On Nov. 15, Richard “Dick” Osmer, a former longtime resident of Wellington, received two awards from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Osmer received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, which is the most prestigious award the FAA issues to pilots. This award is named after the Wright brothers to recognize individuals who have exhibited professionalism, skill and aviation expertise for at least 50 years while piloting aircraft as master pilots.
Osmer also received the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, which is named in honor of the first aviation mechanic in powered flight. The award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics. Taylor served as the Wright brothers’ mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft.
Only 4,400 pilots across the country have received the Master Pilot award, and only 2,400 mechanics have received the Master Mechanics award.
Osmer began his flying career in 1958. He graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1956 with an A&P Certification off of the GI Bill. He has more than 4,500 pilot hours. Osmer holds a commercial license in aircraft certification single-engine land and multi-engine land and rotocraft helicopter. He has his mechanics certification license in airframe and power plant. He was a crop duster in Belle Glade, Loxahatchee and Pahokee from 1965-78. He worked at Pratt & Whitney as an assistant engineer from 1978 until his retirement in 1997.
Osmer and his wife Judy, along with their children Tracy, Lisa and Richard, lived in Wellington from 1978 to 1997. They now reside in Spruce Creek Fly-in in Port Orange.
