Nevada Day organizers name famed aviator Dick Rutan as Grand Marshal
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 05/19/2010 - 3:59pm
With its theme "100 Years of Aviation" Nevada Day Inc., has announced famed aviator Dick Rutan as this year's Grand Marshal for the Nevada Day Parade.
Rutan piloted the first-ever non-stop Voyager aircraft around the world with co-pilot Jeana Yeager. The Voyager's milestone flight took nine days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds, and took place between December 14 to Dec. 23, 1986. The world distance records set during that flight remains unchallenged today.
"It is a big honor and privilege to have him come to our small town of Carson City For Nevada Day and help us celebrate Nevada's birthday," said Ken Hamilton, president of Nevada Day, Inc.
Nevada Day, Inc., will make an official announcement of Grand Marshal Dick Rutan at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, at its new office located at 107 West Telegraph in Carson City. The community is welcome to the event, which will also unveil the official Nevada Day Parade Theme — 100 Years of Aviation. The Nevada Day parade will be held on Saturday, Oct. 30 in Carson City.
According to Wikipedia, Rutan began his military career in the Air Force. He served during the Vietnam War with the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, completing 325 combat missions.
Following military service, Rutan headed an aircraft company with his brother Burt. It was during a 1981 lunch meeting at California's Mojave Inn that the Voyager project was conceived: Dick and Jeana Yeager met with Burt Rutan to discuss their idea of starting an aviation company. During lunch, they spoke of creating an aircraft that could fly nonstop around the world, according to the Wikipedia entry.
Burt Rutan, an aircraft designer, sketched on a napkin the plane design that would enable Dick and Jeana Yeager to break the flight distance record of 12,532 miles (20,168 kilometers) set by a B-52 Stratofortress bomber in 1962. To realize Burt's design, they assembled a team of more than 50 and refined — over the next six years — Burt's original design, a process which included testing and studying a variety of lightweight materials. The team eventually selected a combination of graphite, fiberglass, and Kevlar for Voyager's main structure, according to Wikipedia.
Rutan and Jeana Yeager took off in Voyager on December 14, 1986 from Edwards Air Force Base's 15,000 foot 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, according to Wikipedia.
