Aviation and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan was presented with the AMA Fellowship award July 9, 2026, in Muncie, Indiana. He was given the award following a presentation outlining how his illustrious career began with model aviation.
The Fellowship award is AMA’s highest level of recognition to those individuals who have performed exceptionally meritorious service for model aviation.
More than 100 AMA members and staff were on hand to hear stories from Burt and aerospace engineer Dan Kreigh, following their two-day visit to the AMA International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) during the 100th running of the AMA Nats. It was the first time they had visited the IAC.
Burt designed more than 40 aircraft, including the Voyager, which completed the first non-stop, around-the-world flight without refueling, and SpaceShipOne, the first privately funded, crewed spacecraft to reach space.
Kreigh worked closely with Rutan for many years and shared insights from his decades of aerospace work, which often used model aviation to provide proof-of-concept work for new innovative ideas in research and development.
The presentation followed two days of activities at the IAC and talking with members and Nats Competitors, all culminating in a visit on July 10 to the AMA National Model Aviation Museum, the largest of its kind in the world.
More details of their visit, photos, and a video will follow in an upcoming AMA This Week.