Bob Hoover Passes

[XD40inTX]

When Mr. Hoover performed at the Wings Over Houston airshow about 10 - 15 years ago, he closed his performance by coming over the end of the runway and cutting both engines. He then pulled up into a loop. Coming down the backside of the loop he extended the gear and touched down smoothly.

The show was held at Ellington Field, formerly Ellington AFB, which is a really big field. He cleared the runway but he had to restart the engines to taxi back to the parking area.

After the show he was doing interviews for that night's TV newscasts and one of the reporters said, "What is the most difficult thing you do in the show?"

Without hesitation he responded, "Restarting those hot, fuel-injected engines after I land."

 

[armenius]

At the Confederate Air Force "Air Sho '76 Mr Hoover did a full routine flying an ME 109, T-33, P-51 and the Shrike Commander in one afternoon with only a 15-20 break between flights while others filled the space. For anyone who has not experienced aerobatic flight (not stunt) pulling high G forces is quite fatiguing.It would have been very tough for a young man.

After the show each night there was dinner,beverage,and a Glenn Miller style band in WWII dress.I was blessed to have Mr Hoover take a break and sit at my table. He chatted like an old friend for 20 or so minutes.

Mr Hoover was not only the most skilled precision pilot who ever lived , he was truly a wonderful gentleman. A great loss to everyone.

 

[hs125]

There's only one Hoover.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

There's only one Hoover.

One of countless stories:

Bob Hoover, a World War II fighter pilot, a former Air Force test pilot, and the chase plane pilot for Chuck Yeager when he broke the sound barrier for the first time.
Having been shot down over Nice, France in World War II, Hoover spent 16 months as a POW, spending much of the time in solitary confinement as punishment for two dozen escape attempts. Finally, he succeeded just before the end of the war by stealing a German fighter.
Had he remained at the POW camp a few days longer, the Allies likely would have reached him. But now he faced possible extinction at the hands of any friendly pilot who would presume his Focke Wulf was manned by the enemy.
Hoover said he hugged a cloud ceiling at about 4,000 feet, figuring he would duck up into it if he was spotted by any Allied aircraft. He planned on flying west until he saw signs of Allied territory. "I wanted to see windmills to be sure," he explained. That would signal friendly Holland.
By the time he reached Holland, Hoover said, "My gas tank was registering close to zero." He chose to land while he still had full control of the fighter, and selected an open field. Hoover dropped the fighter's landing gear and settled in.
A ditch suddenly loomed ahead, and Hoover said he did not want to end up trapped in a German fighter on its back, where the Allies might not realize an American was inside. He said he "just reached down and sucked up the gear" to get the fighter to stop before tipping into the ditch.
Hoover said he wondered, "What the heck are you going to do now?" He didn't have to wait long. "All of a sudden pitchforks came at me from every direction," Hoover said. Dutch farmers who spoke no English were understandably angry with the man who emerged from the German fighter.
Providence intervened in the form of a British Army truck approaching. Hoover queried the truck's occupants: "I hope you can help me. I'm a Yank; they think I'm a Kraut!" With perfect British aplomb, the soldiers whisked Hoover to safety.
Hoover said he did not consider his actions in escaping to be heroic. "I was no hero. I didn't do anything but be stupid," he chuckled. Hoover said, "It's a stupid story. For about a year and a half I wouldn't tell anyone that story." But word got out years later at an air show, and Hoover acknowledged his feat, albeit with disarming self-criticism.