S*1309 Concurrent Resolution, By Knotts and Setzler
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO HONOR THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF CHARLES EDWARD TAYLOR,
 THE WORLD'S FIRST AIRPLANE MECHANIC, AND, WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION
 ADMINISTRATION SOUTHERN REGION AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA AERONAUTICS COMMISSION,
 URGE THE CITIZENS OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO RECOGNIZE MAY TWENTY-FOURTH OF EACH
 YEAR AS "AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN DAY" IN HONOR OF CHARLES EDWARD
 TAYLOR.

   03/24/10  Senate Introduced, adopted, sent to House SJ-4
   03/25/10  House  Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence HJ-20

TO HONOR THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF CHARLES EDWARD TAYLOR, THE WORLD'S FIRST AIRPLANE MECHANIC, AND, WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION SOUTHERN REGION AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA AERONAUTICS COMMISSION, URGE THE CITIZENS OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO RECOGNIZE MAY TWENTY-FOURTH OF EACH YEAR AS "AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN DAY" IN HONOR OF CHARLES EDWARD TAYLOR.

Whereas, born May 24, 1868, Charles Edward Taylor began working in 1902 as a machinist for Orville and Wilbur Wright at the Wright Cycle Company in Dayton, Ohio; and

Whereas, within six weeks, Charles Edward Taylor, using only a lathe and drill press, built the first engine used to power the Wright Flyer; and

Whereas, Mr. Taylor's ingenuity earned him a place in aviation history when the Wright Brothers successfully flew their airplane on December 17, 1903; and

Whereas, after this historic event, Charles Edward Taylor continued to design engines for the Wright Brothers and later taught them to build aircraft engines; and

Whereas, in 1908, Mr. Taylor accompanied Orville Wright to Fort Meyer, Virginia, for test flights by the United States Government and the following year accompanied Wilbur Wright to New York for the Hudson-Fulton flights; and

Whereas, Charles Edward Taylor also served as lead mechanic for Calbraith "Cal" Rodgers, who made his first transcontinental flight in 1911; and

Whereas, for more than sixty years before his death in 1956, Charles Edward Taylor had a successful career in airplane maintenance. To honor this aviation pioneer, the Federal Aviation Administration established the Charles Edward Taylor Master Mechanic Award, which recognizes persons with fifty or more years of aviation maintenance experience; and

Whereas, in light of his invaluable contributions to aviation, the General Assembly wishes to express its appreciation for Mr. Taylor's lifework. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, honor the life and memory of Charles Edward Taylor, the world's first airplane mechanic, and, with the Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region and the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, urge the citizens of South Carolina to recognize May twenty-fourth of each year as "Aviation Maintenance Technician Day" in honor of Charles Edward Taylor.

Be it further resolved that the members of the General Assembly urge the citizens of the United States of America, the Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region, and the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission to participate in activities commemorating the one hundred seventh anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region and the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission.