79R13815 SKA-D

By:  Burnam                                                       H.R. No. 1299



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Charles Edward Taylor, who built the first engines 
for Orville and Wilbur Wright's airplanes, made an incalculable 
contribution to the development of aviation; and
	WHEREAS, Born May 24, 1868, in Illinois, Mr. Taylor began 
working as a machinist for the two brothers at the Wright Cycle 
Company in Dayton, Ohio, in 1902; after six weeks on the job, he had 
built the first engine used to power the Wright Flyer, and his place 
in aviation history was secured with the Wright brothers' first 
successful flight at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903; and
	WHEREAS, In the early years of the fledgling industry, Mr. 
Taylor maintained a constant presence in aviation development; he 
continued to design and build aircraft engines and accompanied the 
Wright brothers to flight demonstrations in Europe, United States 
government test flights in Fort Myer, Virginia, and further 
demonstrations at the Hudson-Fulton Exposition in New York; 
moreover, he served as the mechanic for the first successful 
transcontinental flight in the United States; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Taylor's career in aviation construction and 
maintenance spanned more than 60 years, and the Federal Aviation 
Administration has honored this achievement with the establishment 
of the Charles Edward Taylor Master Mechanic Award, which 
recognizes persons with 50 or more years of aviation maintenance 
experience; and
	WHEREAS, Charles Edward Taylor played a fundamental role in 
the early development of powered flight, and the exacting vocation 
he pioneered has become an essential part of the fabric of modern 
life; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby recognize May 24, 2005, as Aviation Maintenance 
Technician Day in Texas in tribute to Charles Edward Taylor and to 
all aviation maintenance technicians who have followed in his 
footsteps.