last year’s design was officially delivered on May 24:
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