 Metro Aviation announced Managing Director Milton Geltz has been awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, one of the highest honors presented by the Federal Aviation Administration to recognize lifetime achievement in aircraft maintenance.
The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award honors aviation maintenance professionals with 50 or more years of exemplary service. Geltz becomes one of fewer than one-percent of certified mechanics worldwide to receive this distinguished recognition. A surprise celebration was held last week with Geltz’s family, friends, and colleagues in attendance to commemorate the milestone. “Milton has forgotten more about aviation than most people will ever know,” said Metro COO Kenny Morrow. “His leadership, integrity, and technical expertise have shaped our culture and our commitment to safety for decades.” Throughout his career, Geltz has been instrumental in advancing Metro Aviation’s maintenance standards, mentoring generations of technicians, and strengthening the company’s reputation for excellence across the aviation industry. His influence can be seen in every hangar, every aircraft, and every team member who has had the privilege of learning from him. “This award represents more than longevity; it represents a lifetime dedicated to craftsmanship, safety, and service,” said Morrow. “Milton embodies everything this honor stands for.” The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is named after the first aviation mechanic and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated professionalism, technical expertise, and a sustained commitment to aviation safety over the course of their careers. Metro Aviation congratulates Geltz on this extraordinary achievement and thanks him for the lasting impact he continues to make on the company and the industry. This press release was prepared and distributed by Metro Aviation.
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The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) wants to honor the legends of our flight lines and hangars. If you or an aviation mechanic you know has received the prestigious Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, we want to feature this incredible achievement in the upcoming PAMA national newsletter.
What is the Charles Taylor Award? Named in honor of Charles Taylor, the Wright brothers' mechanic and the first aviation mechanic in history, this award is the highest honor the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bestows upon maintenance technicians. It recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the highest level of professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise by maintaining a safe career for 50 years in aviation maintenance. Fifty years of keeping aircraft safely in the skies is a monumental milestone that deserves industry-wide recognition. PAMA is dedicated to preserving these stories to inspire the next generation of technicians. How to Submit Your Story We are putting together dedicated feature profiles for our newsletter, and we need your help to tell these stories right. If you are a recipient, or want to nominate a recipient, please email us at [email protected]. Please include the following information in your email:
Help us celebrate fifty years of maintenance excellence. Send your details to [email protected] today, and look for these inspiring features in our upcoming newsletter editions!  In October 2025, respected aviation maintenance professional Terry M. Kennedy was recognized with one of the aviation industry’s highest honors: the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.
Presented by the Federal Aviation Administration, the award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary aviation expertise, distinguished professionalism, and steadfast commitment to aviation maintenance for at least 50 years. For those who know Terry, the recognition comes as no surprise. Friends, family, fellow pilots, and aviation professionals gathered to celebrate the occasion, though Terry himself initially had no idea the event was being held in his honor. Carrying in a tray of food and expecting an ordinary gathering, he was quickly met by well-wishers and escorted inside by his son, Jared, as the realization slowly set in that the aviation community had gathered to recognize his extraordinary career. Terry was nominated for the award by fellow pilot and longtime friend Mark Frohnapfel, who recognized the lasting impact Terry has had on aviation maintenance and the broader aviation community. With nearly 60 years of continuous involvement in aviation maintenance and more than half a century as an FAA-certified mechanic, Terry’s career reflects the very qualities the award was created to honor. Named after Charles Taylor, the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is the most prestigious recognition issued by the FAA to certificated mechanics under Title 14 CFR Part 65. Taylor served as the Wright brothers’ mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine used in their first successful powered aircraft. The award recognizes more than longevity. It honors a lifetime dedicated to aviation safety, technical excellence, mentorship, professionalism, and service to the industry. Throughout his career, Terry M. Kennedy has exemplified those values. Known not only for his deep technical knowledge, but also for his willingness to support fellow aviators and share his expertise, Terry has earned the respect and admiration of the aviation community over decades of service. Recipients of the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award receive a distinctive certificate and are permanently added to the FAA’s official Roll of Honor. More importantly, they join a select group of aviation maintenance professionals whose careers have helped shape and strengthen the aviation industry. PAMA proudly congratulates Terry M. Kennedy on this remarkable achievement and thanks him for his decades of dedication to aviation maintenance excellence.  Stockton aviation mechanic wins Wright Brothers award as skilled trades face challenges
