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In 2001, the USA Federal Aviation Administration officially declared the holiday to honour the effort and innovation of Charles Edward Taylor, the machinist who invented the engine that helped power the airplane of the Wright Brothers. The date May 24 was selected to honour the birth date of Taylor. Charles Edward Taylor He came to work for the Wrights in 1902 when the research turned to powered flight. The automobile companies couldn’t supply an engine both light enough and powerful enough for flight. Enter Taylor. A machinist by trade, with a metal lathe, drill press, and other hand tools, he built the 12-horsepower engine, which propelled the Wright’s aeroplane 20 feet above the wind-swept North Carolina beach. The longest flight lasted 59 seconds for a distance of 852 feet. It took Taylor 6 weeks to build the engine, and yet, history books rarely mention the man who helped make the historic December 17, 1903, flight possible. Beyond First Flight Being on the cusp of the aeronautics industry, Taylor continued to design aircraft engines for the Wright brothers as well as teaching them to build their own. When the first airport was established (by the Wrights), he was named the airport manager. The partnership continued when the Wright brothers were awarded a military contract for the first military plane with Taylor designing and building the engine. Taylor’s adventures continued in 1911 when William Randolph Hearst offered up a cash award to the first pilot to fly across the United States in 30 days or less. Cal Rodgers, a young pilot, accepted the challenge and hired Charles Taylor as his mechanic. Rodgers made it, landing and crashing from New York to Pasadena, with Taylor trailing along in a car. Charles Taylor continued in the field of aviation maintenance for more than 60 years. Like Taylor, aviation maintenance technicians around the world work in the background, keeping civilian and military aircraft safe. On May 24th, to all technicians whether they work directly on aircraft or not, they play an important role in ensuring we meet our mission and we recognize their achievements and humble history. Read more about Charlie Taylor on page 66
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