Biography

Dick Rutan was born on July 1, 1938 in Loma Linda, California, USA. He is known for The Magic of Flight (1996), Flying the Feathered Edge: The Bob Hoover Project (2014) and Le journal de 13 heures (1975). He was married to Kristin Cremer and Geraldine. He died on May 3, 2024 in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, USA.

In December 1986, he and co-pilot Jeana Yeager became the first pilots to circumnavigate the globe without stopping or refueling.

He flew 325 combat missions over Vietnam as an Air Force pilot, and later worked as a test pilot for an aerospace company founded by his brother, Burt. He retired from the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel, five Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Purple Heart.