81R5554 SKA-D

By: Parker H.R. No. 697

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 81st Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 24, 2009, 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.