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The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is the highest honor the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bestows upon senior aviation maintenance technicians. Named after Charles Taylor, the pioneering mechanic who designed and built the engine for the Wright brothers' historic 1903 flight, this prestigious award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated an unwavering, 50-year commitment to aviation safety and craftsmanship.
Here at the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA), we want to make sure these legends of our flight lines and hangars receive the industry-wide recognition they deserve. What Does It Take to Become a Master Mechanic? Earning this award represents a lifetime dedicated to technical excellence. To be eligible for this elite recognition, nominees must meet the following strict criteria:
Exploring the FAA Roll of Honor When a technician receives the award, their name is officially added to the FAA’s published Roll of Honor. This public registry serves as a permanent testament to their 50-year legacy in the industry. As of June 2026, the directory features nearly 4,000 elite master mechanics. You can explore the full history, look up mentors, and search for recipients by name, city, or state by visiting the official FAA Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Recipient List. Share Your Charles Taylor Story with PAMA! Are you a recipient of this prestigious award, or do you know a colleague who recently joined the Roll of Honor? PAMA is actively putting together dedicated feature profiles for our community newsletter and blog. Help us celebrate these incredible milestones by emailing us at [email protected] with the mechanic's name, a brief career summary, and photos from their award ceremony!
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 At the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA), we constantly emphasize that aviation safety is a team effort. A powerful reminder of this came during a special ceremony held on May 23, 2012, at the Porter County Regional Airport. On that day, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Safety Team honored the remarkable 50-year careers of a local pilot and his dedicated mechanic, marking a rare dual presentation of lifetime achievement awards.
Valparaiso orthodontist Tom Cavanaugh received the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for logging five decades of safe flying after taking his first solo flight back in August 1961. However, Cavanaugh quickly directed the spotlight to the man who made his impeccable safety record possible: his mechanic, Larry Bub. Bub was awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, the highest honor the FAA bestows upon maintenance technicians, celebrating his 50 years of keeping aircraft safely in the skies. This joint milestone beautifully highlights the sacred trust between pilots and maintenance professionals. As Cavanaugh noted, his safe flying career endured because Bub skillfully repaired and rapidly diagnosed every mechanical issue over five decades. For PAMA members and the broader aviation maintenance community, stories like Bub’s embody the exact professionalism, technical excellence, and commitment to public safety that we strive to uphold every single day. Mike has been an instructor at CPTC for more than 30 years, along with being an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner. Along with the Charles Taylor Award, Mike received a service pin with diamond, a certificate, award plaques, and the FAA “Blue Ribbon” certification. Mike’s wife, Catherine, was also awarded a pin for being an outstanding supporting figure in Mike’s career. Mike was awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award by the FAA in 2017. Presenting the award for the FAA was FAA Safety Team Seattle Manager, Dr. Jean Francois Mpouli, along with Mabel Edmonds, vice president for instruction. Mike was presented with a service pin with diamond, certificate, and award plaques. Mike’s wife Catherine was also recognized as an important supporting figure, and was awarded a pin. Also presented was the FAA “Blue Ribbon” certification of Mike Potters FAA blemish-free records spanning the last half-century of service.   Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA) proudly recognizes Darryl (DJ) Bates on being awarded the FAA Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award—the FAA’s most prestigious honor for aviation maintenance technicians.
This distinguished award recognizes 50 years of professionalism, technical skill, and dedication to aviation safety and excellence. DJ’s career reflects the very best of the aviation maintenance profession, exemplifying safety, character, and unwavering commitment to quality. DJ’s aviation maintenance journey began in the U.S. Navy where he maintained aircraft at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Florida. As a civilian, he graduate from PIA then went on to work in many roles from line technician, to maintenance manager and executive leadership as a director of maintenance. In August 2024, he returned to PIA to teach, bringing decades of real-world experience back to the next generation of technicians. His career path, from technician to mentor to Master Mechanic Award recipient, serves as a powerful example for our students. During the June 16, 2026 presentation, FAA representatives from the Allegheny Flight Standards District Office (FSDO)—Wendy Grimm (Manager), Steve Steele (AW FPM), and Arthur Rectenwald (PMI)—formally recognized DJ’s lifelong contributions to aviation and highlighted his career as an exemplary model of dedication and impact within the industry. PIA is honored to have DJ as part of our faculty and congratulates him on this remarkable and well-deserved achievement. PAMA is proud to celebrate the aviation maintenance professionals whose careers reflect a lifetime of dedication, skill, and service. We are currently seeking submissions for recipients of the Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award, one of the highest honors in aircraft maintenance.
Established by the FAA, the Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award recognizes senior aviation mechanics with 50 or more years of civil aviation maintenance experience. Named after Charles E. Taylor, the first aviation mechanic and the man behind the engine that powered the Wright brothers’ first successful aircraft, this award honors those who have spent decades ensuring the safety, reliability, and advancement of aviation. Do you know a mechanic whose career exemplifies professionalism, technical excellence, and commitment to the aviation maintenance community? We want to hear their story. Why Submit? Selected award recipients will be:
How to Submit To submit a nomination or share information about a deserving Master Mechanic, please email details to [email protected]. Submissions may include background on the nominee’s career, years of service, areas of expertise, and why they are deserving of recognition. Help us honor the individuals who built, and continue to uphold, the foundation of aviation safety and excellence. We look forward to highlighting the remarkable careers that define our profession.  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. 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 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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