Happy AMT Day!

Happy AMT Day! Today, May 24, is the birth date of Charles E. Taylor, the man who designed and built the engine that powered the Wright Flyer into the history books. He is recognized as the first aircraft mechanic. Here's to Charles Taylor, for if it wasn't for him we might still be talking about the Wright Glider. And here's to us -- the tens of thousands of aircraft maintenance professionals who keep our fleets of aircraft safely flying. The AMT Day movement sure has come a long way from the initial seed planted by FAA Safety Program Manager Richard Dilbeck a few years back. Dilbeck pushed legislation proclaiming AMT Day in California, making it the first State to do so. He has also been instrumental in getting AMT Day resolutions passed in States all over the country and in U.S. territories. He has also had some help along the way, especially with AMTA director, and AMTSociety councilman, Ken MacTiernan. I am in Kansas City today along with AMTSociety executive director Tom Hendershot and Ken MacTiernan at American Airlines' maintenance facility as employees celebrate AMT Day and honor AA's Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award recipients. I'm looking forward to the event. I'm also looking forward to sampling some good Kansas City Bar-B-Que later this evening! If your company is celebrating AMT Day, be sure to let us know. I will be doing a writeup in a future issue of AMT magazine. You can e-mail me text and photos or mail to: Joe Escobar, Aircraft Maintenance Technology, 1233 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 Thanks for reading! Joe Escobar