Retired Air Force lieutenant colonel Richard “Dick” Rutan was laid to rest Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. According to Arlington’s daily funeral schedule, the service in Washington, D.C., was held in the early afternoon and included the traditional rites for a U.S. military officer.
Rutan, who died in May 2024 at age 85, is best known for copiloting the Voyager aircraft in 1986 on the first nonstop, unrefueled flight around the world. Alongside Jeana Yeager, he completed the nine-day mission that secured a place in aviation history and highlighted the experimental aircraft designed by his brother, Burt Rutan.
Before his record-setting flight, Rutan served with distinction in the U.S. Air Force. He flew 325 combat missions in Vietnam, including 105 with the elite “Misty” forward air control unit. His decorations included the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 16 Air Medals.
The ceremony at Arlington featured an honor guard and flag presentation. T-38s also performed a flyover of the cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Kris; two daughters; two stepdaughters; his brother Burt; sister Nell; and numerous grandchildren and a great-granddaughter, according to his obituary in Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Press.
