Happy AMT Day
By the time this issue reaches your desk – it will be a few weeks past May 24th. For those of you not aware, May 24th is AMT Day.
AMT Day is a day that more and more people are celebrating each year. AMT Day commemorates the birthday of Charles E. Taylor. Taylor was the Wight Brother’s bicycle shop mechanic. He designed and built the engine that powered the Wright Flyer into the history books. Taylor is considered the first aircraft mechanic. AMT day recognizes the knowledge, skill, and integrity of all AMTs who contribute to the safety of flight and honors Charles E Taylor’s place in history.
AMT Day was made “official” in the USA on April 30th, 2008, when it was voted on (HRES#444) and passed in the US House of representatives.
Several individuals worked hard in the early 2000s to introduce AMT Day State resolutions and finally to introduce a resolution to congress in 2008 for a national AMT Day recognition. Among these individuals were Richard Dilbeck, who introduced and had passed the very first State AMT Day resolution in California, Ken MacTiernan, Director of AMTA
(www.amtausa.com), and even our very own Joe Escobar who helped promote and track the progress of AMT Day approvals as each State was added and who submitted the request to have an AMT Day resolution passed by the legislature here in Wisconsin.
Since Early 2000, more and more maintenance facilities around the country have been celebrating AMT day in various ways. Picnics, cookouts and banquets are held in multiple locations around the country. Certificates are awarded for training, sponsored gifts are presented to mechanics, and stories are shared by all who participate in the celebration.
A recent development is that certain maintenance facilities demonstrated their appreciation of AMTs by presenting them with some pretty neat gifts! For example, I heard through the grapevine that Delta Tech-Ops presented all of its mechanics with a Gearwrench socket set. The picture below was provided by Delta Tech Ops technician Jason Switzer from Atlanta, GA. It’s labeled AMT Appreciation Day 2014! Not a bad way for a company to show appreciation for the skills and knowledge of its technicians.
Of course, the established AMT events in Cincinnati, OH, Baker School of Aeronautics in Nashville, and others are just as important at solidifying AMT Day around the country.
Let us know how you celebrated AMT Day. If you have any pictures of your event that you’d like to share, we would like to put them on our website for everyone to see. Just send them to me at gnapert@dommagazine.com.
On behalf of the entire staff of D.O.M.and Helicopter Maintenance magazines, I wish you a belated Happy AMT Day and hope that AMT Day continues to grow in order to recognize those who make such an important contribution to aviation safety.