Hermann Ruess

Hermann was the pilot who signed me off on my private pilot checkride in June 1985. I will always be grateful to hm for his great sense of humor, putting a very nervous pilot at ease and helping me to do my best!!

Herman gave me my final flight test for my private rating. I learned to fly with his wife, Heidi, a dear friend in Anchorage. A darling couple, I miss them both as now living "outside." - Laverne xoxoxo
[email protected]

I are sorry for your loss. I just found this today, 3/14/2020. Herman gave me so many tricks on floats and made me a better pilot. I'll miss his.

Hello, I had the honor of learning to fly with your Dad in Anchorage in 1986. My first flight was from Lake Spenard, on skis, to the cabin on Donkey Lake in 44047, with extra fuel, in cans, strapped to the struts. He got frustrated with me because I had trouble understanding the instructions from the tower to switch to ground control over the "ball fields"....seems like yesterday, still have the pics from that flight that I will always cherish. He was a great person am sorry to see that he has passed.

Liebe Heidi,
Ich durfte im Sommer 2006 meine allererste Flugstunde bei dir nehmen. Es tut mir von Herzen leid, dass du deinen geliebten Mann verloren hast. Ich wünsche dir liebe Menschen, die dir beistehen und dich trösten.
Margrith Bürgin, Lausen, Switzerland

There will never be another Herman! Our prayers and thoughts go to Heidi and family.

Hermann touched us all. His favorite oral question for my commercial rating back in 1978 was to point to a circle on the ANC sectional and ask what airport it was. Well he had a big laugh when he finally told me it was the letter "o" in "Chugach Mountains" written on the sectional. His name is in many logbooks including those of us that left Alaska to fly for the airlines. My most special memories of Hermann however exist when him and I were doing my float rating in 44047 back in the late 70's. God Bless the Ruess family.

Sad to hear of Hermann's passing. Hermann trained me for my float rating in 44047 and I still check my RPM! Very few pilots in Alaska have not had the privilege to fly with such a character through the years.

Hermann was a great guy and will be sorely missed. He signed off my private ticket back in '85. My sincere condolences to Heidi, Rick, and Heidi.

Heidi and Hermann were the begining of my private flying in the early 70's and I'm still getting my bi-annuals from them. Thank you for touching me with your life Hermann, I know you will be missed by many.

I'll always be grateful to Hermann for signing my private checkride in 1985, despite his correct assertion that I didn't "know anything about the charts" and scaring the crap out of him on short final. He gave me some good common sense advice that I still remember and share. He had a big impact on AK Aviation - I was out somewhere with a half dozen AK pilots a few years ago and four of us had been signed off by him at some point. Thanks, Hermann.

heidi and rick taught me to fly, but it was herman that finished the job by giving me my private pilot check ride in november of 1984.

i'll never forget that ride as i was incredibly nervous. i wanted to really do it up right and figured i'd start off by spending quite a bit of time pre-flighting only to have herman tell me;

"get in, get in, you don't have to do an annual every time you fly the damn thing!"

he told me shortly thereafter, somewhere north of the sub station, "take me home, you know how to fly"

thanks to you all for my adventures in aviation.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and condolences. My dad was a great flight instructor and an excellent pilot who made me into a safe and proficient pilot. I am glad that he touched so many people in his flying career. He will be missed by all especially my mother, sister and me.

Heidi, Rick, and Heidi Jr.,
Amanda and I are sorry for your loss. I have fond memories of Hermann from the first time I met him in Sept of 1987. I remember the time he drove backwards over the oil can in the Datsun; he was obviously upset, but Heidi and I laughed about that one for a long time. Another memory was the attempts at handpropping 047 on floats at Yensus lake. And yet another was flying parts to the cabin at Donkey Lake for the repairs to the stairs. I've attached a photo from that day with Hermann standing next to "Heidi's tree".

One of my favorite flying experiences was flying with Heidi in the 172 from Lake Hood to Gulkana for some instrument work. We met Hermann in Gulkana who let me fly right seat in the 310 to ANC with Heidi in the back. It was positively my worst landing EVER. I flew that plane halfway down RWY 14 before getting it too slow and dropping it several feet in....but Hermann was supportive and wrote 1.1 hours of multi dual (my only multi time) in my logbook. That was back in '94. I consider myself fortunate to have flown with Hermann for my entire float rating. I can still hear him saying, "sixteen hundreed RPM.....sixteen hundred RPM......seventeen hundred RPM". He loved that keyhole lake. We will miss you Hermann.

Heidi and Family, I'm sorry to hear of Hermann's passing. I took my first two check rides with Hermann. Both were very instructive. Everyone I've talked to said that was their experience as well. My thoughts are with you.

Heidi & Rick, Sorry to hear of Hermann's passing. I only rode with Hermann once in 44047 during float training when Heidi was unavailable. I still remember that flight. Sorry for your loss. Jim Powell

I got my check rides for both my private pilot license and my seaplane rating from Hermann. The float check ride in N44047 when it had only 85 h.p. After that I would run into him in different places - around Anchorage, of course, but also once in Dawson City, once in Whitehorse, and at several other airports around the state. He always had a smile for me and would ask me how I was doing. I'm sorry I won't be running into him anymore.

Ruess Family,

I'm sorry for your loss, I know he'll be missed. You've been in my thoughts & prayers since learning of his illness.

I can't remember the last time I saw your dad - must have been during one of our high school sleepovers Heidi :) - I'm amazed at how much you look like your dad in this picture Rick and can clearly see where you've gotten your love of flying & aviation work from after reading about his accomplishments.

My condolances to you all..

Hi Heidi and Rick, I'm one of your students. Hermann gave me my private pilot check ride in John Rogers' C-150 in 1981. He was so relaxed, and I was so nervous. (Not much has changed over the past 28 years.) I'm sorry for your loss. Monica Jenicek Lyall

I knew Hermann when he was employed with US Fish and Wildlife and flying some of the wildfires in Alaska were our paths crossed on many different flights. I also had the good fortune of flying as crew member with Hermann while at Security Aviation and always enjoyed his past stories of his aviation career. May Hermann enjoy his new life on the other side and join other aviators that have gone before him.

To Heidi and Rick my condolance to you.

Ronald Samsal

Hermann was a friend to be admired. I had the pleasure of flying with him and learned much. He always insisted he wasn't German, but we teased him anyway! he will be missed...

Heidi -- It saddened me to learn of Herman's passing. You are in my thoughts and prayers.