master mechanic Paul McKenzie

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. 
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"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.

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