 A Southeastern Oklahoma State University aviation adjunct instructor is the recipient of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) prestigious Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.
The award is named in honor of the first aviation mechanic in powered flight and recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics. Charles Taylor served as the Wright brothers’ mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft. According to a press release, that instructor is Drew Spears, who served for 20 years on active duty in the United States Air Force. Since 2005, Spears has been employed at Tinker AFB, AAR Corporation, Mundo-Tech Inc., L-3Com Vertex, Dassault Falcon Jet, Ozark Aircraft System, and Pratt-Whitney. Spears has held an Airframe & Powerplant mechanic’s license since 1980, keeping hundreds of aircraft airworthy and safe to fly.
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 Rob Danzi was honored with the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award from the Federal Aviation Administration. The award is named after Charles E. Taylor, 1868-1956, who built the first aircraft engine used by the Wright brothers in their Wright Flyer aircraft. His mechanical skills were vital in building and maintaining the Wright brothers’ engines and airplanes. So too, Danzi’s skills have been equally vital in building and maintaining his clients’ varied aircraft for many decades. All the support letters for the Taylor award attest to that notion.
The private event took place at Danzi’s current business office and hangar for Sussex Aero Maintenance at the Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown. Fellow aviators and mechanics surprised Danzi when they arrived early in the afternoon. They returned his biography and resume, and gave him their letters of recommendation, which were part of the nominating application submitted last October. They presented him with a complete airman file documenting his service from December 1969 through Oct. 10, 2021. The documents detail more than 50 years of Danzi’s steady employment, completed and sealed by the Airmen Certification Branch of the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation. Lastly, Danzi’s colleagues presented him with the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award in recognition of 50 years of exemplary aviation maintenance experience, distinguished professionalism and steadfast commitment to aviation safety. Joe Huffman, Sr., an FAA Certification Engineer with Duncan Aviation, and Bernard Michael, a former long-time technician with Duncan Aviation, were recently honored as recipients of the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. A third aviation technician, George Czarnecki of Central Cylinder Service in Omaha, was also presented with the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. The Nebraska Aviation Mechanics Seminar committee and the FAA presented them with the awards at a banquet. The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is named in honor of Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight. Taylor served as the Wright brothers’ mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft. The award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics. Award recipients are required to have worked for 50 years in an aviation maintenance career and must have been an FAA-certificated mechanic or repairman working on N-registered aircraft for a minimum of 30 of the 50 years required.  The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, named after the Wright brothers’ mechanic credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft, recognizes individuals who have exhibited professionalism, skill and aviation expertise for at least 50 years in the aircraft maintenance profession known as “master mechanics.” Stringent requirements for the award include a 50-year career in aviation without a single FAA violation (30 of those years as a certified mechanic, repairman or avionics technician) and three recommendations from FAA mechanics or repairmen. Recently, the names of three American Airlines team members were added to the official Roll of Honor:
Dennis Staffier, Aircraft Maintenance Technician, BOS Dennis Staffier always found the idea of working in aviation appealing. He enjoyed taking things apart when he was growing up, and he grew up next to the airport, so enlisting in the U.S. Air Force after he graduated high school was the next step to making it happen. Dennis then attended East Coast Aero Tech, where he received his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license. After a stint with Butler Aviation, he went to work for Allegheny Airlines, where he’s been for the past 47 years through its transition to American Airlines. Bob Kopec, Aircraft Maintenance Technician, MIA Bob Kopec II began his career in aircraft maintenance with American Airlines in Los Angeles in 1966. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a jet fighter crew chief for four years before joining the airline. One of his first assignments with American was to work on the Boeing 707 and 727. After three years, he relocated to Dallas Love Field for a year, then relocated to San Diego where he spent the next 22 years. In 1986, he made the move to MIA where he has been working ever since. Norm Oakley, Inspector, CLT Growing up, Norm Oakley knew he wanted to do something as a mechanic, but he took a longer road to get to aircraft maintenance. He started working with Reynolds Tobacco out of high school, with a goal of hiring on at Piedmont Airlines. He persisted in checking openings, even quitting his job with Reynolds so he could be available for Piedmont. His persistence paid off and he was hired in 1966. During his time, he worked interiors and heavy maintenance, before becoming an inspector in 1977. His work has taken him around North Carolina, with a brief stint as a Boeing 767 engine inspector in Scotland, before he landed at CLT in 1989. Each of these men received a distinctive certificate and lapel pin. The FAA even gave them the option of requesting a stickpin — similar in design to the lapel pin — for their wives in recognition of their support of the recipients’ aviation maintenance careers.  Gary Hoyle, Director of Campus Operations at Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA), was honored by the FAA this week as the recipient of the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. The awards ceremony was a testament to Gary and his 50+ year aviation career. Henrik Vejl Strup of the FAA gave a brief history of Charles Taylor and his impact on aviation. Wendy Grimm, Office Manager of Allegheny FSDO, presented Gary and his wife Sharon with the award. Jason Pfarr, Dean of Academics of PIA, and Suzanne Markle, President and CEO of PIA, also spoke at the ceremony.
