Forums Grant Inside Peek Into the Most Interesting Career in Experimental Aviation

Legendary, visionary experimental aircraft designer and builder Burt Rutan will be honored with a slate of activities at the EAA's AirVenture 2024, kicking things off with 5 days of themed presentations, airshows, and exhibitions.

Starting on Monday, July 22nd, the Theater in the Woods will host a viewing of "Life, The Universe, and Everything Else". Tuesday the 23rd will see the presentation of "50-Year History of Homebuilt Composite Canards" in Forum Pavilion 7, where most of the following will be held. Topics later in the week include "Voyager", "Commercial Space & WingShips - Arrested in Russia, 1993", "Burt's New Designs and his Heroes", and "Why Beech Did Not Replace King Airs with Starships" from Wednesday through Friday. All presentations are free to attend and included in AirVenture ticket pricing. 

Rutan has ascended to the status of legend within the experimental aviation community, helped along by years of forward-thinking and memorable designs remaining active across the country. 

His VeriEze and Long-EZ remain favorites for anyone looking for an unorthodox little speedster, sporting long, slenderly raked wings and distinctive canards ahead of the long bubble canopy and pusher prop. Rutan's capstone saw his company, Scaled Composites, design the launch assistance for Virgin Galactic. Rutan drafted both the twin-hulled White Knight aircraft and its associated spacecraft.

"Burt is best known to the public for his historic designs of SpaceShipOne, Voyager, and GlobalFlyer, but for EAA members and aviation aficionados, his unique concepts began more than a half-century ago with fiberglass canard aircraft that revolutionized the amateur-built airplane community," said Rick Larsen, EAA's vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. "Every time Burt joins us at Oshkosh, his presentations draw big audiences that are eager to hear his unique perspectives on flight."

FMI: www.eaa.org