Sandy Rusk

FLYING SEASON IS HERE Oshkosh is behind us, everyone has mostly recovered, and now the flying season is really getting started. We have Rough River coming up, airplanes moving around the country, work happening throughout our Canard Bases, new people getting involved, and a few new things we’re testing that could open RAFE up to even more students, pilots and aviation professionals. So, no post-Osh hibernation over here! THE RAFE STORE IS LIVE! We finally have an actual place on the website...

We are back from Oshkosh! AirVenture 2026 gave RAFE another opportunity to put Burt Rutan’s aircraft, ideas, and legacy directly in front of the aviation community. After months of preparing aircraft, organizing volunteers, developing promo materials, planning presentations, and figuring out how to transport everything to Wisconsin, we made it happen! Now we are home, catching our breath, sorting through photos, unpacking, following up with new contacts, and talking about what comes next. The...

Burt Rutans Model 72 Grizzly is a one of a kind prototype tandem-ing STOL aircraft. A big departure from the Varieze’s and LongEZs he’d designed that were fast, cruising airplanes. It’s unusual configurations and features turns heads, but only for one week a year. The Grizzly was donated to the EAA Museum in 1997. It hasn’t flown since and only sees the sun during the week of AirVenture. Rutan Aircraft Flying Experience is the only 501c3 non-profit dedicated to Burt Rutan’s designs,...