Home For Christmas

Twenty-five years ago this month, the storied Rutan Model 76 Voyager aircraft successfully completed history’s first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world.  The crew of Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager departed Edwards Air Force on Sunday, 14 December 1986 and returned 216 hours, 3 minutes and 44 seconds later on Tuesday, 23 December 1986.  The FAI-official distance covered during the flight was 21,707.6 nm.  For their efforts, the flight crew, Burt Rutan (designer), and Bruce Evans (builder and crew chief) received the 1986 Collier Trophy.

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