The lecture

Matt Stinemetz, Chief Engineer at Scaled Composites, will share anecdotes of his working on some of the world’s most interesting aircraft. His experience at Scaled Composites has given him a unique view of risks and rewards, as well as an insider’s look at the aerospace industry. He will discuss first-hand accounts of working with legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan as well as SpaceShipOne, SpaceShipTwo, Stratolaunch, and some personal exploits building and designing prototype and homebuilt airplanes. Matt will use himself as an example of dreaming big, shooting for your goals, and the importance of inspiring the next generation of engineers and designers.

The speaker

Matthew Stinemetze is Chief Engineer at Scaled Composites, an aviation and aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan. Located at the Mojave Spaceport in California, Scaled made international headlines in 2004 when they won $10 million Ansari X-Prize with the flight of their SpaceShipOne, the world’s first privately-built manned spacecraft to reach space. Today, Scaled Composites, a Northrup Grumman subsidiary, is a leader in air vehicle design and developmental flight tests of air and space vehicles.

Matt joined Scaled in 1998, where he has served as Project Manager, Flight Test Engineer, and Co-pilot on various Scaled aircraft, including:  WhiteKnight (a twin-turbojet research aircraft that provided high-altitude airborne launch of SpaceShipOne); WhiteKnight during Boeing X-37 free flights; and WhiteKnight2, a spaceship under contract to Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.

Matt is currently involved with several innovative projects at Scaled, including the Stratolaunch carrier aircraft, a Paul Allen project that will be the largest aircraft ever flown. A licensed pilot who has built and flown his own airplane, Matt earned a BS in aerospace engineering from Wichita State University.

Admission tickets

The event is free and open to the public; however, e-tickets are required. E-ticket registration for this event will open September 27, 2018.

Parking

Parking is free in Library parking lots and along the west side of Holmes Street between 51st and 52nd streets. The main entrance to the Library grounds is on Cherry Street. The Linda Hall Library is not affiliated with UMKC. Parking in all UMKC lots is by permit or meter.