N269VA, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, Vandenberg, California to Mojave, 18,658.16 km, July 15, 1986. Group 4, rocket engine Altitude Gain, Airplane Launched from a Carrier Aircraft: 85,743 meters, SpaceShipOne piloted by Mike Melvill, June 21, 2004. FAI Class C-1e, Landplanes: takeoff weight 3,000 to 6,000 kg Group 2, turbojet Altitude: Scaled Composites Proteus N281PR, piloted by Mike Melvill and Robert Waldmiller, 19,277 m, October 25, 2000. Altitude in horizontal flight: Scaled Composites Proteus N281PR, piloted by Mike Melvill and Robert Waldmiller, 19,015 m, October 25, 2000. Altitude with 1,000 kg payload: Scaled Composites Proteus N281PR, piloted by Mike Melvill and Robert Waldmiller, 17,067 m, October 27, 2000. Notable pilots, engineers and other people Brian Binnie Fitzhugh L. Fulton Mike Melvill - pilot of SpaceShipOne Burt Rutan - founder of Scaled Composites Dick Rutan - pilot of the first non-stop, un-refueled flight around the world with Jeana Yeager in the Rutan Voyager Richard A. Searfoss Doug Shane Peter Siebold Jim Tighe Stuart O. Witt - former CEO of Mojave Air and Space Port and member of the National Space Council Users Advisory Group George T. Whitesides - CEO of Virgin Galactic Jeana Yeager - pilot of the first non-stop, unrefueled flight around the world with Dick Rutan in the Rutan Voyager Accidents and incidents On July 26, 2007, there was a test stand accident at Scaled Composites that killed three employees and injured three others. The accident occurred during work on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo. On February 4, 2009, Douglas DC-3-65/AR N834TP of the National Test Pilot School was substantially damaged in a take-off accident. Both sets of undercarriage and the port engine were ripped off. The aircraft was on a local training flight. The accident was caused by an incorrectly set rudder trim. On Oct. 31, 2014, the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft VSS Enterprise broke up during a test flight after being dropped from the WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve carrier aircraft. Scaled Composites co-pilot Michael Alsbury was killed. Scaled Composites pilot Peter Siebold parachuted to safety. SpaceShipTwo was being developed by Scaled Composites for Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic company. The accident occurred about north of the Mojave Air & Space Port, where the test flight originated. See also List of airports in Kern County, California List of United States Marine Corps installations Grey Butte Auxiliary Airfield used by Mojave Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in WW2 Notes External links Official