Good Bye and blue skies Bob Hoover

[glenn654]

My uncle was a career USAF fighter pilot and in the later fifties he was stationed at an airbase in Japan.

He told me a story about when Bob Hoover came to the base doing a flight demonstration tour of the F-86 Sabre.

He said Hoover partied late into the night and spent that time with a girl under each arm. Then early the next morning with the young hungover pilots watching in amazement Bob made a perfect flight demo the the F-86 apparently unfazed by the nights festivities....

I got the privilege of meeting once at Sun-N-Fun when I bought a video of his and like all of us would have loved to fly with him.

Forever Flying....Bob Hoover

[catmandu]

Only airframe to enter Udvar-Hazy under it's own power (according to my father, who works there):



Paraphrasing, "Well, the door was open . . ."

And even after previewing, sorry, I am leaving the linked image size as is, because The Man was indeed larger than life.

[bruceh]

I last got to see him at the Chino Airshow signing copies of his book.



I saw his airshow routine back in the day and on more than one occasion see him fly Old Yeller into Long Beach airport over our house.

A true American hero of aviation!

[Cyclone]

?Nothing, in truth, can ever replace a lost companion. Old comrades cannot be manufactured. There is nothing that can equal the treasure of so many shared memories, so many bad times endured together, so many quarrels, reconciliations, heartfelt impulses. Friendships like that cannot be reconstructed. If you plant an oak, you will hope in vain to sit soon under its shade.
For such is life. We grow rich as we plant through the early years, but then come the years when time undoes our work and cuts down our trees. One by one our comrades deprive us of their shade, and within our mourning we always feel now the secret grief of growing old.
If I search among my memories for those whose taste is lasting, if I write the balance sheet of the moments that truly counted, I surely find those that no fortune could have bought me. You cannot buy the friendship of a companion bound to you forever by ordeals endured together.?
― Antoine de Saint-Exup?ry, Wind, Sand and Stars

[GLPalinkas]

Another great aviator gone West. Like many here, spent some time chatting and getting a photo taken at the Cleveland air show many, many years ago.

[lucky333]

Chewing through the ratings in the '70s, I never missed a chance to see Bob Hoover or Art Scholl at the many air shows they performed in the SF bay area back then.
Scholl's routines in the Super Chipmunk were great, Hoover in the P51 was awesome but I was blown away by Hoover in the Shrike Commander.
Eight point rolls into a split-S with both feathered followed by dead-stick landings first on one main then lifting up and onto the other main then gently onto the nose. Stunning.

Especially for me since I was currently taking my multi in a 500B (Shrike without the pilot's door). My experiences flying the Commander to that point were not particularly
Hoover-esque - 'BLUE LINE, YOU IDIOT - YOU'LL KILL US ALL!' - but watching that man do
what he did with that airplane inspired me to buckle down and get good.

Hoover was Yeager's wingman for awhile in Korea and when Yeager flew the X-1.

Just watching him fly was a bit like touching greatness.

[roadrunner20]

RIP Mr Hoover.

I had the pleasure of hearing him speak at the outdoor theatre, when he was promoting his DVD, Flying the Featured Edge, at Oshkosh 2015.

He kept telling stories on stage & the moderator was trying to end for the night, but he kept going.

You could just tell, he loved talking aviation to aviators.

[jdmunzell]

I too have met the man more than once, and ALWAYS...was the most pleasant individual! Met him once at Reno in the pits when I was there on an airline layover. He called us the "straight and level guys" with his smile!

He always seem to be "available" at airshows sitting at his booth, signing autographs and in general just being there for the public!

It can be said that sometimes the legend can be greater than the man. Not so with Bob Hoover! He was every bit of his legend plus a whole lot more!

God speed and tailwinds Bob!

[zman]

No words can express this loss, truly a inspiration and gentleman!...I remember having some sit time with my Airline in Jackson Hole before my departure back to Denver...I noticed a uniquely familiar Aero Commander on the ramp, so I took a walk-about and noticed the Signature hat that always accompanied Bob....only to turn around and see his gleaming smile and extending his hand for a hardy hand shake...after a brief conversation with this amazing pilot it was time to part ways on the ramp to our respective cockpits...God speed Bob! May you always have 100kt tailwinds.

[SmackSB4]

So sad to hear this. I shook his hand at Reno 3 years ago, excellent fellow.

I just bought his book too. Think I'll have to put Stick and Rudder aside for now...

"Gentlemen, you have a race!"