just to wet the appetite for the Isle of Man fly-in and lecture 6th 7th
8th August
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'I want to go high because that's where the view is' -
Burt Rutan, CEO Scaled Composites
This year's Manx Festival of Aviation is privileged to be featuring
guest appearances by two brothers from California, who, in their own
unique ways, are pioneers in aviation.
Burt Rutan, aerospace engineer and designer of SpaceShipOne and CEO of
Scaled Composites - and Dick Rutan, founder of Voyager Aircraft Inc and
famed for completing the first-ever around the world non-stop,
non-refuelled flight.
Dick Rutan gained his solo pilot's licence on his 16th birthday, Aged 19
he joined the US Air Force Aviation Cadet programme, was commissioned
lieutenant and later gained a B.Sc degree. As a tactical air commander
during most of his two decades in the Air Force he ran some 325 combat
missions in Vietnam. By the time he retired from the Air Force in 1978
he had been awarded the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses,
16 Air Medals and the Purple Heart.
After retirement he joined his brother Burt in the Rutan Aircraft
Company as production manager and chief test pilot for many military and
civilian experimental aircraft. In 1981 he left the company to found
Voyager Aircraft, Inc, and on December 14 1986 achieved his history
making flight in a fuel laden Voyager. Four days later President Ronal
Reagan awarded Dick Rutan the Presidential Citizen's Medal of Honour.
Burt Rutan has been described by Newsweek magazine as 'the man
responsible for more innovations in modern aviation than any living
engineer'.
On June 21 this year Burt Rutan made international headlines as the
designer of SpaceShipOne, the first privately financed manned aircraft
to reach space.
A flight test engineer for the US Air Force during the Vietnam War, he
is founder and chief executive officer of Scaled Composites, hailed as
one of the most visionary aerospace research companies in the world.
He worked for the US Air Force from 1965 to 1972 as flight test project
engineer and Edwards Air Force base, California and holds a B.Sc. degree
in aeronautical engineering.
Based in Mojave, California his company has developed and flight-tested
a large variety of groundbreaking projects, from military research
aircraft and executive jets to a racing plane and gondolas for Richard
Branson and Barron Hilton.
Burt Rutan designed the legendary Voyager flown by his brother on his
history making round the world non-stop non-refuelled flight. He also
developed the Ultralite, an all-composite 100mpg show car for General
Motors, and the Proteus 'affordable' U-2 aircraft.
Burt Rutan has received numerous awards, including the Presidential
Citizen's medal, a Collier Trophy, the Chrysler Award for Innovation in
Design, 'Engineer of the Year by Design News, the British Gold Medal
Award for Aeronautics and the 2000 Charles A Lindbergh Award.
Dick and Burt Rutan have travelled to the Island via London where they
delivered a lecture to the Royal Aeronautical Society on August 5th. On
August 6th they gave a series of interviews in Manchester before flying
to the Isle of Man to give a lecture at the Manx Museum highlighting
their world-class pioneering achievements in aviation.
Manx Festival of Aviation's event promoter Winston Oliver said: 'We are
delighted that these two brothers, Burt and Dick Rutan, have found time
in their busy programmes to come and support the festival. Their
enthusiasm and commitment to stretching the boundaries of technology and
physical endurance is what makes aviation the fascinating and
awe-inspiring industry it is today.'
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