N1EZ

N1EZ is a Rutan Long-EZ, a single-engine piston aircraft operated by LEXTHISTLE ENTERPRISES LLC. SkyMeter has tracked 82 flights totalling 123 hours of airtime via ADS-B. The most frequent segment is KOPL to KOPL. Service window in our records spans 224 days. Of those flights, 8 (9.8%) carry at least one detected incident — go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Rutan Long-EZ has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,325 lb, light wake category.

About the Rutan Long-EZ

The Rutan Long-EZ is a revolutionary homebuilt aircraft designed by Burt Rutan in the late 1970s that fundamentally changed amateur aviation. With its distinctive canard configuration, pusher propeller, and sleek composite construction, the Long-EZ became one of the most successful kit aircraft ever created, with over 700 completed worldwide. The design prioritized efficiency and cross-country performance, achieving remarkable fuel economy of around 40 miles per gallon while cruising at 160-180 knots—performance that rivaled or exceeded many certified aircraft of its era at a fraction of the operating cost.

Its tandem seating, retractable landing gear, and exceptional range of over 1,600 nautical miles made it a favorite among builders seeking a fast, efficient cross-country machine. The Long-EZ's canard layout provided inherent stall resistance and docile handling characteristics, though its unconventional appearance and pusher configuration required pilots to adapt to different ground handling and visibility considerations. Built primarily from fiberglass and foam using moldless composite techniques that Rutan pioneered for homebuilders, the Long-EZ demonstrated that amateur constructors could achieve professional-grade performance and reliability.

The type's influence extended far beyond recreational aviation—Rutan's canard concepts and composite methods informed his later designs including SpaceShipOne and influenced an entire generation of aircraft designers. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with among the observed operators.