Burt Rutan was a visionary aerospace engineer and entrepreneur who revolutionized aircraft design and construction, pioneering advanced composite materials and rapid prototyping through his companies, Rutan Aircraft Factory and Scaled Composites.
His prolific career produced an unparalleled variety of innovative and often unconventional aircraft, from the groundbreaking VariEze homebuilt to the record-setting Voyager, which completed the first unrefueled flight around the world.
Rutan made significant contributions to both atmospheric and space flight, notably designing SpaceShipOne, which won the Ansari X-Prize and marked a pivotal moment in private suborbital space travel.
Known for his boundless creativity and willingness to challenge established norms, Rutan consistently achieved what others considered impossible, leaving an indelible mark on aviation and inspiring a new generation of aerospace innovation.
On April 3 there was a short e-mail from Dick Rutan to “All.” It said:
Just a note … had a going away lunch at the Voyager Cafe Mojave with Burt and Tonya; after lunch they got in the car and are driving to the new home in Idaho as I write. So they are gone lock stock and barrel from Mojave.
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Peter Garrison taught himself to use a slide rule and tin snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan. He began contributing to FLYING in 1968, and he continues to share his columns, ""Technicalities"" and ""Aftermath,"" with FLYING readers.
