Dick Rutan
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Richard “Dick” Rutan (born July 1, 1938) is an aviator who is most famous for flying the Voyager aircraft around the world non-stop with the assistance of Jeana Yeager. He was born in Loma Linda, California, where he gained an interest in flight at a young age. On his 16th birthday, he was busy earning both his driver's license and pilot's license. He soon began a military career, joining the Air Force Aviation Cadet Program at age 19 and later becoming a lieutenant in the Air Force.
Rutan served during the Vietnam War where he continued a distinguished career. He flew 325 missions, but was captured for a time when his F-100 aircraft was hit and he had to eject. Through his career, he obtained the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals, and a Purple Heart.
Following military service, Dick headed an aircraft company with his brother Burt Rutan. The two came up with the idea of the Voyager aircraft during a lunch in 1981, a plane design that would be able to break a flight distance record of 12,532 miles (20,168 kilometers) set by a Boeing B-52 bomber in 1962. Burt did most of the aircraft design. Various lightweight materials for building the aircraft were studied, and the team eventually settled on using a combination of graphite, fiberglass, and Kevlar for the main structure.
Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager took off in Voyager on December 14, 1986 from Edwards Air Force Base's 15,000 foot (4570 meter) runway. They struggled throughout the flight with weather, stress, and the continuing demand for fuel. They were even denied access to the airspace above Libya. Finally, after 9 days, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds of flight, they touched down on December 23 with only a few gallons of fuel remaining. The 24,986-mile (40,211 km) trip yielded Rutan and Yeager numerous awards.
In 1990, Rutan attempted to repeat the round-the-world feat in a balloon, but failed in that attempt.