Burt Rutan, the designer behind many aviation and aerospace groundbreaking projects, such as Voyager and SpaceShipOne, and AMA Life Member Dan Kreigh, structural aerospace engineer for Scaled Composites LLC, will visit the AMA International Aeromodeling Center July 8-9 during the 100th running of the National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats) in Muncie, Indiana.
AMA members will have several opportunities to meet these aviation and aerospace innovators July 8-9, culminating in a free banquet dinner and presentation July 9 from 6-9 p.m. at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts in Muncie. The dinner, “Burt Rutan: A Journey that Started with Model Aviation,” is free and limited to the first 250 people that RSVP. A cash bar will be available. Members can RSVP here.
Burt will be presenting his reflections on his early years growing up with model aviation and how it has shaped his career. Dan will also speak, discussing how models are constantly being utilized in his time in the aerospace industry.
The visit represents a unique opportunity for both to share their story with staff and members at a time when the aviation and aerospace industries are thriving, embracing new technology and seeking to push the envelope of what is possible.
Both men credit model aviation for their success, setting examples for others to follow now and in the decades to come.
“Burt Rutan’s legacy in experimental aviation and Dan Kreigh’s work in advancing and sharing those ideas reflect the same spirit that drives model aviation. At the Academy of Model Aeronautics, we see every day how model flying serves as a foundation for innovation where curiosity takes flight and ideas are first tested in the sky, often long before they reach full-scale aviation,” said AMA Executive Director Tyler Dobbs.
More information concerning their visit and the July 9 banquet dinner will be provided in upcoming issues of AMA This Week, on AMA’s website, and on our social media channels.
I would love to see Burt. Our club in Wichita, The WRCC, traveled to Newton, KS where Burt was working for Jim Bede. He then came to our club meeting in Wichita and showed his 8mm movies of his testing his VariViggen design. What a GREAT GUY. He was destined for success from Day one.