At the age of 85, Dick Rutan, an icon of aeronautical achievement and a decorated Vietnam War veteran, bid the world farewell on May 3, 2024. His final moments, spent in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, were marked by the resolute decision to forego a second night on oxygen, a testament to his enduring spirit. Rutan’s departure leaves behind a towering legacy, one that traces back to his youthful enlistment in the United States Air Force and spans through numerous daring feats, including the historic non-stop flight around the world aboard the Voyager aircraft.
Rutan’s military service was remarkable, punctuated by over 300 combat missions as part of the elite “Misty” fighter pilots. His valor in the skies earned him several prestigious decorations, including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Purple Heart. Rutan’s near-mythical piloting skills were put to the ultimate test on two separate occasions when he had to eject from his aircraft – once over the hostile terrain of Vietnam and once due to a mechanical failure in England.
Post-military, his thirst for groundbreaking flight continued unabated. In collaboration with his brother Burt Rutan, an esteemed aircraft designer, Dick Rutan embarked on the Voyager project – an endeavor that would eventually catapult them both into the annals of aviation history. The Voyager, a testament to human ingenuity and determination, took to the skies from Edwards Air Force Base in California on December 14, 1986. Laden with fuel, the graphite plane’s wings grazed the runway before lifting off on what would become a record-shattering journey around the world – all without a single stop or refuel.
The nine-day voyage pushed the limits of human and machine, with Rutan and his copilot, Jeana Yeager, enduring fatigue and dodging perilous weather conditions. It was a dance with the elements that demanded Rutan’s signature “velvet arm,” an expression that described his smooth and precise handling of the aircraft’s controls. Upon their triumphant return, the trio – Dick Rutan, Jeana Yeager, and Burt Rutan – were honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Ronald Reagan. Dick Rutan, known for his unwavering advocacy of freedom, remarked at the time, “We had the freedom to pursue a dream, and that’s important.”
The Rutan Model 76 Voyager now resides in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – a symbol of a feat that continues to inspire. Burt Rutan encapsulated his brother’s essence when he said, “Dick never doubted whether my design would actually make it around, with still some gas in the tank.” This confidence in possibility is the hallmark of Dick Rutan’s legacy.
Throughout his life, Dick Rutan was a living embodiment of courage, innovation, and an indomitable will. As Burt Rutan poignantly put it, “He played an airplane like someone plays a grand piano.” Those who knew him speak of a man larger than life, a person whose varied accomplishments in warfare, test piloting, and boundary-pushing flights interweave to form a tapestry of true legend.
As we remember Dick Rutan, it is not just the medals and accolades that define his memory but the indelible mark he left on the world of aviation. Greg Morris, the president of Scaled Composites, captured the enormity of Rutan’s impact: “Any one of those contributions would make a legend in aviation. All of them together, in one person, is just inconceivable.”
Rutan is survived by his wife of 25 years, Kris Rutan, daughters Holly Hogan and Jill Hoffman, and grandchildren Jack, Sean, Noelle, and Haley. As we gaze upon the skies, where Rutan once defied the very limits of human endeavor, let us celebrate a life extraordinarily lived – a pilot’s pilot, who chased the bear and, in the process, soared into eternity.
Relevant articles:
– Remembering Dick Rutan, hero who flew Voyager around the world, Aerotech News & Review
– Dick Rutan, co-pilot of historic round-the-world flight, dies at 85, ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
– Remembering Dick Rutan And His Non-Stop Flight Around The World, Hackaday
– ‘Dick Rutan was, and will forever be, Misty Four-Zero’, AOPA