United Dedicates Charles Taylor Bust at ORD
A permanent tribute to United Airlines' aircraft technicians is now on display at O'Hare International Airport (ORD).
Charles E. Taylor was the Wright Brothers' mechanic and built the first engine for Orville and Wilbur Wright's first aircraft that took flight at Kitty Hawk, NC, on Dec. 17, 1903. Since 1998 the FAA has presented an award named in his honor to technicians with at least 50 years of service, 30 of them as a certified FAA technician. Receipt of the award also requires nomination by another certificated aircraft maintenance technician and approval by an FAA blue-ribbon panel.
More than 40 United technicians have received the award; their names are inscribed on the pedestal. A half-dozen active and retired winners attended the ceremony in the underground neon-lit tunnel linking United's B and C concourses at ORD.
Installing the permanent tribute was the brainchild of ORD and Regional Aircraft Maintenance Regional Director Jim Montgomery. Montgomery was joined for the event by Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Greg Hart, Tech Ops Senior Vice President Charles Duncan, and a number of local co-workers and other invited guests. Special guests included Taylor's grandson Reuben Taylor and great-grandson Charles Taylor II.
Line Technician Bill Grater, who has worked at PDX (Portland, OR), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and his current station, Maui, HI (OGG), said, "I'm honored to be recognized and to represent all the hard working aircraft maintenance technicians with whom I’ve worked over the last 50 years at United."
Other Taylor winners in attendance were Glenn Hill (ORD, retired), Richard La Barge (ORD, retired), George Kirkwood (Los Angeles International Airport, LAX), Jim Stucker (George Bush Intercontinental Airport, IAH) and Paul Temple (ORD).
Charles Taylor II, relays the family history, "Charles Taylor went to work for the Wrights in the summer of 1901 to assist their customers in building and repairing bicycles. Soon afterward the Wrights began their experimentation into the possibility of powered flight. When an engine could not be found to meet the Wrights' lightweight, high horsepower specs, Taylor designed and built what the Wrights needed in only six weeks with primitive tools and machinery. Over the next 29 years, Taylor worked for the Wrights as their trusted right-hand man. He was dedicated, honest, serious, and hardworking. He cared about his job, his profession, his bosses, and the company he worked for. He worked 60-hour weeks to ensure that the airplanes would fly when needed and would fly as safely as possible."Today, the mechanics who receive the Charles Taylor award, are reflections of these same values. Over their 50+ year careers, these "Master Mechanics" have worked as "unsung heroes of the sky." Each day they work behind the scene, enduring many long, difficult, and nighttime hours, to ensure that our planes are always ready to go, reliable, and safe. Charles Taylor never received the recognition that the Wright Brothers received. But, the time has come for all of our aircraft mechanics to receive their rightful recognition."This award salutes not only Charles Taylor, but more importantly the current generation of outstanding individuals who have gone the extra mile in maintaining our airplanes," the great grandson of Charles Taylor says.The bust was designed by Virginia K. Hess, who created the likeness of Taylor cast in bronze. Other busts of Taylor are located at the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center outside Washington, D.C., the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio; San Diego Aerospace Museum; Wright State University in Dayton, OH; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL; American Airlines; and Southwest Airlines.
The bust is located at the midpoint of the underground pedestrian tunnel linking Concourses B and C in United's Terminal One. In the direction facing Concourse C, it is on the right wall near where the two sets of moving walkways meet.