LONG EZ FIRST FLIGHT 

Beautiful vid, Bill! Little story time. On my way to my motorcycle (A triumph Bonneville T100) after a day in my university's engineering lab, I saw a VariEze fly overhead from the small airport a block over. Fell in love with the plane, and as luck would have it, he was flying along the same route as I would be taking. It was like flying in formation, separated by a few hundred vertical feet. One of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Bill you look so fantastically happy! Congratulations. After I leave the Army I am going to school for Mechanical Engineering and yourself, Burt, and many others have motivated me that hard work pays off. Have a great Summer!

I'm glad to see the great smile this plane gave you. You deserve it for all you've done and said for We the People. God Bless you, Mr Whittle.

It is awesome. I am happy for you Bill.

That is such a cool looking plane.

Way to go Bill!....got teary eyed just watching it all...happy for you buddy, because you EARNED IT!

I don't think I've seen someone that happy before. Good on you Bill, you deserve some leisure like this.

Comparing the Long EZ to a 172 is like comparing a Crown Vic to a....well, a Miata. Great plane Bill. Definitely a true sports car of the air.

Congratulations Bill! That smile of yours after landing says it all!

Very nice, Bill. That smile after taxiing back in was truly ear to ear. Building Long EZ was one of my bucket list items, but I lost my medical before I got to it. I did get to fly back seat in Navy A4 Skyhawks (2 seat advance jet trainer) Before loosing my medical, I flew a Mooney M20C N7174V for 4 years. I did get to build my other major bucket list itme: a GT40 replicar (Ford 5.0 and 89 Porsche 930 G50/50 transaxle. That Long EZ will be a much better investment than a therapist, I guarantee that. There just isn't anything better than an aircraft, any kind of aircraft, to free your spirit and mind to de-stress one's life. No need to tell you to enjoy the Long EZ, because that is a given.

Awesome video, time to get a GoPro and bring us up with you next time!

Really nice looking paint scheme on that...

Congratulations sir.

Kick ass tribute. Blue skies and safe landings

Congrats on your flight, love the Long EZ. Rutan canards are the coolest (and funkiest!) small planes ever built.

That is, truly, a beautiful machine. Happy flying....

Good for you, Bill. :) Definitely my favorite Rutan design!

Extremely well-done video. Congrats on a great looking bird. Glad you're happy with how she flies.

Very nice aircraft, Bill! Congratulations!

Bill Whittle is an awesome human being.

We Love you Buddy, I have always wanted a a plane and never got there. Here is wishing you the best and all the fun that brings! You are a Great Voice for America! Some of us can't help but worry about you after what they did to Andrew Breightbart and then the Coroner, That plane needs to be guarded. Don;t let them sabotage it.

Wow Bill, what a gorgeous plane. That plane fits you to a tee. You have to be so happy with that , i can see your face is all lit up. congrats.

Fantastic! We need some on board camera now. Glad to see you enjoying the fruits of your labor.

This is a man who loves freedom in many, many diffeent forms!

I know how much Bill loves flying. This must be a blast!

Many, many thumbs up, Bill!!

Congratulations! Fantastic!

Outstanding Bill. I am happy for you. I have been watching every episode of the Stratosphere Lounge in reverse order and am at number 50. I know what Burt and flying means to you and that you have worked your butt off for this. I got a little misty when I saw him looking over your flight. Enjoy Sir, you earned this.

Aw, he looks SO happy! Adorable!

Congratulations and welcome to the Canardian family! You are destined for a lot of fun in that bird. Enjoy!

Beautiful airplane, Bill. I know you will enjoy it!

great upload and yes that man Mr Rutan is a genius.....bar none.... you have made many man's dream become a reality thanks

Awesome! I also wanted to be a fighter pilot, and bought a Varieze as the closest I thought I could get to that dream. It really doesn't take much imagination flying an EZ to get that fighter pilot experience!

So great to see!

From one canardian to another congratulations Bill. It looks like a well built plane and the nose mod looks fantastic. Gorgeous paint job too. Hope we see you and the plane at Oshkosh. And by the way, don't plan any quick fuel stops. Soon as the engine shuts down, you will have a crowd at the fuel pump no matter where you go.

One of my favorite planes ever. I do like the Defiant more, but I'd love to have a LongEZ too.

That is a beautiful plane, Bill! Congratulations.

LOL BURT'S FACE CRACKING UP

So cool... i found this video just searching for a flight of the Long EZ... and was surprised to find out at the end, when I heard the pilot's voice, it was none other than Bill Whittle!!

I love your passion for flying. I have always loved any type of aircraft from Cessnas to bombers fighter jets and helicopters. I tried to join the military when I turned 18. But I had some medical issues I had to get worked out and during that time I met my wife and priorities changed. But I'm still young hopefully I can get my pilots license someday

Looks sleek and mean. Like a mini fighter jet. Yesterday was a great day weather wise to fly in southern california.

Excelente excelente 👌🏼 my favorite plane 🛬🛩️🛫 by far!!

beautiful inspiring video.

You bought your dream plane...?! This is a day for celebration, very best regards from Bochum/ Germany.

Congrats Bill!

Awesome... be careful. And always fly scared and paranoid. It will help with a happy and safe flying career.

Looks like fun.

