Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Around Forest Lake, Tom Dohertyís name has long been associated with aviation. He was a fixture at the Forest Lake Airport from the early 1960s to the late 1990s.

Now, however, Dohertyís name is being recognized on a state and national level for his contribution to aviation.

In March, Doherty, a former owner of the airport here, was recognized with the Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award. He was one of three in the state to be honored.

The award recognizes individuals who have logged at least 50 years in aviation maintenance as a mechanic, repairman, avionics, manager, inspector or teacher.

In Dohertyís case, the length of service has exceeded 60 years, said Forest Lake Councilman Rick Ashbach.

Ashbach, a self-proclaimed ìairport bum,î started learning about aviation mechanics and flying in the early 1960s under Dohertyís watchful eye, he said.

Doherty was chief mechanic at Forest Lake Airport from the early 1960s through 1998 when Tom and Kay Doherty sold the facility to the former Forest Lake Township. The municipal airport remains and some of the land sold by the Dohertys will be developed as a community center site and as an industrial park.

Doherty was also a mechanic at Lake Elmo Airport before coming to Forest Lake.

The War Years

He is also a skilled pilot.

He served in the China-Burma-India Campaign with the Army Air Corps during World War II, Ashbach said.

Ralph Flohr, a friend who served with Doherty in the Minnesota Air National Guard, said Doherty was with the 109th Observation Squadron in the CBI Campaign. He was the pilot of a Stinson L-19 that pulled gliders to and from combat zones where troops were dropped off or picked up. He was shot down by Japanese forces on one flight, Flohr said.

He was sent stateside in June of 1944 and spent the remaining months of World War II flying fire patrols in the Pacific Northwest.

During the war, he became of the first pilots in the country to fly helicopters. He was given the 70th license in the country to fly a helicopter by the military.

In Minnesota history, he was the second state resident to be licensed to fly a helicopter, behind only Charles Lindbergh, the world famous aviator, Flohr said.

Flohr said Doherty also spent many years in the Guard where he served as a flight engineer.

Ashbach said Doherty logged over 15,000 hours of total air time and was the pilot-in-command for 10,000 of the hours.

What it is

The award was presented March 24 by Ray Rought who lives in Columbus Township. Rought is with the avionics division of the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is named in honor of Charles E. Taylor, the first aircraft mechanic. Taylor was the designer and builder of the engine used by Wilbur and Orville Wright in the historic Dec.17, 1903 first flight at Kitty Hawk, NC.

The award is the most prestigious honor given by the Federal Aviation Administration to aviation maintenance technicians who have over 50 years of documented distinguished service in aircraft maintenance. Thirty of 50 years must be as an FAA-certified aircraft mechanic or repairman.

Recipients are honored with a handsome certificate diamond lapel pin and have their names entered on the ìRoll of Honorî in the FAA Headquarters Building in Washington, DC.

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Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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