From the days of Little League Baseball when he would be in the outfield watching the planes fly by, Rick has loved flying. He graduated with Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy in 1972 and has been flying ever since.

He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) from Cornell University and his Ph.D. from the Medical College of Virginia. With more time available, he got his Instrument Rating and began building his own airplane. The year 1999 saw the completion of his two-seater RV6A. His first flight was to the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk.

Rick is a member of the Experimental Aviation Association and the Wing Nuts Aviation Club. He does Angel Flights and Young Eagles' flights, in addition to flying family and friends and taking yearly trips to Oshkosh.