Congrats on such a fine aircraft!!! I've loved those things since I was 12 when they came out. I met Burt back then at Oshkosh when he was "only" famous for the Long-EZ, and joked that "I'd be happy to work for him if he's hiring aerospace engineers in a dozen years". He laughed. I wish I'd followed through on that. Speaking of "like a rocket", I was at a National Space Society conference where a company was promoting a simulated flight into suborbital space - they set up three simulators side by side an a trailer with big screen in front and displays. Good sound, no motion. Anyway, the software they used was X-Plane, modified. The aircraft was a Barkute, if it was modified like the Rocket Racing League planes to have a rocket. And it was (in the simulation) able to go to space from a runway like a Lynx. I had a lot of fun with that - on one flight I went straight up and never got more than a km or two from the airport on the ascent or descent - which actually screwed up my landing.

Glad you are a fan of aviation too! And Firearms too! I just became a bigger fan...

Awesome video bill! Please get a GoPro and take us with you!

Just great.

Bill awesome! PS: (please add on a aircraft parachute to make an emergency landing.)

Awesome!

love the plane...

Not one video exists of a pilot (and passenger) 😊getting into and out of this type of aircraft

Ya got it. Congrats!

I'd love to see another EZ painted the same as N555JD.

Welcome to the club. I've flown mine to Oshkosh for the last 8 years. Going again this year. N8CP, stop by and chat if you are in the area!

That is great Bill! What music did you use? Thanks.

This is a beautiful Long EZ. I always wanted to build one as a kid, but I find that free time disappears the more I grow up.

I'm jealous. Wanted to fly one for 30 years

Nice, and excellent price. Where can I get one?

No clue who u are, but so happy for u we share a similar dream hehe

This is the plane that I would like to buy from somebody who put all kinds of craftsmanship and love into its construction.

I want one of these so bad

It's so cute, it doesn't even look real.

Bill. Get some video of those Chemtrail planes.

You don't get in a Long EZ, you put it on.

Hell yeah Bill. Stay based. You are my favorite political personality ever. Period. Keep doing what you love and never stop!

Congratulations Bill!!!!! I know you are S O o o o o o o o HAPPY and I'm happy FOR you!!!!

I didn't realize how BIG that wing is. I did not the angle of attack on the canard you mentioned in the video about John Denver. The main wheels look pretty close together. How likely is this bird to do a ground loop if you land and taxi in a pretty good cross wind, or land a little fast and take a turn of the active too quick?

Nice.

Необычное, прекрасное произведение инженерной мысли человека. Рождённый ползать да покорит небо!

Are you going to fly into EAA Oshkosh this year?

Bill, are you coming to Oshkosh this year? Need a place to stay?

Drifted a little after takeoff. Final approach was an angling final and landed bit left then drifted right (picky picky). Wonder how it handles in strong crosswinds you get on west coast from time to time. Also how is the range at 160k at service ceiling? Great paint job. Floating down the runway nothing worse than runway behind you that you wish you had.....

It looks small enough to qualify as a drone and be flown remotely. In your comparison with the Cessna 172 you fail to point out that the Cessna 172 can seat 4 people compared to one in the Long EZ. Looks like a fun plane to fly.

I hope the fuel valve is in the right place on this one! Is that an 0-200? It looks like the builder did a nice job, I saw about thirty or forty of these lined up sitting on their nose at Sun N fun 95-96, it was a really strange thing to look at from a distance, especially since they all have to be white.

What a beautiful aircraft. Good luck and have lots fun with it. Comparing the Long EZ to a Cessna does not do it justice. BTW, where did you get the plan?

Burt Rutan enough said

What is the glide rate of the Long EZ? I was wondering because with the canard it usually extends the glide rate of any plane that it's installed on. Also is the Long EZ rated for LSA?

I want one, or two..

I want to fly that plane

These planes have incredible range. Anyone know if the delta wing style is actually beneficial or just aesthetic?

Big fan of canards.

Are the fuel tanks in the wings?

Where can you even dream of getting an aircraft with this performance and economy for $25,000?

Let's see some barrel rolls and loops! :D

Thanks Bill...One minor quibble: PLEASE consider doing as RU-vid users "Premier1Driver" and "The Flying Reporter" do: strategically placed on-board multiple cameras ! We -your fans- would GREATLY appreciate it !

Burt Rutan is a genius. Burt is an Engineer from my alma mater Cal Poly SLO {California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo}

I want one

Long standing dream of mine to own a plane and a pilots license. Can we get video inside the cockpit.

Bill Whittle "You dirty rat"! Last year or so ago, I donated my 40% completed E-Racer project through Buildaplane(dot)org and a California EAA Chapter 376 received it, hopefully to finish her. I based my buying decision on the Long EZ's airframe alas the plans were to hard to come by. So the next best Experimental with that type Airframe was the E-Racer designed by Shirl Dickey. Rats rats rats...the humanity...now I miss my baby, thanks.

Great stuff!, will you do a commentary segment whilst aloft? buzz Moonbeam's palace? (just kidding, just kidding)

So you got a Cricri too or it's some one else's?

Hey Bill..! I recognized you by you voice and only, before I looked at you name... Did you built it?....looking gooood!!! PS Kisses to your better half.

Your so lucky.

2020 and im still locking for the instructions to build this thing

He's like a kid!

very cool, what is the range and max. weight? And can a fat guy like me fit?