Page 6 - Aerotech News and Review, February 4, 2022

Rutan name will be added to Mojave Air and Space Port

by Cathy Hansen something we will think about.” to the community.
special to Aerotech News Zach Reeder, who served as a flight
test pilot and project engineer at Scaled Rutan established his business
At the first board meeting of 2022 Composites StratoLaunch that year at Mojave in 1974
on Jan. 18, Directors of the Mojave Air said, “The benefit of changing the Rutan Aircraft Factory began busi-
and Space Port voted unanimously to name is to remind ourselves what we’re
approve a resolution officially chang- doing here, especially as the airport has ness at Mojave Airport in 1974, devel-
ing the name of the airport by adding grown. Having a stake in the ground to oping the VariEze aircraft, later Burt
the Rutan name. try to remember some roots while some Rutan design’s made first flights at
During discussions at the meeting, of the people who were here at the be- Mojave Airport, including: the Quickie,
the introduction of the new name will ginning are still around to remind us.” Defiant and Long-EZ prototypes and
be done gradually. General Manager/ “Some of the first generation is still the one and only Voyager aircraft, pi-
CEO Todd Lindner said, “The plan is to here, but if you go do anything with loted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager,
start with the items that are most visible any of the schools in the area in Mo- made the epic flight around the world
to the public, such as the monument jave or down in Lancaster, none of in 9 days, 3 minutes, 44 seconds, be-
signs at the entrances of the airport.” those kids have heard of the Voyager
The five Directors for the MASP and none of them have even heard of ginning on Dec. 14, 1986, and ending
Board include: Jim Balantine; William SpaceShipOne, believe it or not,” said on Dec. 23, 1986.
Deaver; Diane Barney; Chuck Cole- Photograph by Cathy Hansen Reeder. “I think that the risk that a few Burt Rutan established Scaled Com-
man and Robert Morgan. Barney was Cory Bird and Burt Rutan in Voyager Restaurant at the Mojave Air and Space more years go by and the local com- posites in 1982 and is now best known
elected to serve as the new President Port. munity starts to forget what happened for the first privately funded manned
of the Board. here, it’s an important duty to the group space flight, with Mike Melvill and Bri-
The board appointed an ad hoc com- In 2019 at the January Mojave Air at the Oshkosh airshow for $51, built that is here now to make a monument an Binnie, winning the Ansari $10-mil-
mittee of Directors Robert Morgan and and Space Port board meeting, then the plane, flew it to Mojave from Indi- and I don’t mean that in a physical lion X-Prize on October 4, 2004 with
Chuck Coleman to come up with con- General Manager/CEO Karina Drees ana and both were hired that day. The stone sense, but leave a tribute that
cepts for incorporating the new name in announced that there was a request for Melvill’s worked for Rutan for 29 years Paul G. Allen’s SpaceShipOne.
before retiring in 2007.
Sally Melvill attended the 2019
meeting and said, “I don’t think any-
body needs convincing that Burt’s
name needs to be here. I don’t think
that’s what it’s about. I think it’s more
about where and how we can do that.
Literally, the name ‘space port’ would
not be there if it was not for Burt. The
recognition is what’s needed.”
Also at the meeting was Aerotech
News columnist Cathy Hansen and she
explained that people who met Rutan
followed him to Mojave to work for
him. “Burt’s the one who has brought
the billionaires here. We have 2,500
people working at Mojave Air and
Space Port,” said Hansen. “And I dare
say the majority of those are here be-
cause of the thread that leads back to Photograph by Cathy Hansen
the genius that is Burt Rutan,” Zach Reeder, former Flight Test Pilot and Project Engineer at Scaled
Ben Diachun, who served as Presi- Composites StratoLaunch.
dent of Scaled Composites in 2019,
presented a couple of points concern- some pretty incredible, unlikely things
ing adding the Rutan name to Mojave Rutan’s latest project at Mojave
Photograph by Cathy Hansen Air and Space Port. “I believe ‘Rutan happened here.” Air and Space Port is StratoLaunch,
Mike and Sally Melvill — two of the first employees at Rutan Aircraft Factory. Reeder reiterated that people have
Field’ would be an excellent name or come here for that ‘nugget of vision’ again funded by Paul G. Allen. Ru-
just inserting the name ‘Rutan’ after tan’s Scaled Composites designed,
Mojave and that would also be an ex- that has been cultivated through the constructed and conducted flight tests
the airport’s logo and similar branding. a discussion item to be brought to the cellent addition.” years and that we run the risk of losing on the first SpaceShipTwo for Virgin
Morgan requested a cost-benefit attention of the MASP Board. She stat- Diachun continued by explaining our agility if we don’t keep promoting Galatic.
analysis when looking at implementing ed that she had been approached by a what the company has experienced by the rarity that attracts creative indus- Burt Rutan retired from Scaled
the new name, as the marketing ben- couple of people, Cory Bird, who then co-branding with the ‘Rutan’ name. trial anomalies and it is up to this board
efits of the Rutan name may outweigh served as Vice President (now serves as “For many years the company was as to what we want to leave behind for Composites in 2011; he and Dick now
the initial costs, he said. President and CEO) and was a 28 year known just as Burt’s place or Burt’s the next generation and what it means reside in Coeur d‘Alene, Idaho.
According to the staff report, “Add- veteran of Scaled Composites and other company,” Diachun said. “No one
ing the Rutan name to the facility members of the airport community for knew the name, Scaled Composites.”
would recognize aerospace designer adding the name ‘Rutan Field’ to the “By elevating the name Rutan, you
Burt Rutan and record-setting brother Mojave Air and Space Port name. would create an awareness to a bigger
Dick. Their aviation achievements have The 2019 Board President Andrew population who already know Burt, but
played a key role in the evolution of Parker stated that everyone could dis- perhaps doesn’t know the name Mo-
the aerospace industry and the success cuss this subject, but no action could be jave Air and Space Port,” said Diachun.
of the Mojave Air and Space Port or- taken at the meeting due to the Brown “Scaled Composites would be will-
ganization.” Act, as it was not on the agenda as an ing to help support the naming with
action item. branding, signage and location, if you
History of adding Rutan name Burt Rutan came to Mojave looking like. In addition, the company has a
It is important to note that requests for a location he could afford for his collection of memorabilia that could be
were presented three years ago to add innovative Rutan Aircraft Company, used for a museum of sorts to recognize
the Rutan name to Mojave Airport and known to homebuilders as RAF. his legacy, if you are interested,” Dia-
in previous board meetings and dis- The airport manager at the time was chun stated.
cussions, Dick Rutan and others even Dan Sabovich and he leased Rutan a Board President Parker said, “I don’t
emphasized the importance of how the building, to design, build and test his think there is any argument about the
Rutan name must be recognized by the new flying machines. contributions, I think we just need to
FAA (Federal Aviation Administra- Two of Rutan’s first employees were find the right fit for the Rutan name. So,
tion). Giving examples of Burbank Bob Mike and Sally Melvill who decades we will all take that under advisement Photograph by Cathy Hansen
Hope Airport and Orange County John ago bought a set of Rutan’s Vari-Vig- and ask that you keep your emails and Model of Voyager Aircraft hangs over SpaceShipOne replica in Legacy Park.
Wayne Airport. gen plans out of the back of his trunk suggestions coming. That is definitely
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