As passengers, we’re so used to seeing the gate agents, security workers, flight attendants, pilots, and sometimes baggage handlers who do their best to facilitate a smooth and pleasant flight experience. Though for every plane that departs and touches down safely, there’s a hidden team of technicians we don’t see but have to thank. Fortunately, in celebration of the specialized mechanics dedicated to aviation safety, May 24 is “Aviation Maintenance Technician Day,” but what’s the history behind it?

A pioneer in aviation maintenance

There were many people who can be credited with bringing aviation to fruition; undoubtedly, two of them are the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, who made a historic first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. In the build-up to that day in 1903, they had studied many designs and theories, carrying out various experiments along the way. But, just as we have today, the Wright brothers also needed an aircraft tech to ensure a safe flight.

Mechanic and inventor Charles Edward Taylor joined Orville and Wilbur’s team in 1902 who helped build and maintain an early model engine that was light yet powerful enough to get an aircraft off the ground. With various tools, such as a metal lathe and a drill press, Charles built a 12-horsepower engine over the course of six weeks. In the end, this engine would facilitate the 59-second, 852-foot flight on December 17, 1903.

Though not often discussed, Charles Taylor’s contribution to early aviation in the form of engineering and maintenance has not been forgotten. This is why Aviation Maintenance Technician Day is recognized on the anniversary of his birthday, May 24, 1868.

Taylor worked as a mechanic for decades, leaving an incredible legacy

Following the first heavier-than-air flight, Taylor continued working as an aircraft mechanic, building engines and teaching others how to do the same. He became familiar with multiple sides of the industry, assisting with military contracted work as well as being hired privately by an aviator looking to take home a large cash prize for completing a trip from New York to California in under 30 days. For the latter, he would meet the pilot at specific rendezvous points along the route, checking for any necessary repairs as they made their way across the United States.

Unfortunately, while living in Los Angeles, California, the mechanic suffered a heart attack in 1945; though he survived, serious health complications kept him out of work. He eventually passed away years later and is buried at the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation, a burial site of many aviation pioneers, suitably located at a park just at the end of Hollywood Burbank Airport’s Runway 33.

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In 2007, a United States House of Representatives resolution sought to create a day of remembrance to honor aviation mechanics who play a vital role in keeping skies safe globally. On May 24, 2008, fifteen years ago today, the resolution passed, and Aviation Maintenance Technician Day became a national holiday; though as aviation is a 365-day per year operation, it does not come with a day off.

Sources: National Day Calendar, National Today, NPS, NAA