Gary Francis Stout is an inventor, creative tinkerer, and founder of Gravity Wizards, a venture that blends curiosity, innovation, and a touch of whimsy. Known for inventions like the Magic Lamp and unique Christmas tree ornaments based on the same light-bending concept, Gary has always enjoyed pushing the boundaries between science, art, and storytelling.
A lifelong creator, Gary also explored software development, building Apple apps and uncovering the curious logic of Top Hat Sudoku. His creative pursuits even led him to write a children’s book titled Slog the Winged Frog, about a little frog born with wings who wishes he could fly—an imaginative tale that mirrors Gary's own spirit of wonder and exploration.
The name “Gary” means spear, making Javelin a fitting pen name. As he puts it, "I'm the dumb stick that benefits from the contributions of others."
Gary was born and raised in Bountiful, Utah, where his love of making and launching things began early. “When I was a wee lad,” he recalls, “my amazing dad helped me build a Pinewood Derby car.” That simple project lit a lifelong spark for hands-on creation, curiosity, and innovation.
After high school, Gary served four years in the U.S. Air Force INS, taking part in what he calls “his kind of war”—the Grenada Rescue, a mission where no one gets hurt and it’s over in time for lunch. Later, while serving in the Utah Air National Guard, he studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Utah, but left to work on cutting-edge X-ray tubes for Varian Associates. His career path wound through HGM medical lasers, CD manufacturing, and learning vacuum metallization—skills that would eventually power his ornament invention.
Gary returned to the UTANG to work on Ground Radar, until the 299th RCS was BRAC’d under the Obama administration. That shift led him to spend seven years doing ILS work on Saipan, before moving to Alaska.
Throughout his aviation career, the FAA has provided not only a rewarding path, but also the inspiration to reimagine derbies for the world of flight. For a time, Gary taught Terminal Radar in Oklahoma City, where he also filmed the Launcher 2.0 video in his backyard. In November, he returned to Palmer, Alaska, where he now resides and continues his work with the FAA in Anchorage.
His passion for hands-on science and imaginative design ultimately led him to found both Gravity Wizards and the Gravity Powered Air Derbies Association (GPADA). “Gravity Wizards was what I chose to call it,” Gary says, “because it’s really the people that make the magic happen.”
At Gravity Wizards, Gary took the classic excitement of Pinewood Derbies and launched it—literally—to new heights. Forget wooden cars racing down a track—his invention, the FOBB (Flying Object Built to Bounce), is a rocket-inspired creation designed to soar through the air. Each FOBB is crafted for maximum fun and safety, with a soft rubber nosecone that makes them perfect for high-flying indoor competitions. Whether you're going for the highest flight or the softest landing, FOBBs bring a whole new level of action, creativity, and safe STEM-fueled adventure.
One day, Gary hopes to observe a Gravity Powered Air Derby take place on the moon—a tribute to his father, the amazing man who helped build the first computer to land on the lunar surface.
