Burt RutanEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Nearly 50 years ago, Burt Rutan turned the experimental aircraft community on its head with the VariViggen, a two-seat pusher aircraft with a canard hanging out in front. In 2004, he broke the final frontier with back-to-back flights of SpaceShipOne which became the first privately built, flown and funded manned craft to reach space. “SocialFlight Live!” is a live broadcast dedicated to supporting General Aviation pilots and enthusiasts during these challenging times. Register at SocialFlightLive.com to join the live broadcast every Tuesday evening at 8pm ET (be sure to join early because attendance is limited for the live broadcasts).

As a young child, Burt Rutan was captivated by the nature of aviation and set out to challenge the norms. In true entrepreneurial style, he started small, designing model aircraft whilst juggling responsibilities of school and college. In a time that was considered quite primitive for aviation, he was working only with radio control for his models, meaning most would come back in pieces after a maiden flight. Rutan went on to graduate with a degree in aeronautical engineering. Fast-forward to 1982, he established Scaled Composites LLC, responsible for the Beechcraft Starship prototype. Creating some of the world's most recognisable long-range and unusual-looking aircraft, Rutan went on to design the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer and SpaceShipOne. Listen in as we leave no note unturned with this aerospace giant.