Master mechanic Patrick Delahoussaye

Patrick started work in the U.S Navy just after high school. After four years of service, he attended the Spartan School of Aeronautics where he completed his Aviation Science degree. He has gone on to work for Paul Formet Air Services, Aviall, Stevens Aviation, Atlantic Aviation, Embraer, J.S.S.I, Flight Time, and Comlux. He has since started his own company, Pioneer Aviation Management, where he is today. Patrick was awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award by the FAA in 2010. 

The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is the most prestigious honor the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presents to senior aviation mechanics. Named after Charles Taylor—the Wright brothers' mechanic who designed and built the engine for the first successful powered flight—this award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary expertise and professionalism throughout a lifetime of service. Beyond the personal recognition of a certificate and lapel pin, recipients are immortalized on the FAA's Roll of Honor, celebrating a career that has fundamentally contributed to aviation safety and reliability.
​
To earn this distinguished recognition, a nominee must be a U.S. citizen with 50 or more years of civil and military aviation maintenance experience. Specifically, the applicant must have served as an FAA-certificated mechanic or repairman for at least 30 of those 50 years, with a clean record that includes no certificate revocations. The remaining 20 years can include time spent in the U.S. military or uncertificated work in aircraft manufacturing. Eligible individuals or their sponsors can apply by submitting a nomination package, including maintenance history and letters of recommendation, to their local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).

---