R.I.P. Bob Hoover

nachob · 10-30-2016, 10:35 PM

As a kid, one of my big heroes was Bob Hoover. I saw him several times at my local airshow do crazy things with his yellow Rockwell P-51 Mustang and then he would take off in his twin engine Shrike Commander. In San Diego air shows would last three days sometimes and as a kid, I would go to all three days. I saw many impressive feats in aerobatic planes and and fighters but Bob Hoover was doing this in a twin engine civilian plane. It was like doing drifting in a Winebago. He would end with his cutting off both engines, looping, precision roll, landing and stopping mid runway. A feat in energy management which was the one of the skills of a fighter pilot. As I got older, I found out that he had also been a test pilot with Chuck Yeager, fighter pilot in world war 2 and thrilled millions late into his life. He was great pilot and inspired many kids like me.

3 years ago, I received my November 2013 Roundel and started to read an article on the last Radial engine in a fighter. It was of course a BMW in the Focke Wulf 190 and at the bottom of the page was a side article about how Bob Hoover was shot down in a Spitfire after shooting down two or three German fighters. He was a POW for 16 months in France and escaped. As he made his way through France his group came upon a poorly guarded air base and with a single pistol a French lady had given them, he stole a FW 190 and flew it back to the Allied territories. He landed in Holland somewhere. It was a great story and only added to an already impressive life resume and as I see the tributes to him, they all mention this feat. However in the article, Bob Hoover says that in retrospect it was foolish and he would've probably been shot down by his own side and if there was something he would rather be remembered for, something that meant more to him, it was the time he landed his fighter behind enemy lines to rescue a fellow pilot!

I see no mention of this, so in a small way, I want to remember Bob Hoover, not just for the entertainment but one that risked his life for a fellow pilot and more importantly that he knew what was important and worthy of pride. Especially in this day and age where fame comes from great feats and "dumb-assery" alike.

So Mr. Hoover, thank you, I was honored to see you in person and rest in peace!

10-30-2016, 10:35 PM	#1
nachob Brigadier General 2314 Rep 4,341 Posts Drives: 2004 330i ZHP, 2022 Cayman T Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California iTrader: (5)	R.I.P. Bob Hoover As a kid, one of my big heroes was Bob Hoover. I saw him several times at my local airshow do crazy things with his yellow Rockwell P-51 Mustang and then he would take off in his twin engine Shrike Commander. In San Diego air shows would last three days sometimes and as a kid, I would go to all three days. I saw many impressive feats in aerobatic planes and and fighters but Bob Hoover was doing this in a twin engine civilian plane. It was like doing drifting in a Winebago. He would end with his cutting off both engines, looping, precision roll, landing and stopping mid runway. A feat in energy management which was the one of the skills of a fighter pilot. As I got older, I found out that he had also been a test pilot with Chuck Yeager, fighter pilot in world war 2 and thrilled millions late into his life. He was great pilot and inspired many kids like me. 3 years ago, I received my November 2013 Roundel and started to read an article on the last Radial engine in a fighter. It was of course a BMW in the Focke Wulf 190 and at the bottom of the page was a side article about how Bob Hoover was shot down in a Spitfire after shooting down two or three German fighters. He was a POW for 16 months in France and escaped. As he made his way through France his group came upon a poorly guarded air base and with a single pistol a French lady had given them, he stole a FW 190 and flew it back to the Allied territories. He landed in Holland somewhere. It was a great story and only added to an already impressive life resume and as I see the tributes to him, they all mention this feat. However in the article, Bob Hoover says that in retrospect it was foolish and he would've probably been shot down by his own side and if there was something he would rather be remembered for, something that meant more to him, it was the time he landed his fighter behind enemy lines to rescue a fellow pilot! I see no mention of this, so in a small way, I want to remember Bob Hoover, not just for the entertainment but one that risked his life for a fellow pilot and more importantly that he knew what was important and worthy of pride. Especially in this day and age where fame comes from great feats and "dumb-assery" alike. So Mr. Hoover, thank you, I was honored to see you in person and rest in peace!
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