Wings Magazine

Features MRO
BENNETT LUKE (BEN) McCARTY

bennett_mccarty_smallBen McCarty was born in 1935 in Sussex, NB where he grew up and received his education. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy in June of 1954 and served in the fleet air arm as an aircraft technician, attending Naval Aircraft Maintenance School in Dartmouth, NS. He trained on and maintained the Grumman TBM, Harvard, CS2F Tracker, T-33, Beech 18, and the F2H3 Banshee aircraft while in the navy.  After 15 years service he resigned and was employed by Survair Ltd. in Ottawa, Ontario maintaining DC-3, DHC-6, Douglas A-26, and Aero Commander aircraft. During this period he successfully completed the De Havilland Twin Otter, and Pratt and Whitney PT-6 courses.


July 8, 2008  By administrator

bennett_mccarty
BENNETT LUKE (BEN) McCARTY
Fredericton, New Brunswick

In 1970 he formed Woodlands Aviation Ltd. and operated this company in Kingston and Ottawa, Ontario. In 1979 he moved to Fredericton, NB and continued with Woodlands Aviation (NB) Ltd. until the present. Woodlands Aviation provided aircraft maintenance for several specialty operators in Canada. His company maintained a large number of normal and restricted category aircraft, including Cessna, Piper, Grumman TBM, and several types of agricultural category aircraft. The bulk of Woodlands maintenance dealt with complete maintenance service provided to operators in the fire bombing, aerial application and aerial survey fields, as well as major and minor modifications to these aircraft. He also owned and operated Tardi Aero Engine Ltd. for a period of 12 years, engaged in the overhaul and repair of piston engines.

Ben McCarty has been very active in the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Associations being a founding member of the Atlantic Region Association, serving as its President since it was formed 25 years ago. He, accompanied by other members, attended the Quebec Region Maintenance Symposium and took the message of the Association to them. The following year he did the same and went to the Ontario Region Maintenance Symposium. It is because of his efforts, personal time and financing that we have a national Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Association to work for the betterment of the AME’s in Canada.  He was instrumental in getting the six regional Associations together and forming the Canadian Federation of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers’ Association to suitably represent the AME’s at the national level. He has served as the Executive Secretary of this association several times. He also serves on the technical committee of the Canadian Aviation regulation advisory committee to Transport Canada. He was very instrumental in having many changes made to proposals put forth by Transport Canada in the development and implementation of the new Canadian Aviation Regulations which resulted in improved rules and procedures that are enjoyed by Canadian AME’s today.

Ben has been honoured with many awards during his aviation maintenance career including:
– The Standard Aero Award 1982 for outstanding aircraft maintenance performance presented by
   the Atlantic AME Association
– The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association President’s Award 1999 for outstanding contributions
   to private aviation in Canada
– The Glen Goslin/Joe Price Memorial Award 2000 for outstanding service to the AME Associations
– The NAASCO award 2002 for the outstanding AME presented at Winnipeg by the Central
   AME Association
– The Transport Canada Aviation Safety Award 2004 for exceptional contribution to the promotion
   of Canadian Aviation Safety.      

Ben McCarty has certainly earned a place in the Canadian AME’s Hall of Fame and his work will be
a great benefit to all Canadians in the years to come.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stories continue below