Joe Lienau, a Sturgeon Bay native who lives in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, was recently awarded the Federal Aviation Agency’s (FAA) highest, most prestigious awards: the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.

The awards recognize 50 continuous years of exemplary aviation flight experience, professionalism and steadfast commitment to aviation safety. 

Fewer than 1% of all pilots and mechanics in the United States have ever received both awards. Lienau is one of two recipients in Wisconsin.

Jurg Grossenbacher of the Milwaukee Flight Standards District Office presented Lienau with the awards during a Wisconsin Department of Transportation conference in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Lienau was an American Airlines captain who retired after 35 years of service. He still flies his own airplane, and he’s a certified flight instructor and aircraft mechanic. 

Many joined in the LEA Maintenance Hangar, earlier this year, to listen and learn from our FAA-FAASTeam Program Manager David Hintz and Jason Glass, in Ankeny.

The organization also recognized Phil Smith, of Spencer Avionics, with The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award for 50 or more years of safe maintenance experience.

“It cannot possibly be 50 years,” Smith said. “… God has blessed me greatly to allow me to work in something that I still enjoy doing. I thank God for the ability to keep on going. I tell my wife that I have not ‘worked’ a day in my life. Yes, there have been tough airplanes that stretched my abilities, but overall I like doing what I do.”

The recognition is the most prestigious award the FAA issues to persons with an airframe and powerplant (A&P) certificate. The award, named after Charles Taylor, recognizes individuals who have exhibited exemplary aviation expertise, distinguished professionalism and steadfast commitment for at least 50 years or more of aviation maintenance experience.

Gayle Brandt, who oversees the Spencer Airport, said, “I don’t believe any other person has received this Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. There have been a couple of others in the area that have. We knew he would be eligible for it, we needed to gather all his A&P maintenance work history to have proof that he was eligible, so we worked secretly with his wife and gathered what we had to submit the application.

She added, “We decided to keep it a secret from Phil and have some special people that he worked with be in attendance for the presentation, one of which was his son surprised him and flew home from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, as well as various other family and friends were here in attendance.

Jon Hengeveld, an A&P since December of 2003, was hired by Leading Edge Aviation where he is the shop manager at the site located at the Spencer Airport.

“We have a monthly lunch meeting with all of our full-time employees,” Hengeveld explained. “This winter, Phil couldn’t make the meeting on time because he was flying. I brought up the idea to the group that we should nominate Phil for the Charles Taylor award, and everyone agreed.
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He added, “We talked about how we should do it and when and mostly left it in Gayle’s (Brandt) hands to get it planned from there.”

A milestone in Alaska aviation was reached as Ed Kornfiled received two prestigious awards. Awarded by the FAA, Kornfield received both the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. 

Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award is the most prestigious award that can be presented to a Part 61 pilot. It honors recipients who demonstrate a steadfast and exceptional commitment to piloting, longevity and safety. To be considered for this award, one must be a U.S. citizen, hold a U.S. pilot’s license for 50 years and have had no incursions on their record. The FAA has issued this award to a total of 8,400 recipients in history. 

The Charles Taylor Mechanic Award is named after the First aviation mechanic, Charles Taylor. Ed Kornfield is also an IA mechanic and has also served as FAA Maintenance Inspector. The FAA has awarded this to a total of 3,470 individuals. Only 1,000 in history have ever received both awards. Thirteen of these 1,000 are Alaska residents and 2 still currently serving in the Iditarod Air Force. Ed is one and Bruce Moroney, Iditarod’s Director of Training, is the second. 

Ed’s first solo flight was in April 7, 1971 at Jefco Airport in Broomfield, Colorado, in a Cessna 150 and he has been demonstrating the spirit of general aviation flight ever since. Congratulations, Ed Kornfield.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University aviation adjunct instructor Drew Spears is the recent recipient of the Federal Aviation Administration’s 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.

Recipients must have a minimum of 50 years of aviation maintenance service. Currently, only 62 individuals have received this award in Oklahoma and only 3,296 nationwide have earned the honor.
Drew Spears has devoted his life to aviation.  He served for 20 years on active duty in the United States Air Force. Since then, he has been employed at Tinker AFB (from 2005 to present), AAR Corporation,  Mundo-Tech Inc.,  L-3 Com 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. In his spare time, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management and a master’s degree in Aerospace Administration and Logistics. He has shared his vast knowledge of aviation by serving as an adjunct instructor for Southeastern since 2011, teaching 10 different course offerings.

The Charles Taylor award was formally presented to Spears Tuesday at the Rose State Community College’s Community Learning Center where he teaches the aviation curriculum for Southeastern.  Mark Schurig from the FAA’s Oklahoma City Flight Standards District Office made the presentation, with  Southeastern president Thomas Newsom,  Assistant Vice President Dr. Susan Ronnenberg, Tinker AFB Chief Engineer Greg Hughes, Southeastern faculty, staff, and students, and members of the Spears family also in attendance.