Congratulations to Anthony (Tony) Imparato on receiving the Charles Taylor award!
This honorable achievement recognizes an elite few who have 50 years of dedicated service in the aviation maintenance industry. Since it's creation in the 1930's, only about 30,000 people have received this award.
What is the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award?
The Federal Aviation Administration established The Charles Taylor Award to recognize the lifetime accomplishments of Senior Mechanics. To earn this award, a person must work on N registered aircraft for 30 to 50 years and have 50 years of contribution to the Aviation Industry. Charles Taylor was the first aviation mechanic in powered flight, and served as the Wright Brother’s mechanic. He is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft.
To be eligible for the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, nominees must meet the following criteria:
-Hold a U.S. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mechanic or repairman certificate.
– Have 50 or more years of civil and military maintenance experience.
– Up to 20 years of the required 50 years may be U.S. military experience; or worked as an uncertified person in a U.S. aviation maintenance facility that maintained U.S. registered aircraft, either domestic or overseas; or worked as an uncertified person in the aircraft manufacturing industry in the United States, producing U.S. type-certificated or U.S. military aircraft.
– The 50 years may be computed consecutively or non-consecutively.
– Be a U.S. citizen.
– Have NOT had any airman certificate revoked. Revocation of any airman certificate will disqualify a
nominee for this award.
You can see Anthony’s award on the FAA website here.
Anthony grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn NY near LaGuardia Airport, and was inspired to pursue a career in aviation from his fascination with airplanes from a young age. He always knew he wanted to pursue a career in aviation, and had received his licenses in 1974 from Aviation Highschool in Queens, NY (before he was eligible to actually use them!) He started his first job as a flight line mechanic for Capital Airways at JFK Airport and never looked back.
Throughout his career Anthony has filled many different roles, as a mechanic, advisory roles, instructing and more. He served on the board of directors for George T. Baker Aviation College for Miami Dade, is a past Chairman for the Beacon Council Aviation Commitee for Miami Dade, and other member appointments including AMA (Avionic Maintenance Association) and ARSA (Aeronautical Repair Station Association).
After working the flight line, Anthony became a manager of aircraft maintenance and technical instructor for Eastern Airlines in Miami. He conducted training classes on the L-1011, B-757, B-727, A-300, B747, CF-6 RB-535, JT8D engines and boroscoping. Reflecting back, his memories from training pilots and maintenance personnel are both some of his most fond, but at the time challenging tasks.
By the 90’s, Anthony had continued to move up, from Director of Aircraft Maintenance at Butler Aviation to VP of Sales and Marketing, and eventually Senior Vice President at AAR Aircraft Component Services in Garden City, NY. By 2001, He moved to Florida as VP of Operations at Solair, before moving to Senior VP of Quality and Operations at Kellstrom Industries until 2005. He then went to work for Barfield in Miami, FL. moving from Senior VP of Quality, to Senior VP of Operations to include six (6) locations and the accountable manager until 2021 when he retired. In 2022 he began an advisory role here at Aero Instruments and Avionics.
When asked about how it feels to receive such a rare award, Anthony said “It’s a great Honor to receive such a prestigious award and be part of only 30,000 recipients in the world to win this award since the beginning (1930’s). As I look back at my career, I am blessed to have met many talented people who played a huge role in my development. Also, the support from my family was always with me. I’m thankful to all of them.”
Please join us in congratulating (Anthony) Tony on this great achievement and thanking him for all he has contributed to aviation and flight safety.
