Page 3 - Aerotech News and Review, Jan. 6 2017

VOYAGER, from 1 erlight, composite structure with thin skin and it bobbed like a canoe in rough water, even during light tur- bulence.
In 1978 Mike and Sally Melvill moved to Mojave to test the new air- craft that Burt Rutan designed and built. The Voyager was one of many creations that Mike had the honor — and challenge — to fly.
On Dec. 14, 1986, V oyager depart- ed from Edwards Air Force Base. The Melvills and Burt Rutan flew as es- cort for Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, about 300 miles out over the ocean. “It was very hard to say goodbye, not knowing if we would see them again,” shared Burt, holding back tears.
Flying out, Sally said at first she was more concerned about not being able to see land. It was the first time she and Mike had flown so far over the ocean in a private plane. After watching the Voyager’s wing tips scrape the runway during takeoff that morning and a few other problems, she said there were a lot of tears shed when they had to turn back as the Voyager left their view.
“We have never flown where we couldn’t see land, and these guys were going to be flying 95 percent over water,” said Mike. “To stay in that thing for nine days, I didn’t think we would ever see them again.”
In 1984, Rutan and Y eager want- ed to fly the Voyager to the Annual Experimental Aircraft Association’s fly-in, in Oshkosh, Wisc. Navigating through the turbulent air of the Rocky Mountains, Rutan said he and Y eager could hardly maintain the aircraft and he was so fatigued that they had to land in Salina, Kansas.
“I was so physically beat and emo- tionally drained that I had to be physi- cally restrained from chopping a hole in the wing and throwing a match on it—thatisnotawordofalie—and then, I was going to take my pilot’s
license and throw it in and take a train home — but Jeana talked me out of it,” shared Rutan.
After a good night’s sleep and a Kansas steak, he felt better and they made it to Oshkosh the next morn- ing. With a huge welcome and much needed moral support, their spirits were lifted. They also received dona- tions for avionics and a communica- tion system.
California to Wisconsin was tough — how could they possibly make it around the world?
With the mentality and spirit that has come to personify flight test pio- neers in Mojave, Rutan and Y eager knew it was a high risk journey, and they knew that taking chances was the only way to progress. Luckily, the public never had a reason to see the “death tape” that they made a few days before the flight — just in case. Two reasons for the tape: to insist that there should be no lawsuits if there was a crash, and to affirm that every- one who ever worked on the Voyager should be proud of their accomplish- ments, even if it ended in a disaster.
That evening they shared more of their story with about 400 guests at the Stuart O. Witt Event Center at a gala anniversary banquet, benefitting the Mojave Transportation Museum.
“Every time I listen to their story, I hear of a new detail, another part of the adventure,” said Cathy Hansen, founder of Plane Crazy and the Mo- jave Transportation Museum. “Imag- ine 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, wor- rying about whether or not you have enough fuel for the trip, running on one engine to conserve fuel and 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
Photograph courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Voyager departing the coast of California Dec. 14, 1986, soon to leave behind Burt Rutan in the Duchess chase plane.
while attempting to start the front en- gine?”
The flight around the world took off from Edwards Dec. 14, 1986, and lasted nine days, three minutes and 44 seconds. Tens of thousands drove out to wait on Rogers Dry Lakebed to welcome the adventurers home.
Previously awarded only 16 times in history, President Ronald Reagan presented the Voyager crew and its designer with the Presidential Citi- zenship Medal four days after their landing.
Today, Voyager proudly hangs in the South Lobby of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. “It is a great part of Mojave’s history,” says Hansen.
Plane Crazy Saturday is a free, fam- ily event held at the Mojave Air and Space Port every third Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with guest speakers
share their stories. One-of-a- kind and vintage aircraft are on display along with memorabilia. For more informa- tion, visit www.mojavemuseum.org.
Photograph by Linda KC Reynolds
World-renowned aircraft designer Burt Rutan autographs “How to Make a Spaceship” during an event at the Mojave Air and Space Port celebrating the 30th anniversary of the historic, record-breaking Voyager flight. Author Julian Guthrie, was also at the event selling and autographing books. To have subjects of the book available for autographs, plus the author, made great Christmas presents.
Photograph by Linda KC Reynolds
Bryan Ford and his son flew from San Luis Obispo to hear some of the adventures of the Voyager and chat afterwards with Dick Rutan during the 30th anniversary celebration of the Voyager. The flight around the world took off from Edwards Air Force Base Dec. 14, 1986 and lasted nine days, three minutes and 44 seconds. Tens of thousands drove out to wait on Rogers Dry Lakebed to welcome them home.
Photograph courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager in Voyager’s cramped cockpit.
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