IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 586
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that an Aviation Main-
tenance Technician Day should be established in recognition of Charles 
Edward Taylor’s invaluable contributions to aviation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 30, 2004
Mr. FROST submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
an Aviation Maintenance Technician Day should be es-
tablished in recognition of Charles Edward Taylor’s in-
valuable contributions to aviation.
Whereas Charles Edward Taylor was born on May 24, 1868; 
Whereas in 1902 Charles Taylor began working as a machin-
ist for Orville and Wilbur Wright at the Wright Cycle 
Company in Dayton, Ohio; 
Whereas, using only a metal lathe, drill press, and hand tools, 
Charles Taylor built, in 6 weeks, the 12-horsepower en-
gine that was used to power the Wright brothers’ first 
flying machine;
•HRES 586 IH 
Whereas Charles Taylor’s ingenuity earned him a place in 
aviation history when the Wright brothers successfully 
flew their airplane on December 17, 1903; 
Whereas, after this historic event, Charles Taylor continued 
to design engines for the Wright brothers and later 
taught them to build aircraft engines; 
Whereas Charles Taylor became an airport manager in 1904, 
dedicating his time to the maintenance of the Wright air-
planes at Huffman Prairie in Dayton, Ohio, where the 
Wright brothers continued test flights; 
Whereas Charles Taylor accompanied Orville Wright to Fort 
Myer, Virginia, for test flights by the United States Gov-
ernment in 1908 and accompanied Wilbur Wright to New 
York for the Hudson-Fulton flights in 1909; 
Whereas Charles Taylor served as lead mechanic when 
Calbraith Rodgers completed the first crossing of the 
continental United States by airplane in 1911 and re-
paired Calbraith Rodgers’ airplane after numerous crash 
landings during the course of the 49-day trip; 
Whereas Charles Taylor remained humble, never telling his 
coworkers at future jobs of his amazing achievements; 
Whereas Charles Taylor had a successful career in aviation 
maintenance for more than 60 years; 
Whereas Charles Taylor was honored by the Federal Aviation 
Administration with the establishment of the Charles Ed-
ward Taylor Master Mechanic Award, which recognizes 
individuals with 50 years or more of aviation mainte-
nance experience; and 
Whereas Charles Edward Taylor has become a hero to air-
craft maintenance technicians worldwide: Now, therefore, 
be it
•HRES 586 IH 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) an Aviation Maintenance Technician Day 
should be established to honor the life and memory 
of Charles Edward Taylor, the aircraft maintenance 
technician who built and maintained the engine that 
was used to power the Wright brothers’ first flying 
machine; and 
(2) the President should issue a proclamation 
calling on the people of the United States and inter-
ested organizations to observe Aviation Maintenance 
Technician Day in honor of the life of Charles Ed-
ward Taylor and in recognition of his invaluable con-
tributions to aviation.
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