Surrounded by friends, family, and coworkers, Gary spoke of his first visits to PIA in high school, where he ultimately enrolled as a student. After earning his A&P, he worked for Sikorsky Aircraft, United, and the U.S. Army. His time as a mechanic prepared Gary for the various roles he took on at PIA starting in October 1973. Dale is one of only 3,018 recipients of The Charles Taylor Award, the most prestigious FAA award to an aviation maintenance technician. Named in honor of Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight, the award honors mechanics who have 50 years of civil and/or military maintenance experience with no violations. Dale has mentored countless junior technicians and has been promoted to several positions of increased responsibilities during his 37 years with the Banyan team. Dale was also the recipient of the NATA Technician of the Year award in 2006. “He added quality into the inspection process and increased awareness, safety, and efficiency for the entire MRO department as the floor inspector,” officials add. “It was an honor and a pleasure to work with a man of Dale’s caliber. His professionalism and integrity served as bookends to his core commitment to quality and our customers’ safety,” said Lewis Homsher, Quality Manager of MRO Services at Banyan Air Service.  Dwight Jarboe, former CEO of Missionary Maintenance Services Inc. (MMS), was recently awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award from FAA Safety Team Manager Mark Harden. The award is given to aircraft mechanics who have exhibited professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise for at least 50 years in the aircraft maintenance profession.
“I’m honored by it [the award],” said Jarboe. “I feel honored. Years of work are recognized and I think it’s appreciated. It’s a good feeling and I value the award. It’s not just a little consequence to me. I value it.” There is a process to apply for this prestigious award. Applicants must send in a resume of their service over the years which the FAA reviews for consideration. Each applicant must also supply three letters of recommendation from other mechanics and fill out an application.  Celebrating a lifetime of work in the aviation field, George Perrin, senior manager of tech ops training, Spirit Airlines, was awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award earlier this year. Recently, Perrin was the keynote speaker for MIAT College of Technology’s 2023 graduating class of the airframe and power plant program. He was presented the award at the graduation to illustrate that aviation industry can provide a long, rewarding career.
“Receiving the Charles Taylor Award is to me almost like an animation. It's like you don't really run a clock on yourself on how long you've been doing something in one area, until something like the Charles Taylor Award comes around. And to understand that it's been truly more than 50 years in the airline and the aviation industry is a dose of reality, a lot of years have passed. The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award awarded by the FAA recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior aviation mechanics and is given to mechanics who have exhibited exemplary aviation expertise, distinguished professionalism, and steadfast commitment for at least 50 years of aviation maintenance experience. The award presentation is scheduled for August 2024 in Sebastian, Florida.  Richard "Skip" Anderson, an employee at Cobalt Aero Services, was recently recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration in a surprise ceremony, where he was presented the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award for 50 years of service in aviation maintenance.
The award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics and is named in honor of the first aviation mechanic in powered flight, Charles Taylor, who served as the Wright brothers' mechanic. Taylor is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft. "I'm very humbled quite by all of this; I have modified some bicycles in my day, but I don't think I'll be building any engines anytime soon," Anderson said laughing after a presentation on Taylor, who got his start fixing bicycles. "I just appreciate all of this and working with you all, and it just makes a nice finish to a little career." Anderson received a certified Blue Ribbon package along with his award, containing copies of his airman records and his award certificates. James “Jim” Marvin served in the United States Air Force for 20 years as an aircraft mechanic and also worked as an aircraft mechanic, supervisor and Chief Inspector with Piedmont Airlines for 30 years. Working 50 years in aviation maintenance and spending a minimum of 30 years as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certified mechanic, Jim was recently awarded the prestigious Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award by the FAA and Piedmont leadership team. The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award awarded by the FAA recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior aviation mechanics and is given to mechanics who have exhibited exemplary aviation expertise, distinguished professionalism, and steadfast commitment for at least 50 years of aviation maintenance experience.  |
The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is named in honor of Mr. Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight. The Charles Taylor "Master Mechanic" Award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics. Mr. Taylor served as the Wright brothers' mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft.
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