The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) selected renowned aerospace engineer Burt Rutan as this year’s recipient of the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. The trophy, considered among the highest honors in aviation, is presented annually to a living American for “significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the U.S.”
Once listed as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” Rutan has made a mark for his advancements in the design of light, strong and energy efficient aircraft, such as the Voyager, which was the first airplane to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. Five of his aircraft designs are on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. “For 40 years Burt has been one of the giants in aerospace development and engineering,” said NAA chairman Jim Albaugh. “So much of his work has had an impact on aircraft design and performance.”
After serving as a civilian flight-test project engineer for the U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1972, Rutan joined Bede Aircraft as director of development of the BD-5. He subsequently established Rutan Aircraft Factory to design prototypes mostly for amateur builders before founding Scaled Composites in 1982. He was inducted to the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1994 and is a recipient of the Charles A. Lindbergh award, along with two NAA Collier Trophies.