Photo: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Who He Was
Charles Edward Taylor (1868 to 1956) was born on a farm in Illinois and grew up in Nebraska, where he showed an early gift for machines and left school early to work. In 1896, he and his wife moved to Dayton, Ohio, and in 1901 the Wright brothers hired him at their bicycle shop for $18 a week. Repairing bicycles freed Orville and Wilbur to experiment with gliders, and Taylor built their wind tunnel and machined parts for their aircraft. In the winter of 1902 to 1903, working from rough sketches and using a lathe, a drill press, and hand tools, he built the engine for the Wright Flyer in about six weeks. It weighed about 180 pounds and produced 12 horsepower, more than the Wrights had calculated they needed. That engine powered the first controlled, powered flights at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903.
Why He Matters
The Wright brothers made the glider, and Charles Taylor made it an airplane. He is considered the first aircraft mechanic, and the FAA calls him the man aviation history almost forgot. His birthday, May 24, is now recognized as Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, and Congress passed a resolution honoring him in 2008. For every technician who works out of the spotlight so that someone else can fly, his story is the origin of the job.
