The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) is thrilled to announce that two of their Enshrinees, Burt and Dick Rutan, will take part in the Evening With Enshrinees series on February 22, 2019. Focusing primarily on their lives as designers, engineers and test pilots, no topic will be unwelcome during the Q & A that will follow their opening presentation.
Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, NAHF Enshrinee Burt Rutan is the retired Founder and CEO of Scaled Composites. Having developed, created and tested 46 aircraft, including the Voyager, the first aircraft to circle the world non-stop without refueling and SpaceShipOne, the world’s first privately built manned spaceship, Burt’s influence and impact on the world of aerospace is significant. His impact has earned him the Charles A. Lindbergh Medal, two Collier Trophies, and the NAA Wright Trophy. In 1995, Burt was inducted by the NAHF for his extraordinary impact on the aerospace world.
Earning his pilot’s license and driver’s license on the day of his 16th birthday, NAHF Enshrinee Lieutenant Colonel Dick Rutan’s, USAF (Ret) assent to greatness is just as nonconformist. Dick flew 325 missions in Vietnam, 105 of them as a MISTY FAC. His USAF service earned him several awards and decorations, including the Silver Star and five Distinguished Flying Crosses. In 1986, Dick completed a historic (and still unchallenged) non-stop and non-refueled flight around the world in the Voyager aircraft. In 1997, Dick flew around the world again in two experimental Long-EX aircraft. A third attempt ended dramatically with an emergency parachute jump. In 2002, Dick was inducted into the NAHF.
In 1986, Burt and Dick Rutan were awarded the Presidential Citizen’s Medal of Honor by President Ronald Reagan. In 1990, they were awarded the NAHF Spirit of Flight Award for their remarkable work with Voyager.
“People often ask what makes someone worthy of induction into the NAHF,” states NAHF Executive Director Amy Spowart. “Dick and Burt are ideal examples. Almost from the time they could walk, they wanted to fly, and, they didn’t just stop with wanting to fly or flying someone else’s aircraft. They learned all they could about the physics of flight. They are dreamers, scientists, engineers, test pilots and, most of all, brave. Nothing stops them from their goals, not even fear. They are perfect examples of what it means to be a NAHF Enshrinee.”
For details on how to hear Burt and Dick Rutan at this very special event, please visit www.nationalaviation.org. An exclusive Meet & Greet will be held prior to the theater event. An option to pre-purchase Burt Rutan’s official autobiography and/or a Dick Rutan signed F-100 lithograph is also available. For all portions of the event, ticket prices vary and seating is limited.
