Page 3 - Aerotech News and Review 12-18-15

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it really easy for them to pick up their KDGEHHQMXVWGLUWIRUWKHSDVWELO- Wearing his heart on his sleeve and making no apologies for ‘granting permission,’ Stuart Witt spoke at a memorial
business.’” lion years, or whatever — and I walk dedication saying that the research being performed each day at Mojave has proven sound for the nation and all
into those hangers now and little ol’ humanity, and will continue to come at a cost, just as every other human exploration endeavor.
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good weather; however, that was not that has ever been built, on a piece of VWUHHWVQDPHGDW&KLQD/DNH(GZDUGV Courtesy photograph
enough. Witt’s team needed to cre- ODQGWKDWZDVMXVWGLUW²,JHWMD]]HG *HRUJH$LU)RUFH%DVHDQGWKH$HUR-
ate an environment where people and E\WKDW'LG,VWDUWWKDWFRPSDQ\"1R VSDFH9DOOH\²E\SLRQHHUVRIDYLD-
FRPSDQLHV VXFK DV %XUW 5XWDQ -HII 'LG,FUHDWHWKHLGHD"1R'LGZHFUH- tion, I don’t know where this nation
*UHDVRQ 'DYH 0DVWLQ %$( 7HVW ate an environment where people with would be.”
Pilot School etc., had the freedom to means came together with people with
test unconventional rockets, planes and LGHDV"<HVZHGLG´ Witt said he visits the park at least
perhaps the most freeing of all — per- once a week.
mission to take risks. One day while sitting before Con-
gress, Witt took a moment and looked “We give your company, your
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JRRGLGHDV\RXMXVWKDYHWRFUHDWHD and proudly thought to himself, “wow! permission to succeed and permission
good environment and good ideas will ,¶PUHSUHVHQWLQJ0RMDYHKRZFRROLW to fail. I don’t know of another place
emerge from the people.” that?” on earth where you can be granted that
kind of permission.”
Claiming to be a simple guy, Witt While he says his piece is very
said he has never taken a business small, it was an essential piece of On his watch, 17 names have been
FODVVLQKLVOLIH1RQHWKHOHVVKHQRZ the puzzle that could have happened associated with that price — including
oversees an industry worth billions. anywhere around the world, but it IRXUUHFHQWO\DGGHGIURP%$(³3HU-
He ran an engineering company yet, KDSSHQHGLQ0RMDYH³:HFUHDWHGDQ mission has a cost, folks.”
he was never an engineer. environment that gave people permis-
sion to take risks.” Although many criticize and con-
³,¶YHQHYHUEHHQIXOO\TXDOL¿HGIRU demn Witt’s promotion of permis-
DQ\MRE,ZDVKLUHGIRU,OHDUQHGDV 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ ZLWK WKDW SHUPLV- sion — it will not change his passion
I went along.” He gives much credit VLRQFRPHVVDFUL¿FH³7KDWLVWKHRQH RUGLUHFWLRQ³,ZLOOQRWUHWUHDW7KH
of his success to his father who taught thing that can keep me up at night,” research being performed each day
him to pay attention to his environ- says Witt, thinking about the lives lost DW 0RMDYH KDV SURYHQ VRXQG IRU WKH
ment. “Dad always said, while pushing boundaries. nation and all humanity, and will con-
WLQXHWRFRPHDWDFRVWMXVWDVHYHU\
µ,GRQ¶WFDUHZKDWEXVLQHVV\RXDUH On Oct. 30, 2015, a plaque honoring other human exploration endeavor.”
in, it is all about people.’ I had a lot in 0LFKDHO$OVEXU\$PHULFDQWHVWSLORW
P\WRROFKHVWZKHQ,FDPHWR0RMDYH´ for Scaled Composites killed Oct. 31, 7LPDQG6SHQFHU¿VKLQJLQ$ODVND
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Call it luck, magic or years of prep- 9LUJLQ*DODFWLF6SDFH6KLS7ZR966
aration, when opportunity knocked, (QWHUSULVH ZDV XQYHLOHG DW /HJDF\
:LWWZDVUHDG\³,GLGQ¶WNQRZLI0R- Park, a beautiful little rest area for
MDYHQHHGHGPHRU,QHHGHG0RMDYH´ visitors and a wall that memorializes
He simply claims he was at the right WKRVHIURPWKH³0RMDYH)DPLO\´ZKR
place, at the right time in life, when he lost their lives while taking such risks.
needed a new challenge.
Addressing those at the intimate me-
)LQLVKLQJKLVSDUWKHQRZIHHOVLW morial celebration, Witt wore his heart
is time to pass the torch onto Karina on his sleeve. “I’m going to be brutally
Drees. honest with everybody today because
I need to say this, and maybe I need
“I know she will do great things. to have a little cleansing myself, but
People say she has big shoes to fill, RQP\ZDWFKZHGHFLGHGWR¿JXUHRXW
and I tell them — she has big feet!” what we were actually promoting and
He is proud of the board for choosing selling, and what we came up with in
KHU³,KDGELJVKRHVWR¿OODQG,KDYH a word is — permission.”
pretty big feet also.”
“When you look at the way western
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sum up his life, Witt says he wants of risk adversity at all cost, in all sec-
KLVHSLWDSKWRVD\³,HQMR\HGSXWWLQJ tors of society, if it hadn’t been for
people to work.” the pioneers before us — so many

He learned that if you hire someone
who is passionate about what they do,
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about one person succeeding.”

As he looks at the hangers that Rich-

Photograph by Cathy Hansen Photograph by Linda KC Reynolds

Mike Massee, Stuart Witt, Dick Rutan and Jim Balentine hanging out in Mojave. John Fergione, Aida O’Connor and Stuart Witt enjoy a little social time at a
Lancaster JetHawks game.

December 18, 2015 Aerotech News and Review 3

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