Saturday Dinner -- Dick Rutan

When I visited the National Air and Space Museum in July and saw the Voyager aircraft that made the first flight around the world without refueling, I never thought I’d shake the hand of one of its pilots a couple months later. The keynote speaker at the Saturday night dinner at the Checkered Flag Club was Dick Rutan.

Designed by his brother Burt specifically for a non-stop, round the world flight without refueling, Dick led and did the construction of the Voyager and was one of the pilots that tested it and flew it around the world in 1986. Read more about Dick here. He received the Collier Trophy and is an enshrinee in the National Aviation Hall of Fame. He is one of the best motivational speakers I’ve ever heard. He described the Voyager project in a broader context of dreams, goals, and an innovative, creative spirit. Dick Rutan is very patriotic and speaks his mind about the military and the future of aviation and space. His mix of humor and genuine sharing of emotions makes for a powerful, inspiring speech. This clearly is the highlight of the trip for me.

If you ever have a chance to hear Dick’s story or talk with him, don’t pass it up!