Jarboe receives Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award
Dwight Jarboe received the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award from the FAA on Friday, Oct. 5.
COSHOCTON – Dwight Jarboe, former CEO of Missionary Maintenance Services Inc. (MMS), was recently awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award from FAA Safety Team Manager Mark Harden. The award is given to aircraft mechanics who have exhibited professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise for at least 50 years in the aircraft maintenance profession.
“I’m honored by it [the award],” said Jarboe. “I feel honored. Years of work are recognized and I think it’s appreciated. It’s a good feeling and I value the award. It’s not just a little consequence to me. I value it.”
The award was named after Charles Taylor, the Wright Brother’s aircraft mechanic who built the engine for the original Wright flyer. The FAA has two awards, one being the Master Mechanic Award and the other being the Master Pilot Award, also known as the Wright Brothers Award, given to pilots who have flown for at least 50 years.
There is a process to apply for this prestigious award. Applicants must send in a resume of their service over the years which the FAA reviews for consideration. Each applicant must also supply three letters of recommendation from other mechanics and fill out an application.
The award was given to Jarboe on Friday, Oct. 5 at MMS.
“A realty of any vocation is I don’t know anything that somebody else didn’t teach me, whether by telling me or reading it in a book,” said Jarboe. “This is a recognition of all those that went before me as well as people I’ve worked with and gained experience and knowledge from. The award is more than what I have done. It’s a communal recognition.”
There are quite a few in the United States who have been awarded the Charles Taylor award and names used to hang on a plaque in the FAA office in Washington D.C. Now, names are recorded electronically.
“One thing about aviators is that you can never really get rid of it, so to have people who started in their younger years, it sticks with you,” said Jarboe.
Jarboe started in the aircraft mechanic career at a young age.
“At the age of 19, I was working as an FAA certified mechanic,” he said. “On July 9, 2018, I had held my mechanic certification for 50 years that day, and I’ve worked in aviation maintenance continuously since then.”
Jarboe has been at MMS for the past 36 years. Prior to starting at MMS, Jarboe worked at JAARS in technical support. JAARS is an organization that translates the Bible into a wide-variety of languages and distributes them throughout the world. He was with the organization from 1972 to 1982. Five of those years, he spent in Bolivia, South America maintaining a Douglas DC-3 aircraft there for JAARS. When that aircraft was phased out, Jarboe was accepted as a staff member at MMS.
Currently, Jarboe is the president-emeritus and past CEO for 33 years at MMS. In October 2016, he stepped down from his CEO position and after a sabbatical, came back as an aircraft mechanic.
“This work is an intellect challenge,” said Jarboe. “The responsibility of it is something I respond positively to. The lives of these pilots and passengers in the plane effects directly to what I do in my work. To me, it adds to the satisfaction of what I do and what I do well.”
MMS Aviation is a Christian-centered organization that trains aircraft mechanics and pilots to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. To learn more about their organization, visit them online at mmsaviation.org.
Category: People & Places
