Bob Hoover passed away Oct 25, 2016.

[David MacRay]

[color=blue]I edited the title so it did not continue to say this morning.[/color]


My first reaction, "Ah shit. I guess it had to happen."

http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2016/1 ... ead-at-94/

For some reason I had never heard of the great one until I started going to AvCanada. One of the many valuable things Mr Boyd had shared with me here and there.

What a bummer. Rest in Peace sir.

[Four Bars]

I watched him demo Boeing's Sabre chase plane at Abbotsford. Have also seen him demo the Shrike, Old Yeller and the Sabreliner. Quite the guy...

[David MacRay]

I think this sums it up.

[quote=EAA CEO/Chairman Jack Pelton on Bob Hoover] “We lost a true, one-of-a-kind aviation hero today. We all knew of Bob’s incredible aviation career and witnessed his unmatched flying skills. It was Bob Hoover as a person that also made him legendary. He was a true gentleman and unfailingly gracious and generous, as well as a good friend of EAA through the years. We can only hope to use his lifelong example as a pilot and a person as a standard for all of us to achieve.”[/quote]

[Chuck Ellsworth]

To be half as good a pilot as Bob was was my goal in life.


Pene and I had lunch with him at an airshow in the late eighties and he was so unassuming in person you could not picture him doing the awesome aerobatics he had just done in the Commander with both props feathered and they stayed feathered right until he cams to a stop in front of the crowd on the ramp.


He is gone but will be remembered for a long time.

[David MacRay]

He certainly was a soft spoken fellow. I love listening to him narrate the video where he pours the iced tea.

Old teller is in Idaho. I sat in it. Pretty snug in the shoulder area.

Is this the same Boeing chase Sabre?
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2 ... _sabre.htm

I'm guessing there is only one.

[GoBoy]

Bang the drum slowly today people , for the greatest pilot in the history of mankind is gone . Mr R. A. Bob Hoover has passed away at the age of 94. His passing marks the beginning of the end of an era of pilots that came from the"Greatest Generation" .
Yes there are still some of them around but not of his calibre. Even Chuck Yeager alluded to Mr Hoover being better than him. Its a cliche I know, but they dont make them like this anymore. Ask yourself who is the "Bob Hoover" of this century ? I've been in aviation all my life and I can't name one.
However , in spite of that , he carried himself with a great warmth, modesty and humility, traits that are often rare among "A" personality pilots.
He set the benchmark that so many pilots after him sought to achieve . I'm afraid none of us have even come close to that mark. He will be sadly missed by later generations of pilots that came after him and his absence at Airventure , the worlds greatest yearly aviation event will be felt greatly by all.
On another note; Aviation is known to have more than a few ego heavy personalities in it . Guys that walk big and think they are, as Pancho Barnes said "Sh^thot Pilots " (lol) It has always amazed me that all these HOTDOGS turned to mush and bowed when Mr Hoover was in their midst . Very telling of who the man was isnt it. ?

Happy Landings Mr Hoover and thank you

[Colonel]

I was fortunate enough to meet Bob Hoover a couple
of times.  Interesting guy.

My favorite memory of him is when Freddy Cabanas
put on an awesome aerobatic demonstration of a
stock P-51 at OSH.  It was incredible.

Bob ran up to Freddy and congratulated him on his
aerobatics, which actually turned out to be not a good
thing, because the straight-and-level P-51 guys got
really angry and jealous about it, saying that [i]because
they couldn't do what Freddy did, it must have been
dangerous[/i].

What the fuck is it with these buttwipes in aviation?

Anyways.  Bob was an awesome pilot.  Recall from
his autobiography that in his first flight (self-checkout)
in a single-seat YAK he half-rolled it upside down on
takeoff, and proceeded to fly surface acro in it.  Yes,
he was that good.  Yes, he got in terrible trouble for
that.  Apparently only Yuri Gagarin was able to stop
him going to jail for that.

[quote]Ask yourself who is the "Bob Hoover" of this century?[/quote]

Good question.  My answer would be, "Rob Holland".
I believe he broke Leo's record this year for the number
of Unlimited Nationals he has won, in a row.  I have
personally seen him check himself out in a new type
at an airshow.  Yes, he's that good.

Also, Steve Hinton (and his son) are phenomenal.  If
you ever have a chance to watch them fly, you will see
what I mean.  He has intimate mechanical knowledge
and is a superb stick that can jump into a new type and
quickly be flying it better than most people can after
1000 hours, which I have noticed is a great way to get
hated.  You can see him fly at OSH.

[Fendermandan]

I wasn't so lucky to meet him. Missed him a bunch of times at the KOSH , but then saw him in the interview and thought, it might be better to leave him be. We will miss him

I am 6ft4 and agree with Bob, ww2 and warbirds suck, I can't fit in any of them as well. They were built for my little cousin.  ;)

[kevind]