Dick Rutan
1939-
American Pilot
While many Americans devote their lives to breaking existing records in their chosen fields, an elite circle goes about setting those remarkable firsts in unusual arenas. One of these history-making events bears the names Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager (1952- ): the first pilotsto circumnavigate the globe without refueling. They accomplished this in December of 1986 in the now-famous aircraft Voyager, which was a privately funded endeavor, designed and built by enthusiastic volunteers and manufacturers who believed in the project.
Sally Ride. (NASA. Reproduced by permission.)Dick Rutan—the "favorite son" of Mojave, California—brought a wealth of experience and training to the flight. He had earned and received both his driver's and pilot's licenses on his 16th birthday and, when he was 19 years of age, was accepted in the USAF Aviation Cadet Program. Upon graduation from the Academy, he was commissioned with the rank of Lieutenant.
During his 20 years in the Air Force, Rutan flew 325 combat missions in Vietnam while he was a Tactical Air Command fighter pilot. While on a mission in September of 1968, he was forced to eject from his burning aircraft (an F-100) but was successful in evading capture until he was rescued by an army helicopter team. When Rutan retired from the USAF in 1978, he had earned the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals, and the Purple Heart.
While this illustrious career would be enough for most people, Rutan began new quests by joining his brother, Burt, in his Rutan Aircraft factory. As Production Manager and Chief Test Pilot, Dick Rutan set numerous speed/distance records in the company's LongEZ, a home-builtcraft which sold well. His flights received international recognition and earned him the Louis Bleriot Medal in Brussels, Belgium.
In 1981, Dick Rutan left his brother's company and formed Voyager Aircraft, Inc. Much of the proposed craft was designed by Burt Rutan, whose experience with lightweight but durable units was put to good use. The body was composed of layered pieces of fiber tape and a special paper which had been saturated with epoxy and glued together with an epoxy resin. The craft weighed only 2,500 pounds (1,135 kg) empty, with space for the two occupants only as big as a phone booth. The estimated fuel load (which was stored in the fuselage, wings, and other frame parts of the craft) brought the full weight up to 10,500 pounds (4,767 kg).
Early in the morning of December 14, 1986, Rutan and Yeager left the desert floor of Edwards Air Force Base, which is located 60 miles (96 km) northeast of Los Angeles. For the next nine days, the intrepid pair braved obstacles (like a 600-mph [965 kph] typhoon) by turning south to avoid the storm and continually monitoring their fuel supply. History notes that upon their return to Edwards nine days, three minutes, and 44 second later, there were only a few gallons of fuel remaining in the Voyager.
Since the famous flight, Rutan has traveled the world, speaking to various organizations. However, his appetite for adventure was still strong and he has since taken on new challenges for lengthy world flights. As a qualified and experienced balloon pilot and instructor, he has teamed up with Mike Melvill for additional quests. In 1997, they completed the Spirit of EAA Friendship World Tour in two small LongEZ craft which they built over 16 years before. The tour was called "Around the World in 80 Nights" and was well received wherever they appeared.
As of this writing, Rutan holds not only the Voyager flight record but 20 other world speed and distance records, three of which are absolute world records. The craft Voyager is proudly displayed at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's "Milestones of Flight" gallery.
This is the complete article, containing 620 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