Story by Charlie Lapastora For nearly five decades, Paul McKenzie has kept planes flying out of Stockton. Now, the longtime aviation mechanic and CEO of Big Valley Aviation – the oldest business at Stockton Metropolitan Airport – is working to pass that knowledge on as the skilled trades industry faces a changing future. "A lot of people say we're crazy for being in this industry because it requires so much responsibility and knowledge to succeed in the business," McKenzie said. "We look at it two and three times to make sure it's done correctly and properly." Those safety checks are critical before any aircraft is cleared to fly. Big Valley Aviation says that, in 52 years, it has not had an accident involving an aircraft released from its shop. The company was founded in 1974, and McKenzie arrived in Stockton three years later after moving his young family for a job opportunity. He started as a mechanic and eventually became CEO of the employee-owned company, though he says the work still means wearing many hats, sometimes including janitor. "[If] the wheel falls off of your car after you get your tires installed, well, it's an inconvenience," McKenzie said. "If a part on the helicopter breaks, it's a life-threatening situation." McKenzie recently won the prestigious Federal Aviation Administration Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, named after the Wright Brothers' first aviation mechanic involved in the first powered flight. "You don't have to be that great, you just have to stick around a long time to get a Charles Taylor Award. But in that 51 years, I've learned a lot. And now I'm mentoring more people," McKenzie said.  David Jones was recently awarded the FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award and Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for his lifetime achievements in aviation. He spoke with Aviation Week Network about some of his career highlights and shared perspectives on challenges the industry faces moving forward.
You began flying at a young age and then attended school for aviation engineering technology. Could you tell me a bit about the early days of your aviation passion and how you broke into the industry? My father learned to fly on the GI Bill after World War II, so I grew up with that in the family. He didn’t own an airplane until I was getting ready to learn to fly...He bought a little World War II trainer that I used to learn to fly. My mother was his first passenger when he got his license and she decided to be my first passenger when I got mine—she was a daring lady! The flying kept me [around] airports where you could get really close with the airplanes and people, and my interest continued to grow. When I was in high school, I started working at the airport as a mechanics’ helper, which is where I got my interest in the [technical] side. The local community college in Lansing, Michigan had an agreement with Western Michigan University (WMU) and they sent people from WMU to recruit for the aviation department. One of the mechanics I worked with was a WMU graduate, so it seemed very logical to look at that program. At the time, the aviation program had an engineering technology degree option, and with it you chose a specialty. I already had a commercial pilot’s license and a lot of that [work] already done, but the classes you took included everything for the mechanics, so I went ahead and did both. I finished my pilot training and got my mechanic certificate at the same time. When I graduated, I went back to Lansing to work at the airport. I took my girlfriend for an airplane ride one day and we stopped back to fuel the airplane up. One of the customers whose airplane I had worked on was there and he said he had a job opening that might interest me. I went to work for him, mostly in a machine shop. It was interesting design work and prototype machinery, but I also got to fly and work on his airplane occasionally. That was really my first aviation job. Read the full interview here.  The roar of engines at the National Championship Air Races is a testament to the masterful hands working behind the scenes. This year, the aviation community proudly celebrates one of its most dedicated members, Tom Kilfoyle, as the recipient of the prestigious Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. As the highest honor in aviation maintenance, this award recognizes the technical expertise and unwavering professionalism that keep our industry soaring.
Named after the Wright brothers' original mechanic, the Charles Taylor Award is reserved for an elite group: those who have completed 50 or more years of excellence as a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic. Earning this distinction requires more than just longevity; it demands a lifetime of commitment to the craft. Tom’s recognition carries immense weight, serving as a reminder of the high standards and rigorous discipline required to maintain flight safety at the most competitive levels. For decades, Tom has been a cornerstone of the air racing world, where razor-thin margins and extreme conditions leave no room for error. His deep mechanical knowledge has helped countless teams push the limits of performance while ensuring every aircraft remains safe for the skies. From all of us at PAMA, we congratulate Tom Kilfoyle on this historic achievement. Your legacy continues to inspire the next generation of technicians, keeping the spirit of aviation maintenance and air racing flying strong. By Connor Trett
Published: Nov. 18, 2023 at 3:49 PM MST SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa - A local aircraft mechanic is being celebrated for five decades of service to the aviation industry. Vincent Chicoine was given the most distinguished aircraft maintenance award recognized by the FAA, the Charles Taylor “Master Mechanic” Award, This award is given to celebrate senior mechanics who have worked for 50 years. Chicoine was not only gifted a plaque, pins, and certificates commemorating his achievements, but the FAA also printed and bound every document on file they had that showed what projects he’s worked on spanning back to the 1970s. After receiving his award, Chicoine said he hoped that the next generation could follow in his footsteps. ”I’d like to encourage young people to think about getting into the aircraft maintenance business because there’s a lot of different skills you can learn there,” said Chicoine. He is just the 30th Iowan to receive the Charles Taylor “Master Mechanic” Award.  In May 2024, Anthony Imparato received the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award from the Federal Aviation Administration. The award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics in the aviation maintenance industry.
