GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED SCIENTIST DR. RIC HAUER PASSES
November 17, 2025
The RAF is saddened to report the passing of Dr. Frederick “Ric” Richard Hauer. The RAF was the beneficiary of Hauer’s globally recognized authority. In 2014, he devoted his time and expertise to set up and oversee a pivotal study of the effect of aircraft noise on wildlife. The two-year study concluded with Dr. Hauer's statement, “ . . . there is no significant increase in stress levels among deer due to recreational aviation activity.” The peer-reviewed results helped establish the RAF as an organization with a sound scientific basis.
“It’s clear that early on Ric gave the RAF the authority we needed as we approached land managers to defend airstrips,” RAF Chairman John McKenna said. The entire study remains a reference in RAF guidelines for land managers.
Ric grew up in a small Michigan farming community, where his German immigrant father practiced medicine. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in Stream and River Ecology from the University of North Texas. He and his wife, Brenda, settled in Montana, where he enjoyed flying his red and white 1975 Skywagon extensively for research and pleasure. In addition to his passion for flying, he was a lifelong learner and served as a tenured professor at the University of Montana. He taught advanced courses, mentored graduate students, and directed major research initiatives. He founded the Institute for Ecosystems and the Systems Ecology graduate program and led over $70 million in environmental research. Ric published more than 125 peer-reviewed articles and co-edited the influential textbook Methods in Stream Ecology. His global impact extended to South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia, where he participated in conferences, fieldwork, and policy discussions.
He was an active member of the backcountry pilot community, and he and Brenda enjoyed RAF gatherings and camaraderie. “I always learned something when he was talking,” RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower said.
Submitted November 17, 2025.
Featured photo credit: Legacy.com
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