Aviation technicians James Shepley of Enfield and Edward Moore of Holyoke, Mass., went to work at aerospace firm Hamilton Sundstrand at the flowering of the age of passenger-jet travel.
Shepley, 80, joined Hamilton in 1957; Moore, 74, in 1961.
A half-century later, both men, still plying their craft at Hamilton’s Windsor Locks global repair facility, have been honored with the Federal Aviation Administration’s highest “Master Mechanic” award for their dedication to aviation service.
Both were recently honored by the FAA and Hamilton as “Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanics.” The award is named for the nation’s first aircraft mechanic and goes to technicians who have at least 50 years of outstanding service.
“We could not have done this without everyone out in the shop,” Moore said in a statement. “This is not something we earned alone.”
Their supervisor, Matt McSherry, described them as dedicated family men with great work ethics and a commitment to quality.
“You don’t reach 50 years of service if you don’t love what you do for a living,” McSherry said.
“It’s professionals like you that make us feel safe putting our children and grandchildren on a plane,” said Beth Babb, FAA flight standards district office manager, who presented the awards to Shepley and Moore on Dec. 13. Babb stressed the importance of repair technicians and inspectors when it comes to aircraft safety.
Both received a plaque signed by the FAA administrator and lapel pin and have their name, city and state added to a published “Roll of Honor” listed on the FAA’s homepage.
Hamilton Sundstrand is a division of United Technologies Corp. in Hartford.
