Remembering epic December flights at Mojave Air & Space Port

Provided.

Voyager aircraft in flight over Soledad Mountain, Mojave.

Thirty eight years ago on Dec. 14, the Voyager aircraft, designed by Burt Rutan, built at Mojave Airport by a team of volunteers and flown around the world non-stop and unrefuled by Command Pilot Dick Rutan and co-pilot Jeana Yeager, lifted off the runway at Edwards Air Force Base.

The 1986 circumnavigation flight in Voyager was 26,366 statute miles, which more than doubled the previous record set by a B-52 Bomber in 1962. This fragile aircraft with a wingspan of 110-feet had an empty weight of only 939 pounds. The gross weight on take-off from Edwards AFB on Dec. 14, 1986 was 9,694.5 pounds.

The milestone flight took nine days, three minutes and 44 seconds. The world distance records set during that flight remain unchallenged today.

I have had the pleasure of hearing the poignant Voyager story told by Dick Rutan on many occasions and each time I hear something new. Dick likes to remind people of something his dear mother, Irene, said, "If you can dream it, you can do it!"

The cramped cockpit environment was most uncomfortable and sleep deprivation was the enemy. Imagine being locked in a phone booth for nine days while flying at speeds of only 80-knots navigating around thunderstorms, near hostile countries threatening to shoot you down, worrying about whether or not you have enough fuel for the trip, running on one engine to conserve fuel and then, on the last leg of the flight suffering rear engine failure, due to an air pocket in a fuel line, losing 5,000 feet of altitude while attempting to start the front engine, seeing the ocean coming up to meet you and then hearing the front engine catch and roar to life, ultimately saving yours! Unbelievable!

My husband Al and I were there at Edwards Air Force Base with thousands of other people to witness the landing of Voyager on Dec. 23, 1986. The Voyager story is one of great emotion, courage, vision and adventure and is often referred to as "aviation's last first."

Dick Rutan wrote a book with Kelly Hall about his incredible adventures in aviation. The book, "The Next Five Minutes" will be featured at Plane Crazy Saturday at Mojave Air & Space Port on Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. in the Board Room with a presentation by Kelly Hall.

Our good friend and flying buddy, Dick, passed away on May 3, 2024. We miss him every day.

Courtesy Scaled Composites.

Brian Binnie with flag on SS1.

It's hard to believe that it was 21 years ago that Brian Binnie flew SpaceShipOne on the first powered flight. It was the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers flight at Kill Devil Hills.

The rocket engine was lit for just 15 seconds and Binnie was propelled to a speed of Mach 1.2 and a height of 67,814 feet.

We have the opportunity to relive these flights from Brian's point of view in his new book, "The Magic and Menace of SpaceShipOne." The book about SpaceShipOne highlights the marvelous program under the helm of Burt Rutan from 2001-2004. It is colorful and humorous, with an entirely different perspective from anything previously written

William Brian Binnie was born on April 26, 1953 in Indiana, but soon his family moved to Scotland when Brian was 5. His father was Scottish and a professor of physics at Purdue University. He took a position at Aberdeen University in Scotland and the family lived in Scotland until Brian was a teenager. What a diverse and interesting life he led!

His education was impressive. He earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and an M.S. in Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics from Brown University, as well and an M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Princeton University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Navy's Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, MD; Naval Aviation Safety School at Monterey, California and the Defense System Management College at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Our good and dear friend passed away on Sept. 15, 2022. He will be forever in our hearts.