On July 23, 2016, RAFE founder Ryszard Zadow wrote:
"Today I got to do something that I can only describe as, humbling. David Brown, LongEZ builder and pilot. Started building his LongEZ in 1982. Finished in 2012. Thirty years of dedication and the end result was a work of art, that flew. I hope this is inspiring to those still building, those that think they'd like to build and those that have built but wonder what will become of the fruits of their labor down the line.
After quite a journey with the Brown family, David Browns beautiful LongEZ today became the first flying Rutan design donated to the Rutan Aircraft Flying Museum. This morning, after meeting with the family at the Rockingham County airport, KSIF, N365DB flew west, to Oshkosh.
David had been to OSH many times before, but not in his LongEZ. It was his families wish that it finally make the trip, I was honored to oblige, and in the back seat is David's ashes. He's going to go to OSH in his LongEZ.
To climb into this wonderful airplane and fly to OSH is one thing. For it to be such a noble cause puts it all into a different perspective. Thirty years of building. For me, it was like putting on another mans suit."