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 pilots to 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...