'Pilot of the First Non-Stop, Unrefueled 9-Day Global Flight Passes Away'

American Pilot Dick Luton Passes Away

216 hours 3 minutes 44 seconds. This is the record of American pilot Dick Rutan, who in 1986 became the first in the world to successfully complete a non-stop, unrefueled flight around the globe. Rutan, who set the world record for circumnavigation, has passed away at the age of 85.

(This photo is not directly related to the article.) [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 6th (local time), Yonhap News, citing the Associated Press, reported that Rutan died on the 3rd at a hospital in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, surrounded by his family. It is said that Rutan, who was dependent on an oxygen respirator due to severe lung infection, chose to end his life on his own terms.

Earlier, in 1986, he and female aviator Jeana Yeager took turns piloting the Voyager aircraft to complete a non-stop flight around the world in an astonishing 216 hours 3 minutes 44 seconds. Their flight is praised for overcoming technical limitations through perseverance.

For an aircraft to stay airborne for an extended period, it must be lightweight and have low air resistance to maximize efficiency. Securing maximum space for fuel storage is also a top priority. To meet these conditions, the Voyager used for the first world circumnavigation flew slowly using a propeller-driven glider method.

Ultimately, on December 14, 1986, at 8 a.m., they took off from Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, California, and flew 40,000 km non-stop without refueling for 9 days 3 minutes 44 seconds, returning to Edwards Air Force Base amid thousands of cheering spectators. The arrival of Rutan and Yeager was broadcast live on TV across the United States.

Rutan was born in Loma Linda, California, and joined the Air Force as a teenager. He later served in the Vietnam War and retired as a lieutenant colonel before working as a test pilot. In 2005, he set a record by successfully flying about 10 miles (16 km) in a ground-launched rocket-powered aircraft.

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