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.