Editor’s note: The following announcement was provided by Victoria Ghysels.
Maj. John A. Rutoski (Ret), formerly of Whitewater, WI, was recently inducted into the Minnesota Air National Guard’s Flight of Honor. The award recognizes personnel who have died in the line of duty, heroism, valor, or distinguished professional achievement and service.
Rutoski enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in 1977 and later transferred to the Air National Guard. After graduating from UW-Stout with a degree in engineering in 1982, he was selected for commissioning as a pilot. By 1986 he had become aircraft commander and flight instructor. Also in 1986, Rutoski was hired as a pilot for Northwest Airlines and changed his military position to assistant tactics officer. While in this role, he used his computer skills to develop a cutting-edge software program that streamlined the mobilization process used for Operational Readiness Inspections.
From August 1989 to February 1990, Rutoski deployed three times for the Desert Storm war effort as aircraft commander, flying out of airbases in Germany, England, and Turkey. As both tactical officer and instructor pilot, he saw the critical need for better aircrew training facilities and went about making that a possibility. Proficiency training was limited at his home station due to the intensity of commercial air traffic and new housing developments, so Rutoski turned to Camp Ripley, twenty air minutes away. Ripley had potential but needed runway lighting, instrument approach/landing equipment, and its drop zone required upgrades. It also would require crash/fire rescue services. So, he started talking up the requirements and potential solutions to those in charge. In 1991, Rutoski was designated as program manager for runway lighting. No funding? No problem for Rutoski, who later received the nickname of “Major Scrounge.” He found free equipment from closing airfields around the world and free civil engineers and labor from other units around the country. Not only was the runway lighting for both the paved and the assault strips complete, operational, and FAA certified, but he also had the lighting system tuned for Night Vision Goggles (NVG) on both.
Rutoski later saw the need for more upgrades, such as an instrument approach/landing system (ILS) that would allow Camp Ripley to be functional in all weather conditions. He procured a Tactical Air Navigation System and a Microwave Landing System (MLS) that upgraded his ILS. He also extended the 4900 ft. runway to 7000 ft for proficiency training of take offs and landings of C130s. Rutoski did this all on a shoestring budget and while progressing through his career as a pilot with Northwest and subsequently Delta Airlines. Rutoski retired from the military in 2000 and with the airlines in 2020. He is the first to give credit to the many who helped him build his vision, saying he couldn’t have done it all without their help.
Wanting to give back to the aviation community that gave him so much, Rutoski combined his knowledge of engineering, and semiconductor experience with his aviation expertise and started a nonprofit organization called Virtual Aviation of Minnesota (virtualaviationmn.com) to help the next generation of aviators since the cost of the progression through private pilot, instrument pilot, and Airline Transport Rating is in the multiple six figures. At his own expense, Rutoski built six highly capable flight simulators with full visuals, most for which he recently received full FAA certification. He has three simulators at his home, where he provides free simulator instruction to young people. This will help assure their success in training and reduce the expensive flight hours required for them to earn their licenses. He also has enlisted a cadre of seven of his former students who have succeeded in aviation to give back by providing free simulator instruction on his machines. Two such aviators began as flight attendants with Delta and in three years are now commercial airline pilots with Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.
As someone who obtained his pilots’ license on a dirt runway in Palmyra, WI, his dream is to place flight simulators in rural areas of the country where aviation training resources are far away.
Congratulations, Major Scrounge, on this well-deserved award.
