Leaders

May 24 is the birthday of Charles Taylor, mechanic to the Wright brothers, designer and builder of the first aircraft engine, and father of everything that is aircraft maintenance. His birthday is now celebrated as AMT Day. I would like to honor Taylor by paying homage to two individuals who are no longer with us — Bill O’Brien and Tom Hendershot.

My good friend Bill passed away nearly five years ago. I didn’t write about him. As a mechanic, I am more comfortable discussing mechanical objects than discussing people. That’s what mechanics do! We repair airplanes in the confines of a hangar, often with little human interaction.

I got to know Bill when I went to my first PAMA convention in Philadelphia in 1989. When I heard Bill speak, I knew I wanted him to write for my publication. I offered to pay him for an article and he said that the most he could accept was a cup of coffee. Bill was a pillar of integrity, principle and honesty. He was an interpreter of FAA regulations and a human computer for aircraft maintenance knowledge. Bill was a mechanic at heart and wanted, when possible, to operate behind the scenes. He often thought of himself as the Wizard of Oz, pulling levers and making things happen while he sat behind the curtain, taking pleasure in knowing that things were both better and safer for his efforts. He went so far as to write some of his articles under the pen name Patrick Poteen in honor of his proud Irish heritage.

Bill started the Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic program to honor mechanics who had performed flawlessly for 50 years, and the FAA Awards program to encourage training. These programs live on today and remain some of the most prestigious accomplishments that a mechanic can attain.

Bill had a masters degree and was a huge proponent of education. Another of his passions, besides his family (he often spoke of his wife and children), was aviation safety. His anecdotes, his approach to teaching, his selflessness when it came to his time that he dedicated to writing about safety, and more, were second to none.

I had the opportunity to launch a group called AMTSociety while serving as group publisher for several aviation publications circa 2005. I put out the word that I was looking for an executive director. I received a call from Tom Hendershot. Tom, another pillar of aviation and a man of the upmost integrity, was hired for the executive director job.

Tom had overseen the QA department at Frontier Airlines. Tom’s commitment to safety at Frontier resulted in the entire maintenance department receiving the Diamond Award for Safety from the FAA several years running. His commitment to safety and integrity spilled over into his management of AMTSociety.

Tom’s dedication meant that his life literally revolved around AMTSociety — there wasn’t a minute when he didn’t consider himself to be on call.

In addition to being AMTSociety’s day-to-day manager, Tom launched AMTSociety’s IA renewal training program, launched AMT Annual Skills competition, recruited membership for AMTSociety, solicited donors, organized fundraisers for scholarship programs, and even found time to serve on several aviation boards, contribute to industry committees, and keep current on aviation maintenance issues. In addition, he was a loving husband and grandfather who spoke of his family at every opportunity.

I would often ask Tom why he worked so hard. He always gave me a perplexed look and ask, “What do you mean?” His tireless work towards aviation safety came naturally.

Tom was recognized in many ways, to include receiving the Charles E. Taylor Award, the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot award, FAA’s AMT Mechanic of the Year, and more. He is also a member of the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame and the Colorado Aviation Historical Society’s Hall of Fame.

Tom passed just recently, but his contributions to aviation will live on forever.

Both Bill and Tom lived in the spirit of Charles E. Taylor. Their dedication and commitment resulted in immeasurable contributions to aviation safety improvements.

Happy birthday, Charles E. Taylor, and happy AMT Day to everyone!

Greg Napert
gnapertdommagazine.com