His nine-day voyage, in a plane designed by his brother that resembled a child’s glider but had wings longer than a Boeing 727’s, made aviation history.

Even as a young child growing up in the small Central Valley town of Dinuba, Dick Rutan knew that he wanted to be a pilot. Whenever he heard an airplane, he would gaze up and it seemed the sky was beckoning him.

He and co-pilot Jeana Yeager flew around the globe without stopping or refueling, spending nine days inside a cramped, noisy cabin and an even smaller cockpit.

Dick Rutan, along with copilot Jeana Yeager, completed one of the greatest milestones in aviation history: the first round-the-world flight with no stops or refueling.

Famed pilot Richard “Dick” Rutan has died. Rutan earned distinction during a 19-year military career involving Vietnam War missions that sought to increase bombing accuracy. He later achieved fame as one of the first two pilots to circumnavigate the globe without refueling.

Dick Rutan, the famous pilot from Mojave, died on Friday after a severe lung infection, according to the Associated Press. He was 85. Mountain Dew has been banned in nearly 30 countries. Here's why, plus more American favorites that are illegal elsewhere.