My brother, Major Jon L. Huggins, is a U-2 pilot. I just received this notice from him. It seems appropriate to note it here:
The Society is sad to announce that Lt. Col. Robert Riedenauer, USAF (Ret), (F), passed away Monday, 23 April 2007 at his home following a long battle with cancer. He was 70.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon; two sons, Jeff Koontz of Palmdale and Scott Riedenauer of Bellflower; and two daughters, Cheryl Clayton of Palmdale and Kimberly Sweazy of Florida; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A celebration of Riedenauer’s life will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Antelope Valley Country Club, with military honors and a fly-over.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations may be made to the Antelope Valley Country Club Scholarship Fund, 39800 Country Club Drive, Palmdale, CA 93551.
Riedenauer is the only test pilot to have flown the U-2, SR-71 and F-117 during a lengthy military and civilian career.
A 1969 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Riedenauer began his test career on F-111 programs and the U-2.
He flew more than 120 hours in the U-2 in aiding the development of advanced sensor systems.
Riedenauer then flew developmental flight tests of the SR-71, retiring from the Air Force as chief test pilot for that program.
As a test pilot and director of operations for Lockheed’s Skunk Works, he helped design, develop and test classified programs such as the F-117 stealth fighter.
In 1982, Riedenauer crashed on the first flight of the first production stealth fighter, when the program was still highly secret. Although he was unable to eject, he survived the crash. However, the injuries he sustained ended his flying career.
The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, but its remnants were used in the stealth fighter which stands on display in front of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. facility in Palmdale.
Among his many accolades, Riedenauer joined Lancaster’s Aerospace Walk of Honor in 2002 and was named an “Eagle” by the Flight Test Historical Foundation in 2005 for his work with the development of the U-2.
Riedenauer served as executive director of the Flight Test Historical foundation in its early years and was heavily involved in the initial fund-raising efforts that resulted in the foundation’s ability to build the museum facility at Edwards AFB, Air Force Flight Test Center Museum Director Doug Nelson said.
In recent years, he was active as the chairman of Palmdale’s Aviation and Aerospace Commission, tasked with advising the city on matters relating to Air Force Plant 42 and the L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport.
Riedenauer logged over 6,500 hours in more than 50 different aircraft.
He flew 120 combat missions in an F-105 over Southeast Asia in 1968, and was honored with the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Born in Fresno on Aug. 2, 1936, Riedenauer earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University in 1967.
