Bob Hoover- Rolling Saberliner at age 91

[51fixer]

Great Aviator-
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/91-yea ... thardigree

[mlenoch]

Has anyone ever seen a full unclipped/edited film of his P-51 performance?

There are many films of the P-51 demo, but all are edited.

Also, might anyone have list of his airshow maneuver sequence? I am looking for his demo sequence of his P-51 airshow.

Thx,
VL

[Sopwith]

Absolutely fabulous, what a guy. Thanks for posting it.

[Fouga23]

Amazing pilot One of, if not THE best!

[daviemax]

I've posted this before (in How Low can you Go?) but Bob Hoover's stature is so great I thought I would do so again, to honor him.

When I was a 16-year old boy growing up in the small town of Hill City, Kansas I chanced to drive by the local grass-field airport and noticed a bright yellow P-51 Mustang being refueled. Obviously this was not an everyday occurrence.

I turned into the parking area and ran out to the aircraft - it was the famous Bob Hoover, on his way to the west coast! The local newspaper photographer showed up and took a picture of myself and the lineman with Hoover standing by his plane. After he took off, Hoover flew a very tight chandelle in left traffic before coming around to zoom down the runway so low his prop couldn't have been further than six inches from the grass. The wind was blowing strongly and all we could hear before he came abreast of us was the whoosh of the prop. Then suddenly the sound of a Merlin at full gallop blasted our ears as he pulled up into a steep climb, snap-rolled the airplane very precisely, and was gone.

Needless to say we were very impressed . . . now that I have my own pilot's license, even more so. It would have taken a very steady hand indeed to fly such a low pass into the teeth of a gusty Kansas summer breeze.

[Tom Moungovan]

IIRC, Bob appeared at Edwards AFB on Armed Forces Day in 1968 with the yellow P-51. As was frequently his practice, he wore a white short sleeve dress shirt. I have one Echtachrome of him taxiing in front of the crowd.

[maxum96]

I consider myself lucky to have seen Bob Hoover perform in both the P-51 and the Shrike at the Miramar airshow. When I visited the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Smithsonian, I was surprised and happy to see Bob's Shrike on display. I've never met him, but everything I've ever heard about him is that he's not only a 1st class pilot, but genuine friendly individual too.

[DH82EH]

Great Aviator-
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/91-yea ... thardigree

In all likelihood, the greatest.

Nice link of a true legend.

Could anyone contest that title? Jimmy Doolittle maybe?

Andy

[daviemax]

When it comes to naming anything or anyone unequivocally the very "greatest" many interpretations come to the fore, making the job very difficult. I don't think there is any doubt that Bob Hoover is among the greatest aviators ever; however, for Doolittle, Lindberg, and perhaps others one could certainly can lay equal claim. In my mind that does not diminish Hoover's stature; rather it enhances it. Nice company.

[DH82EH]

Well put Daviemax.
When people ask me what my favourite airplane is I usually say I have about ten

Andy

[RandolphB]

Has anyone ever seen a full unclipped/edited film of his P-51 performance?

There are many films of the P-51 demo, but all are edited.

Also, might anyone have list of his airshow maneuver sequence? I am looking for his demo sequence of his P-51 airshow.

Thx,
VL

I bet he would be willing to tell you if you got in touch with him. There is currently a movie in production about him, and he tends to show up at the Reno Air Races each year also. Last year a part of our Team found themselves seated next to him at dinner and ended up paying for it. He was flattered and kind and waved each time he went by our pits. I think some of our guys are still walking 3 feet off the ground over it.

[FG1D Pilot]

When it comes to naming anything or anyone unequivocally the very "greatest" many interpretations come to the fore, making the job very difficult. I don't think there is any doubt that Bob Hoover is among the greatest aviators ever; however, for Doolittle, Lindberg, and perhaps others one could certainly can lay equal claim. In my mind that does not diminish Hoover's stature; rather it enhances it. Nice company.

Jimmy Doolittle said that Bob was "The greatest sick and rudder man who ever lived".

[p51]

Jimmy Doolittle said that Bob was "The greatest sick and rudder man who ever lived".

Wow, I never knew that.
I'd have that carved on my tombstone if that had been said about me...