Anthony grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, near LaGuardia Airport, and was inspired to pursue a career in aviation from his fascination with airplanes from a young age. He always knew he wanted to pursue a career in aviation and received his license in 1974 from Aviation High School in Queens, NY. He began his career as a flight line mechanic for Capital Airways at JFK Airport and has since filled many different roles in his over 50-year career in aviation. He served on the board at George T. Baker Aviation Technical College in Miami-Dade County and was a chairman of the Beacon Council Aviation Committee, Miami-Dade. His other membership appointments include the AMA (Avionic Maintenance Association) and ARSA (Aeronautical Repair Station Association). After working the flight line, Imparato became a manager of aircraft maintenance and technical instructor for Eastern Airlines. He conducted training classes on the L-1011, B-757, B-727, A-300, B747, CF-6, RB-535, JT8D engines, and boroscoping. When reflecting upon his memories of training pilots and maintenance personnel, he recalls them as some of his fondest yet most challenging tasks. In the 1990s, Anthony was promoted from Director of Aircraft Maintenance at Butler Aviation to VP of Sales and Marketing Services in Garden City, New York. He served as Senior vice president of Quality and Operations at Kellstrom Industries from 2001 to 2005 and then worked for Barfield in Miami, Florida, moving from Senior vice president of Quality to Senior vice president of Operations at six locations until 2021 when he retired. In 2022, he began serving in an advisory role at Aero Instruments and Avionics in Western New York. Upon receiving the Charles Taylor Award, Imparato said, “It’s a great honor to receive such a prestigious award and be part of the only 30,000 recipients in the world. When asked about how it feels to receive such a rare award, Anthony said, “It’s a great honor to receive such a prestigious award and be part of the only 30,000 recipients in the world to wind this award since its beginning. As I look back at my career, I am blessed to have met many talented people who played a huge role in my development. Also, the support from my family was always with me. I’m thankful to all of them.”  The FAA awarded the prestigious Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award to Long Island-based mechanic Ed Libassi, honoring over 50 years of dedicated service to the aviation industry. Libassi, owner of A&P Aircraft Maintenance, received the award during an April 2023 ceremony surrounded by peers, family, and friends.
Starting his career at 19, Libassi built a lasting legacy in New York aviation, moving his maintenance shop through several local airports before settling at Long Island MacArthur Airport (KISP). His extensive career included 16 years with Eastern Airlines and over a decade handling emergency maintenance for airlines at KISP Beyond routine maintenance, Libassi has managed complex aircraft recoveries and now operates A&P Aviation Consulting, providing investigation services for accident-related maintenance. For more information, learn more about the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award on the FAA website. Learn more about the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award here.  Larry Riggs, the Aviation Center Logistics Command FAA branch chief, was honored with the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award for over 50 years of dedicated service in aviation in 2017. Starting in 1966 as an Air Force structural mechanic, Riggs's career spanned roles from Alaskan bush pilot to supporting Department of Defense special operations, including counter-narcotics work during the 1980s. His extensive experience includes over 4,000 flight hours and early work on GPS technology development.
His career is marked by high-stakes operations and adapting to technological evolution, which he cites as highlights due to the constant, real-time problem-solving involved. Colleagues, including ACLC quality assurance specialist Shawn Howard, described Riggs as a vital mentor who enhanced team capabilities at Cairns Army Airfield with his deep knowledge of federal regulations and military operations. Nominated for the award by colleagues for his dedication, Riggs views the milestone as a result of his passion for mechanical work and dedication to the team. Despite his extensive career, Riggs has no immediate plans for retirement, stating he will continue working as long as he is healthy. |
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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