Charles Taylor was an unsung hero during the dawn of aviation. His extraordinary talent birthed the first engine to power a flyer designed by the Wright Brothers. Charles Taylor is no longer unsung, nor a mystery, thanks to Richard Dilbeck. Due to the tireless work of Dilbeck, every conceivable tool is used to share the exploits of aviation's dedicated mechanics throughout the nation.

Richard Dilbeck is an FAA inspector in Sacramento, California, with an unrelenting passion for both mechanics in general and Charles Taylor in particular. Compelled to seek out avenues to promote both, he elevates each unsung mechanic who follows. To Dilbeck, the role of mechanic naturally assumes a dedication often overlooked by those on the outside.

Dilbeck and Taylor were both born in Illinois. Through the influence of television he became fascinated by the world introduced to him in Sky King and notably Whirly Birds, which proved conclusively that a helicopter did not need the security of an airfield in order to operate--it could land anywhere.

The powerful attraction of this extraordinary vehicle led Dilbeck to join the Air Force in 1971, where he earned his A&P ticket working on helicopters during nine years of active duty. He continued to Rocky Mountain Helicopters in Utah as a mechanic, while also serving stints in both the California and Utah National Guard. Dilbeck worked with the National Guard during Operation Desert Storm and at a top-secret location at the Nevada test site.

Dilbeck went to work for the FAA in June 1997 and soon became aware of the Charles Taylor Award. The same drive that had led to decades of helicopter maintenance now took a new turn, for it seems as if Dilbeck has truly found his greatest mission, that of remembering the contributions of unsung mechanics whose centuries of experience were often lost to the glamour of those who fly airplanes.

"People know the names of the people who flew around the world, or across the English Channel, or who flew the first powered flight. They remember the Earharts and the Lindbergs and the Wrights. But who remembers the names of the mechanics who built the airplanes, and worked on them, and made them fly? How can we remember these guys?" Dilbeck asked.

The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award recognizes those who have served a total of 50 years engaged in aviation maintenance as a mechanic or repairman. Applicants, or one who applies on behalf of those who meet this eligibility requirement, may apply for the award by sending a notarized letter to the local FAA Flight Standards District Office containing: the type of certificate held, including the original issue date of the certificate if available, a resume of past employment, and three letters of recommendation from certificated mechanics or repairmen. There is no limit to the number of awards that a FSDO can issue; details are contained in Advisory Circular 65-26B. Additionally, the Charles Taylor Award may be presented up to three years posthumously.

Dilbeck has begun what might be considered a one-man mission to recognize unsung aviation mechanics, using every opportunity imaginable to put a page into the annuals of California history. While meeting with applicants and hearing the stories contained in centuries of experience in the maintenance field, the award has become far more than a faceless proclamation of an ideal. These are living, breathing makers and bearers of an age in aviation history that is soon to pass. Yet, as Dilbeck chronicles their experiences and achievements, they will not pass forgotten.

He recounts the 50-year anniversary of Reedley College's A&P school, where approximately 22 mechanics received the Charles Taylor award, amassing a sum of more than 1,100 years of experience. The oldest individual he ever presented the award to was Frank Hannam, holder of a four-digit certificate number issued on April 15, 1931. His 77 years in aviation defines a small part of a person--a man who smiled and made little of all he had been part of.

To Dilbeck, each mechanic and each of their stories is one worth telling, worth holding onto as flight progresses from wartime to peacetime to space exploration to the present day. Dilbeck continues to tirelessly chronicle the past while reaching for the future. His quest is a widely successful bid to have a resolution passed in each of the 50 states, as well as territories, in recognition of Charles Taylor's birthday, May 24th, as Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, celebrating the unsung heroes of aviation. So far, 30 states have passed the resolution. If Richard Dilbeck has any say in the matter, Charles Taylor and every other mechanic will never be unsung. -- By Sherry Ditmer