Dale Meiler, floor inspector at Banyan Air Service at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE), has earned the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award from the FAA.

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 began his aviation maintenance career in the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic and served in the Vietnam War. After the military, he graduated from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University with his A&P license. Dale joined Banyan Air Service in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1983, as the lead technician.
During those early years, Dale was crucial to Banyan’s maintenance department’s certification because of his experience and relationship with the FAA, according to company officials.

“He added quality into the inspection process and increased awareness, safety, and efficiency for the entire MRO department as the floor inspector,” officials add.
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“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.

Perry Siler has been awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award to recognise his contributions to aviation safety for over 50 years. He will receive the award in November 2025 in Florida alongside his friends, customers, and colleagues.

Siler, born in Kentucky, first ventured into aviation in 1973 by earning his FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) License at the Somerset Aero Technical School. His career began at Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. (PHI) as a Mechanic, rising through the ranks to Maintenance Supervisor, African Operations.

From there, he held roles at Arizona Rotorcraft, Africair, Air Services, and Keystone Engine Services, where he still acts as a consultant. He then moved over to Precision Aviation Group (PAG), where he helped to develop operator relationships within Africa, the Middle East, and Hawaii.

“I’ve been fortunate to be able to focus on what I do best which is supporting my customers,” said Siler.
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“I have known and worked with Perry Siler for thirty-five years,” commented Mark Tyler, Vice President & General Manager, Precision Aircraft Services. “As an A&P and as a person, Perry has always displayed honesty and integrity as his core values and demonstrates exceptional skill in aircraft maintenance. He takes immense pride in his work and has established safety as job one. It is with great honour that I recommend Perry Siler for the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.

H.E.R.O.S. Inc. has announced that Heros Kajberouni, founder of H.E.R.O.S. Inc., has been awarded the prestigious Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

The award presentation took place at H.E.R.O.S. Inc.’s Chandler facility and was formally conducted by Craig Tompkins and Ernie Copeland of the FAA Safety Team from the Scottsdale, Arizona office.

The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is the FAA’s highest honor for aviation maintenance professionals. Named after Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight and the man who built and maintained the engine for the Wright brothers, this award recognizes individuals who have exhibited exemplary dedication to the field of aviation maintenance for 50 or more years. 

Recipients must have held an FAA mechanic certificate for at least 50 years and have spent the majority of their careers promoting safety, craftsmanship, and technical skill within the aviation industry.

Heros Kajberouni’s achievement is the culmination of over 53 years of relentless commitment to excellence, quality, and safety in aviation maintenance. His career stands as a model of what the Charles Taylor Award symbolizes: a lifelong passion for precision and integrity.
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“Today, we honor not just a man, but a legacy,” said Raffi Kajberouni, president and general manager of H.E.R.O.S. Inc., during the ceremony.