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full screen Americans Dick Rutan and co-pilot Jeana Yeager set a record when they flew around the world in nine days in 1986 without stopping or refueling. Rutan has now passed away, 85 years old. File photo from a test flight in 1985. Photo: Doug Pizac/AP/TT
Americans Dick Rutan and co-pilot Jeana Yeager made history in 1986 when they flew around the world in nine days without refueling or stopping over. Now Rutan, 85, has passed away.
– He handled airplanes like a pianist a grand piano, says Burt Rutan about the brother, an experienced fighter pilot who was known for his smooth flying style.
When Rutan and Yeager took off with their light graphite plane Voyager from Edwards base in December 1986, many said “That will never work”. They were wrong.