Dick Rutan
He learned to fly at age 15, taking his first solo flight on his 16th birthday, and later attended Reedley Junior College while waiting to report for the military.At Reedley College, he worked with aircraft engines toward getting an official FAA power plant license (also referred to as an Aviation Maintenance Technician).Rutan served during the Vietnam War as one of the founding members of the "Mistys" of Operation Commando Sabre,[2] pioneering the use of tactical jets as a "FastFAC" (known as forward air control) for the FAC Airborne mission, which searched for and marked targets with white phosphorus rockets ahead of the strike package.After completing an Operation Bootstrap degree program, Rutan served as Chief of the Training Division with the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB from January 1977 until his retirement from the Air Force on June 1, 1978.In the Republican primary, Rutan upset San Bernardino County Supervisor Rob Hammock, who had run a strong race against Brown in 1990.
XCOR EZ-RocketLoma Linda, CaliforniaCoeur d’Alene, IdahoReedley CollegeAir Forcetest pilotRepublicanBurt RutanaviatorofficerVoyagerJeana Yeagerfirst solo flightReedley Junior Collegeaircraft enginesAviation Maintenance TechnicianRadar Intercept OfficerMcDonnell F-101B Voodoo322d Fighter-Interceptor SquadronKingsley FieldNorthrop F-89 Scorpion57th Fighter Interceptor SquadronKeflavik AirportDouglas C-124 Globemaster II85th Air Transport SquadronTravis AFBPilot WingsLaughlin AFBVietnam Warforward air controlwhite phosphorusNorth American F-100 Super Sabre492nd Tactical Fighter Squadron48th Tactical Fighter WingRAF Lakenheath, EnglandWright-Patterson AFBLTV A-7 Corsair IIDavis-Monthan AFBOperation Bootstrap355th Tactical Fighter WingSilver StarDistinguished Flying CrossesAir MedalsPurple Heartlieutenant colonelRutan VoyagerFairchild T-46Royal Aero ClubPresidential Citizens MedalRonald ReaganCollier TrophyMike MelvillRutan Long-EZkit aircraftMojave, CaliforniaCalifornia City, CaliforniaU.S. MailGeorge Brown, Jr.San BernardinoSan Bernardino CountyLibertarianpulmonary fibrosislong COVIDCoeur d'Alene, Idahoabsolute distance recordsairspeed recordBoeing B-52strategic bomberRutan VariEzeLong-EZOshkosh, WisconsinAnchorage, AlaskaGrand Turk Islandhomebuilt aircraftUS Air Force Senior Pilot BadgeDistinguished Flying CrossValor deviceoak leaf clustersAir MedalAir Force Presidential Unit CitationAir Force Outstanding Unit AwardCombat Readiness MedalNational Defense Service MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalVietnam Service Medalcampaign starsAir Force Longevity Service AwardSmall Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonRepublic of Vietnam Gallantry CrossVietnam Campaign MedalLouis Bleriot MedalSociety of Experimental Test PilotsDe la Vaulx MedalLouis BleriotNational Air and Space Museum TrophyIven C. Kincheloe AwardEdward Longstreth MedalFranklin InstituteNational Aviation Hall of FameNational Museum of the United States Air ForceInternational Air & Space Hall of FameSan Diego Air & Space MuseumFlyingFellowMojave Air & Space PortWayback MachineFédération Aéronautique Internationale