10-Mile Flight One Of 2005's "Most Memorable Aviation Records"

XCOR Aerospace announced Monday the EZ-Rocket team was honored by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) at the organization's recent Spring Awards Ceremony, as recipients of the NAA's "Most Memorable Aviation Record of 2005" Award for last December's record-setting flight by the EZ-Rocket.

As was reported in Aero-News, in December 2005 the NAA certified the EZ-Rocket as completing the long distance world record for any ground-launched Rocket-Powered Airplane.

In the words of test-pilot and record-holder Dick Rutan -- who also co-piloted the Voyager round-the-world flight in 1986 -- it was "the shortest long-distance record flight ever." The 9.94-mile trek from Mojave Airport to California City Airport was enough to be verified by the NAA as the Distance without Landing record-holder for its class.

Rutan received the award at the NAA's Spring Awards Ceremony, held at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Friday, April 28 in Arlington, VA.

"This award is a wonderful ending to a five year flight test program," said XCOR Aerospace CEO, Jeff Greason. "We want to thank the NAA judges for their work in verifying this world record. With 25 flights, the EZ-Rocket demonstrated low-cost and low-maintenance rocket-powered flight. We're ready to move on to the next step."

First flown in 2002, the EZ-Rocket is a modified Long-EZ homebuilt aircraft powered by two 400-lb thrust rocket engines, fueled by LOX and isopropyl alcohol. XCOR has since retired the EZ-Rocket in order to work on the next-generation of rocketplanes -- the Mk. 1 aircraft that will be flown by pilots in the inaugural season of the Rocket Racing League.

FMI: www.naa.aero, www.xcor.com, www.rocketracingleague.com