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Celebrating Excellence: Joe “Ski” Suszczynski Earns the FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award

Celebrating Excellence: Joe “Ski” Suszczynski Earns the FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award

StandardAero is proud to recognize Joe “Ski” Suszczynski, Training Manager at our Dallas-Fort Worth Service Center, as a recipient of the FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, one of the most prestigious honors in aviation maintenance.

A Lifelong Calling That Started at 14

Aviation has never been just a job for Joe. His journey began at age 14 at Aviation High School in Queens, New York, a public, FAA-accredited program.

“It’s in your DNA,” Joe shared. “Aviation has been in my DNA since I was 14. If you don’t love it, it’s work.”

Photo courtesy of Joe Suszczynski

After four and a half years of classroom training and hands-on shop time—including maintaining the school’s own aircraft—he graduated with both his diploma and his FAA certification at just 17 years old. He returned for six additional months of extended training to obtain his Powerplant certificate.  

Service to Country and Commitment to Craft

Joe went on to serve 21 years in the United States Air Force as a jet engine technician. He later transitioned to civil aviation roles at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, eventually joining Raytheon as a site supervisor where he was responsible for hiring and developing a team of more than 50 technicians. During his Air Force career, he also taught Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) students as an adjunct instructor with Embry-Riddle in Germany.

Joe joined StandardAero in 1999, continuing in a similar role, bringing his leadership, technical knowledge and growth mindset. 

Building the Next Generation at StandardAero

In 2022, Joe transferred to StandardAero’s DFW facility to lead training initiatives, a natural fit given his long history of developing emerging aviation talent.

“What really excites me is when I’m training somebody,” he said. “Whether it’s one, five, or ten years later, you see them grow and expand—and then they come back to tell you how much it meant to learn to do things the correct way.”

Joe’s leadership philosophy centers on integrity, clarity, and accountability. His personal motto—“Do what’s right when nobody is looking”—guides how he works, teaches, and leads. As he puts it, “Do my actions mimic what I say? Do I walk the walk?” Whether he is delivering technical instruction, reinforcing safety practices, or simply picking up FOD on the shop floor, Joe leads by example.

Advice for Future Aviation Professionals

Joe is passionate about helping newer technicians build strong foundations. His guidance is direct and honest:

  • Your career is your journey. “You only get what you put in.”
  • Master the fundamentals. “Don’t say ‘I got it’ if you don’t. Understand what you’re doing.”
  • Learn in steps. “Aviation is a lot to learn—don’t try to eat the elephant all at once.”
  • Value true understanding over test preparation. Joe stresses that technicians should learn the craft, not just the answers.

His approach is rooted in decades of teaching, mentoring, and watching technicians he trained later become leaders and mentors themselves. “It’s like planting a seed and watching it flourish,” he said.

Reflecting on the Charles Taylor Award

Receiving the Charles Taylor Award represents to Joe a lifetime of dedication to safety, precision, and integrity—values he has upheld from his earliest days in the shop to his current role shaping future generations of aviation professionals.

“Aviation has helped me get to where I am today,” Joe shared. “It’s given me financial security, and it’s also taken sweat and tears. But the greatest reward is passing the baton on to others and watching them grow.”

If you’re inspired by Joe’s lifelong passion and want to build a rewarding career in aviation, explore opportunities at StandardAero:

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StandardAero is a leading independent pure-play provider of aerospace engine aftermarket services for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, serving the commercial, military and business aviation end markets. StandardAero provides a comprehensive suite of critical, value-added aftermarket solutions, including engine maintenance, repair and overhaul, engine component repair, on-wing and field service support, asset management and engineering solutions. StandardAero is an NYSE listed company under the ticker symbol SARO.