Click here to view: Highlights in the History of Aviation and Aerospace - The Past, The Present, and The Future:
Please ping me to aviation and aerospace articles. Thank you.
If you want added to or removed from this ping list, please contact EveningStar or Paleo Conservative.
He now has permanent wings..........
I had the pleasure of meeting him out at Oshkosh a few years back. My friends and I got to speak with him for about 10 minutes, and my impression of him was that he was one of the most gracious, friendly celebrities I have ever met.
Down to earth.
I got him to sign his book for me, which, oddly enough, I just pulled out and looked at on Sunday night for some reason. Don’t know why. Maybe now I know.
RIP Mr. Hoover, and thank you for everything...your service to your country, your thrills in your airshow, and your personable manner.
The story at the link says; “Having been shot down in World War II, he escaped near the end of the war by stealing a German fighter.” What? I gots to do me some research on that one.
Eric Brown back in February now Bob Hoover. They lived a true man’s life.
Blue skies, Bob.
I made the mistake of comparing that personal encounter I had with Hoover to a personal encounter I had with Chuck Yeager, where Yeager was very unfavorable in comparison, and I voiced that to people on this very forum.
I wish I hadn’t.
I should have taken Yeager’s circumstances into account. He was much more of a celebrity, and for much longer in his life than Hoover was. Granted, Hoover is a celebrity at Oshkosh, but most people wouldn’t know him if they passed him in a supermarket.
Yeager apparently had it much differently. Celebrity has sat on his shoulders in a very different way, being more of a burden to him. He never wanted it, but Hoover seemed quite at home with it, at least at his level of celebrity.
An absolute LEGEND of aviation. What a life he led. RIP
Had this kit as a child.
RIP.
I loved his power-off aerobatic demontrations. Amazing.
Tailwinds and Blue Skies...
Bob could do things with an Aero Commander Shrike that would leave the crowd with their mouths agape.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7R7jZmliGc
Oh, almost forgot. RIP Bob, you did good. Godspeed.
RIP Mr. Hoover. Been a fan since I had the opportunity to watch him “waltz” his P-51 in time to music down the runway at Tyndall airplane patch in the early ‘60’s. What a stick!
Got a chance to shake his hand at an Airshow when I was a teenager. He used to do Stunts using an Aero Commander Business Plane. He would be wearing a Business Suit while doing it. lol
RIP to a great pilot.
No man ever cheated death like Bob Hoover and lived to die a natural death. His performances were breath-stopping! I saw him at numerous air shows and wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Now he is going to get his REAL wings and I imagine his best flying is still to come. RIP Bob.