NetJets Maintenance Technician Justin Siak recently received the Charles Taylor “Master Mechanic” Award, for 50 years in aviation maintenance, from the Federal Aviation Administration.The award ceremony was held on Aug. 15, 2015 and the audience included Justin’s family, present and former co-workers and representatives from the greater aviation community.

Mark Harden, FAA FAAST Team Coordinator for the Columbus, Ohio FSDO presented the award. Justin began his aviation career in 1962 as an Aviation Machinist.  He served as a Troubleshooter in the VS-22 “Checkmates”, anti-submarine warfare squadron aboard the USS Lake Champlain, USS Wasp and USS Essex.  Following his military service, he attended Pittsburg Institute of Aeronautics and was hired by Delta Airlines as a Line Maintenance Technician in 1969.  After retiring from Delta in 1999, he joined NetJets, Inc. where he currently serves as an AMT.

TRIBUTE TO THOMAS H. WARDLEIGH

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I pay tribute to Mr. Thomas H. Wardleigh, Alaskan aviation legend, who left us for new horizons on July 7, 2004, following a long battle with cancer. A World War II Navy veteran, Tom moved to Alaska in 1951 and continued his aviation career as a mechanic with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, keeping its fleet of Grumman aircraft in operation for decades. He completed his federal service at the Federal Aviation Administration. He then devoted the rest of his life to promoting safety enhancements for Alaskan aviation.

In 1984 he became chairman of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation and produced more than 1,000 weekly episodes of a TV show called ``Hangar Flying'' which was broadcast all over Alaska. Because of the value of the instruction, the national organization, Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association, recently gave a grant to the University of Alaska Archives to transfer all of the programs to DVD so that future aviators will be able to learn from his timeless wisdom. Tom Wardleigh logged over 33,000 flight hours in numerous types of aircraft.

He was in great demand as an advanced flight instructor, and was one of the few multiengine sea plane instructors. Many, many Alaskan pilots were Tom's students over the years. Although he was a tenacious fighter, Wardleigh was soft spoken, friendly, and always a gentleman, perhaps some reasons he was such a successful advocate for aviation safety enhancement, whether in education or technology.

He was most recently instrumental in the development of the FAA Capstone Project which has been credited as a significant factor in lowering the accident rate in rural Alaska. While his work was primarily in Alaska, Tom participated in forums and projects all over the United States as well as in other countries whose aviation leaders often came to Alaska to personally seek Tom's advice on developing their safety programs.

he list of commendations Tom had received over the years is long, and includes AOPA's Laurence P. Sharples' national award in 1994 for his lifetime of service. Last year, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey personally recognized Tom with one of the agency's most significant honors in U.S. civil aviation, the Distinguished Service Award--this in addition to having previously bestowed on him the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic and the Wright Brothers' Master Pilot Awards.

While Tom Wardleigh may have taken his last flight, pilots and passengers alike will fondly remember this special aviator as they turn onto Wardleigh Drive at the Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport.

[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record (Bound Edition),
Volume 150 (2004), Part 13] [Senate]
[Pages 17062-17063] 

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.

Born in Kentucky, Siler 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 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 and General Manager of 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.

Involved in aviation for more than 60 years, including 51 years as a licensed aircraft maintenance technician, Lynton Scott of Trinity Center, CA, received special recognition from the FAA in March when he was presented the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic award during the FAA’s annual Airworthiness Inspector Certificate Renewal symposium in Reno.

Lyn Scott started his aviation career as a gun turret system mechanic on B-50 bombers in 1951 at Walker AFB in Roswell, NM. He later became an A&P mechanic, earned a bachelor’s degree in aircraft maintenance engineering from Northrop Aeronautical Institute in 1959, and obtained his A&P mechanic license from the FAA the same year.

He worked for United Airlines as a mechanic when the airline was transitioning from props to jets and also taught mechanics to adult students in San Francisco. In his hometown of Trinity Center, he operates an airplane repair facility at the Trinity Center airport. In addition to his mechanic’s license, he holds a commercial pilot’s license with instrument rating and a ground instructor’s license.
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Scott says he considers receiving the Charles Taylor award a great honor in memory of “a true mechanical genius” and that after more than 60 years in aviation “I still get a thrill every time I see an airplane land or take off.”