Printable Biography of Burt Rutan

His education includes the Space Technology Institute at Cal Tech and the Aerospace Research Pilot’s School at Edwards Air Force Base. Mr. Rutan holds, in addition, the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, June 1987; Doctoral of Science, honoris causa, from Daniel Webster College, May 1987; Doctoral of Humanities, honoris causa, from Lewis University, May 1988 and Doctorate of Technology, honoris causa, from Delft University of Technology, January 1990.

Mr. Rutan worked for the U.S. Air Force from 1965 until 1972 as Flight Test Project Engineer at Edwards Air Force Base, California. His projects ranged from fighter spin tests to the XC-142 VSTOL transport.

In March 1972, Mr. Rutan became director of the Bede Test Center for Bede Aircraft in Newton, Kansas. In June of 1974, at Mojave, California, Mr. Rutan formed the Rutan Aircraft Factory (RAF) to develop light homebuilt aircraft. Through this company, the VariViggen, VariEze, NASA AD-1, Quickie, Defiant, Long-EZ, Grizzly, scaled NGT trainer, Solitaire, Catbird, and the world-flight Voyager aircraft were developed.

In April 1982, Mr. Rutan founded Scaled Composites (Scaled) to develop research aircraft. Since its founding, Scaled has been the world’s most productive aerospace prototype development company, developing new aircraft types at a rate of one each year. Past projects include the 85% scale Starship 1 for Beech Aircraft Corporation, the Predator agricultural aircraft for ATAC, the Scarab Model 324 reconnaissance drone for Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical, the Advanced Technology Tactical Transport (ATTT) for DARPA, the 1988 America’s Cup wing sail, the Triumph light executive jet for Beechcraft, the ARES close air support attack turbofan, the Pond Racer, the Pegasus Space launch vehicle flying surfaces, the Model 191 general aviation single for Toyota, a 40% scale B-2 bomber RCS model, General Motor’s 1992 show car (the GM Ultralite), the Bell Eagle Eye prototype tilt rotor RPV, the Earthwinds pressurized gondola, the McDonnell Douglas DC-X single stage rocket structure, the VisionAire Vantage business jet, the Raptor and Raptor D-2 high altitude RPVs for BMDO, a 40-meter wind generator for Zond,. three NASA X-38 crew return vehicles, the Williams, International V-Jet II, the high-altitude Proteus aircraft, the Adam Model 309 business aircraft, and the Rotary Rocket Roton atmospheric test vehicle.

Recent projects include the White Knight and SpaceShipOne. On 21 June 2004, with Mike Melvill at the controls, SS1 flew history’s-first private manned space flight. On 4 Oct 2004, SS1 won the $10M X-prize (two flights within 5 days flown by Melvill and Brian Binnie). The Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer designed and built at Scaled made its maiden flight in March 2004 and a record setting solo world flight in March 2005.

A few of the awards which Mr. Rutan has received include:
• EAA Outstanding New Design, 1975, 1976 and 1978.
• Presidential Citizen’s Medal presented by Ronald Reagan, December 29, 1986.
• Grand Medal of the Aero Club of France, January 29, 1987.
• National Medal of the Aero Club of France, January 29, 1987.
• Society of Experimental Test Pilots, 1987 J.J. Doolittle Award and 2004 J.J. Doolittle Award.
• Royal Aeronautical Society, British Gold Medal for Aeronautics, December 1987.
• Design News Engineer of the Year for 1988.
• Western Reserve Aviation Hall of Fame, Meritorious Service Award, 2 September 1988.
• The International Aerospace Hall of Fame Honoree, 24 September 1988 .
• Member, National Academy of Engineering, 1989.
• 1987 Robert J. Collier Trophy for ingenious design and development of the Voyager 15 May 1987 and again on 19 April 2005 for SpaceShipOne.
• National Aviation Hall of Fame Honoree, 21 July 1995.
• EAA Freedom of Flight Award, 3 August 1996
• EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame, 23 October 1998
• Designer of the Year, Professional Pilot Magazine, 13 March 1999
• Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson “Skunk Works” award by the Engineers Council, February 2000
• 2000 Lindbergh Award by the Lindbergh Foundation, May 20, 2000
• Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine’s “Laurel Legend” and Hall of Fame in April 2002, Current Achievement Award for first privately-funded manned space flight by SpaceShipOne in April 2005
• Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine’s “100 Stars of Aerospace” (ranked 29th), June 2003
• Scientific American magazine’s “Business Leader in Aerospace,” November 2003
• Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” April 18, 2005