Gone west: Robert A. 'Bob' Hoover

[WaiexN143NM]

Hi all,
I put this now in a separate thread. Bob Hoover passed today, 94 years young. The greatest aviator we will ever see. I'm sure EAA Airventure 2017 will have a tribute to him. Godspeed Bob. Cleared unrestricted to the highest flight levels.
Good reading
Www.latimes.com
Www.avweb.com
Www.aero-news.net
Www.aopa.org

[LarryEWaiex121]

Watched Mr. Hoover many times at the Reno Air Races between 1975 and 1989. Never been back since.
When I was kid and just barely had my license at 17 I was working an airshow at what was at the time called Henley Aerodrome. Today its a fun park called Silverwood. Booo!
I was working a sumner airshow; parking airplanes for an impromptu but common airshow.
Bob Hoover, Art Scholl, Gordon McCullum and Joe Hughes were returning from Oshkosh and made a fun stop to layover at Henley.
After the airshow and things calmed down, I got to gather in the main hanger with all the guys and just "hanger talk" with everyone. I got to sit in the Chipmunk of Art Scholl and the Rockwell Commander of Hoover. I remember at the time thinking, "wow, this chipmunk is really kind of ratty looking inside. Trust me, it was the pilot, not the plane that made his performance so great.
Bob Hoover was ever the consummate gentleman that everyone remembers. His advice to those considering doing acro work was to go high, and practice, practice, practice till you know every corner of your airplane. Leave no corner unexplored and never show off a new maneuver that hasn't been perfected many times elsewhere.
I remember him saying that you could put on a decent airshow with about any airplane in production if you just "know" the limits of the airplane and never bust those limits. This I believe is why he lived to old age and others didn't quite make it. He never busted the limits of what he and the airplane could do safely.
Ironically, less than a month later, Gordon McCullum was killed at Reno when the Stearman he was wingwalking on, settled while inverted a bit too much; he was killed. The airplane and pilot survived.
Fond memories of a time gone bye, when the public was still enamored with airplanes and things that traversed the sky. It was about the time that GA peaked in the United States and probably around the world?
Yes, Mr. Hoover was a kind man with I believe 39 lives used up in airplane mishaps of one kind or another, from war time shoot downs to civilian mishaps of one kind or another. Including a mix up in fueling on his Shrike that left him bellied in to the desert with egg on his face.
In parting, the wisest flying words I ever heard came from his experience. He said, "every flight doesn't necessarily go as planned, but when the worst happens, you fly the airplane, you fly whatever you have left until there is no more airplane left to fly. When its all over you get out and tell everyone, that was quite a ride". Fantastic guy. He will be missed by many.

Larry

[WaiexN143NM]

Hi larry,
Great stuff, thanks for sharing.
WaiexN143NM
Michael

[WaiexN143NM]

Hi all,
Just watched a great youtube video of osh16 warbirds in review, at warbird alley with david hartmann. Bob Hoover guest speaker. Sorry i missed it in person live. Is 1 hr and 5 min. At about 52 min pay close attention at what bob says about our great flag. Great stuff.
WaiexN143NM
Michael
USAF veteran

[n502pd]

I remember Bob Hoover at OSH one year, and being completely flabber-gasted at his ability. He had just completed a dead stick landing on 36, after doing a barrell roll, still dead stick, and completing a semingly otherwise 'normal' landing. What a very nice gentleman, good guy and OUTSTANING pilot. I still remember his advice as"...to fly the aircraft all the way thru to the end of the crash', or something close to that! We will all miss this icon of aviation! :(

[dhogue]

Fighter Pilot.
He inspired me on every time I saw him fly perfect - Outside the envelope - then recover perfect.
I keep trying to get there.
Don