Page 27 - April 25

Dean Benedict receives
FAA’s highest honor
The FAA presented Dean Benedict
with the Charles Taylor Master
Mechanic Award. The award recognizes
the lifetime accomplishments of senior
mechanics and is named in honor of
an early collaborator of the Wright
Brothers who built the first aircraft
engine and is recognized as the first
aviation mechanic.
Dean obtained his FAA A&P certificate
in 1975, making this his 50th year
dedicated to King Air maintenance. He
went to work in 1975 as a line mechanic
for BeechWest Van Nuys, a Beechcraft
dealership that provided factory
training and exposure to all makes
and models. Within 10 years, he rose
from shop foreman to service manager
and ultimately facility manager of what
he helped build into one of the most
successful Beechcraft service centers,
and a favorite among King Air operators.
When Raytheon bought Beechcraft,
Dean became director of maintenance
for a corporate flight department in Las
Vegas. He then founded and ran Honest
Air Inc., a Beechcraft maintenance
boutique with a strong following of
King Airs, for 15 years. Today he and
wife, Lisa, operate BeechMedic LLC,
consulting with owners, pilots and
mechanics on King Air maintenance
issues, troubleshooting and pre-buys.
Dean was among the inaugural
inductees in the King Air Hall of Fame
in 2022. He is a longtime contributor to
King Air magazine, with his Maintenance
Tip article appearing six times a year.
Michael Ondik of Leading Edge Aviation helped honor his mentor Dean
Benedict (right) during the FAA Master Mechanic Award ceremony.
King Air Nation Foundation announces scholarships
The King Air Nation Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-
profit organization, formed in 2024 with the objective
of growing the King Air industry from both ends of the
A&P and pilot spectrum. Through the support of the
annual King Air Gathering and the event’s auction,
the foundation has funded efforts to increase the King
Air workforce through scholarship, including two that
support students in their pursuit of technical education.
The foundation announced two scholarship rollouts
during KAG. These will be awarded for the 2025 fall
semester to support students in mechanical or flight
training at Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach,
Florida, and students pursuing aircraft maintenance
technician certification at Hinds Community College’s
campus in Raymond, Mississippi. KA
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