[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 586 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 586

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that an Aviation 
  Maintenance Technician Day should be established in recognition of 
     Charles Edward Taylor's invaluable contributions to aviation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 30, 2004

Mr. Frost submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that an Aviation 
  Maintenance Technician Day should be established in recognition of 
     Charles Edward Taylor's invaluable contributions to aviation.

Whereas Charles Edward Taylor was born on May 24, 1868;
Whereas in 1902 Charles Taylor began working as a machinist for Orville and 
        Wilbur Wright at the Wright Cycle Company in Dayton, Ohio;
Whereas, using only a metal lathe, drill press, and hand tools, Charles Taylor 
        built, in 6 weeks, the 12-horsepower engine that was used to power the 
        Wright brothers' first flying machine;
Whereas Charles Taylor's ingenuity earned him a place in aviation history when 
        the Wright brothers successfully flew their airplane on December 17, 
        1903;
Whereas, after this historic event, Charles Taylor continued to design engines 
        for the Wright brothers and later taught them to build aircraft engines;
Whereas Charles Taylor became an airport manager in 1904, dedicating his time to 
        the maintenance of the Wright airplanes at Huffman Prairie in Dayton, 
        Ohio, where the Wright brothers continued test flights;
Whereas Charles Taylor accompanied Orville Wright to Fort Myer, Virginia, for 
        test flights by the United States Government in 1908 and accompanied 
        Wilbur Wright to New York for the Hudson-Fulton flights in 1909;
Whereas Charles Taylor served as lead mechanic when Calbraith Rodgers completed 
        the first crossing of the continental United States by airplane in 1911 
        and repaired Calbraith Rodgers' airplane after numerous crash landings 
        during the course of the 49-day trip;
Whereas Charles Taylor remained humble, never telling his coworkers at future 
        jobs of his amazing achievements;
Whereas Charles Taylor had a successful career in aviation maintenance for more 
        than 60 years;
Whereas Charles Taylor was honored by the Federal Aviation Administration with 
        the establishment of the Charles Edward Taylor Master Mechanic Award, 
        which recognizes individuals with 50 years or more of aviation 
        maintenance experience; and
Whereas Charles Edward Taylor has become a hero to aircraft maintenance 
        technicians worldwide: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) an Aviation Maintenance Technician Day should be 
        established to honor the life and memory of Charles Edward 
        Taylor, the aircraft maintenance technician who built and 
        maintained the engine that was used to power the Wright 
        brothers' first flying machine; and
            (2) the President should issue a proclamation calling on 
        the people of the United States and interested organizations to 
        observe Aviation Maintenance Technician Day in honor of the 
        life of Charles Edward Taylor and in recognition of his 
        invaluable contributions to aviation.
                                 <all>