JAARS’ Bud Woods Honored by FAA
Master Aircraft Mechanic Has Plied His Trade in Five Countries
For more information, contact:
Arthur Lightbody
JAARS Media Relations Officer
1-704-843-6048
arthur_lightbody@sil.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WAXHAW, N.C. — March 17, 2000 — “I can honestly and conscientiously recommend Mr. Woods to whomever may consider him for employment in the aircraft industry, and feel confident that he will prove to be an asset to his employer,” reads a December 20, 1954, letter “To Whom It May Concern.”
It was written by Wilfred E. Betz, director of The Embry Riddle International School of Aviation, in a letter commending Marvin C. Woods on his graduation with highest honors from Embry Riddle’s Flight and Mechanic School. Little did Betz know how accurate his statement would be!
The award was presented during a two-day FAA-sponsored aviation maintenance seminar hosted at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, North Carolina. Topics ranged from “Pitfalls of Internet Data” to “Propeller Balancing and Turbine Fan Trim Balance.” Although these topics were important to the conference attendees, the excitement picked up when the Charles Taylor Award Ceremony took place.
Bill O’Brien, who is a national resource specialist with the FAA, and a sought-after aviation maintenance lecturer and writer, presented the award to Woods.
The Charles Taylor “Master Mechanic” Award is given in memory of Taylor, who has been called the “Unsung Hero of Aviation.” He was the mechanic who built the engine for the Wright Flyer. Wilbur and Orville Wright would not have made the first flight at Kitty Hawk had it not been for Taylor, the first American aircraft mechanic.
In nominating Woods for the award Don Warfel, JAARS avionics manager, wrote, “Bud [as Woods is known by his friends] has been a great help in thoroughly researching details of a problem. He is tenacious and digs until he gets to the bottom of the problem.”
Hal Stone, JAARS chief pilot, recently told fellow aviation personnel, “We, as pilots, need to thank not only Bud but countless other good men who have dedicated their lives to keeping us in the air.”
Woods sees his service as essential to the Bible translation effort. He says, “There was no other way to travel to and from our Limoncocha translation center in Ecuador except by plane. There were no roads.”
Pilots, aviation mechanics and ground crews enable translators to get to isolated language groups, sometimes located in dense forests, towering mountains or along treacherous rivers. This is accomplished by God’s grace through the faithful work of aircraft maintenance people like Woods, and by carefully following established safety procedures.
Woods currently works part-time in aviation maintenance at JAARS. Woods has served more than 35 years with Wycliffe with his wife Gladys. In addition to Ecuador, they served in Colombia, Kenya and Cameroon. Much of that time Woods helped to maintain “Chief Tariri,” a DC-3.
Gladys also received recognition at the FAA seminar. She received her award for staying with and supporting Bud as he kept the planes flying. Currently she serves part time—as a computer trainer at JAARS.
Woods, originally from the Tacoma, Washington, area, became a Christian while in the Air Force. He was challenged by Wycliffe pioneer pilot Larry Montgomery to use his maintenance skills to aid Bible translation. Woods gained aircraft maintenance experience with Boeing, Clinton Aviation and United Airlines before serving with Wycliffe.
JAARS provides aviation services with 35 planes for language projects in 16 countries. Wycliffe has critical needs for aviation maintenance people to help in the translation task.
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