Burt Rutan

From pioneering aerospace engineer to visionary entrepreneur, Burt Rutan’s designs have consistently pushed the boundaries of aviation and space exploration. After serving as a civilian flight test project engineer for the U.S. Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base from 1965 to 1972, Burt Rutan established the Rutan Aircraft Factory in June 1974. A 1965 graduate of California Polytechnic State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering, he also directed development for Bede Aircraft from 1972 to 1974 on the BD-5 aircraft.

Rutan was listed among Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and named Inc. magazine’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2004, and received the NAS Award in Aeronautical Engineering from the National Academy of Sciences in 2005. The GlobalFlyer, another Rutan design, completed the first solo non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world in 2005, setting a new world record for the longest flight in history in 2006. Rutan retired from Scaled Composites in April 2011, having been awarded the Daniel Guggenheim Medal and the Bob Hoover Freedom of Flight Award that year.

He received the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in 2015 and continues to be involved in various projects, including the design and 2015 first test flight of the SkiGull amphibious aircraft, and advising on the Stratolaunch space launch carrier. More recently, Rutan received the R.A. ‘Bob’ Hoover Trophy from AOPA in 2021, and in 2022, the Mojave Air and Space Port was renamed ‘Rutan Field’ in his honor, cementing his legacy in aerospace innovation.