Whereas, aircraft maintenance technicians are all too often the unsung heroes whose achievements and importance are overlooked; and, without the dedicated work of aircraft maintenance professionals, the safe air travel that we take for granted would not be possible; and

Whereas, although just about every child knows who Orville and Wilbur Wright were, most have never heard of Charles Edward Taylor, the unsung hero who was the first aircraft mechanic. On April 30, 1903, at the Wright Brother's Bicycle Shop in Dayton, Ohio, Charles Edward Taylor began working on the first engine built for Orville and Wilbur Wright's airplane named "The Flyer." Mr. Taylor pioneered uncharted theories of engine design by using only a lathe and drill press to construct a 4-cylinder piston engine, weighing 179 pounds and producing 12 horsepower, in just 6 weeks; and

Whereas, on the morning of December 17, 1903, at the base of Kill Devil Hills, south of the village of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Brothers made aviation history by successfully flying the first powered airplane. This achievement would not have been possible if it were not for Charles Edward Taylor, the first aircraft mechanic in powered flight — the man responsible for building and maintaining the first aircraft engines; and

Whereas, Wisconsin has deep roots in aviation. It is home to Aircraft Maintenance Technology magazine — the industry's leading maintenance publication and the only maintenance magazine that is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for recurrency training for mechanics. It is also home to the Experimental Aircraft Association, which hosts the largest aircraft fly-in in the United States each summer. This event is supported and attended by aircraft mechanics, pilots, and enthusiasts from throughout the world and brings in millions of dollars to Wisconsin's economy each year. Wisconsin is also home to Milwaukee-based Midwest Express Airlines and Appleton-based regional airline Wisconsin Airlines; now, therefore, be it