Gary Hertzler the Propulsion Master N99VE VariEze

Gary Hertzler currently lives in Mesa Arizona but grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended college at the General Motors Institute of Technology earning his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree in 1966. Following graduation he had a short stint with McDonnell-Douglas doing design work on the F4 Phantom. While at McDonnell-Douglas he obtained his private pilot’s license. In 1967 the Vietnam war was raging on in Southeast Asia. The U.S. military draft was in effect. Gary was facing the draft or join the US Air Force. He served 4 years in the Air Force as a project officer at Kirtland AFB, in Albuquerque, NM. While in the Air Force he joined the base aero club and obtained his instrument and commercial ratings.  Gary started work for Garrett AiReseach jet engine company immediately following his discharge in 1971. He hired on as a designer in the engine valve group, but quickly moved up to the TFE731 turbofan jet engine project. From there he was promoted to Project Design Manager for two different engine projects, the military TFE1042 jet engine and the CFE738 commercial engine. Gary finished his career as Master Design Manager for the 907 jet engine with the company known then as Honeywell in the year 2000.  Back in 1976 after being shown an article in Popular Mechanics on the Burt Rutan VariEze his interest in building his own airplane was renewed. (He had previously started a Mustang II project that he ultimately sold.)  Following completion of his VariEze in 1980 efficiency became his obsession. This included achieving two non-refueled distance worlds records as well as several wins at the CAFÉ 400 competition. Gary is the present holder of the CAFÉ Challenge award. His record is 169.3 mph achieving 48 Miles Per Gallon while hauling a 400 lb. payload flown in his VariEze, November 99 Victor Echo. Following retirement in 2000, Gary started his own business manufacturing propellers for homebuilt airplanes and has produced nearly 600 propellers primarily for canard aircraft. Besides building and flying his own airplane for the last 41 years he has accumulated over 48 hundred flight hours and has even restored a 1917 Buick touring car and a 1929 Buick coupe.