One of my pilot heroes has
always been Bob A. Hoover. Now, I know
that Bob may have had a flaw or two, but he could fly. I saw
him perform many times in his Shrike Commander and in the P51. Later, when I was a Chief Pilot of a charter
company in PTK and when we wanted to sponsor a 1978 Summer Air Show, we were
able to book Bob in his Shrike. His show’s
very first maneuver is to take off hugging the ground and turn off runway
heading about 30 degrees to the left and at around 100’ AGL do a slow roll
swinging back right to the runway in the opposite direction from his takeoff.
The week prior to our air show on May 25th 1978 Bob had just
finished a duel show in the Shrike and
the 51 and was in a hurry to depart when the fuel he ordered of 60
gallons precisely was added to his craft but it turned out to be Jet A not 100
octane. Shortly after take off he had a
double engine flame out and crash landed the Shrike. Fast forward one week, our show was on his
schedule but he didn’t have an airplane.
The factory flew a new Shrike Commander directly to our airport and it
beat him there awaiting his performance.
I happened to be able to look over the shrike and it sure smelled new
with less than 10 hrs logged on the Tachs.
Bob was in town the day before the show and I knew he would come out and
put the craft through some paces….. but astonishingly, he did not. In fact he showed up at the show just a few
minutes before being introduced and climbed in the unfamiliar cockpit (a few
years newer and laid out different than his crashed show bird). Sight unseen he fired it up performed a flawless
show complete with that fearless takeoff and low level slow roll maneuver. I gained a lot of appreciation for this man’s
skills and instincts.
My dad told me about his
encounters with Bob which happened during WWII training. Bob came to his
training command to demonstrate to the green and wary trainees just what their
twin trainer could really do….. like engine out rolls into the critical
engine. Many of those times it was the
first time that Bob laid hands on the craft.
Here below is a story that
may interest you about a man that has few peers and no matter what you think of
Bob, he could certainly dazzle and entertain any air show crowd……cuz he could
fly!!!
World’s Greatest Pilots: Bob Hoover
POSTED BYJAMES DARVELL
Bob Hoover was a living legend of aviation, and
one of the greatest aerobatic pilots we’ve seen.
“Bob Hoover is the greatest stick-and-rudder man who
ever lived.”
– General James “Jimmy” Doolittle
In the
annals of flight, few names have left such a lasting impression as Robert A. “Bob” Hoover.
He has been recognized and praised by some of the top pilots worldwide.
With a career that spans over 7 decades, he has inspired and instructed
many pilots. His daring exploits demonstrated to trainee pilots how responsive
their aircraft could be, and gave them the confidence to deal with tough
situations.
During
his stellar career, Hoover was no stranger to controversy. On several
occasions, attempts were made to ground him, citing his eyesight as a reason to
deny his license. In all such cases, he was able to overturn the
decision, gaining support from sympathetic doctors and medical examiners and
demonstrating his extreme competence and skill. On another occasion, he
would be denied the opportunity to make a historic test flight due to breaking
safety rules in order to impress a crowd of civilians with his aerial stunts.
It was clear that Hoover was a man who played by his own rules and didn’t
take to restrictions kindly. But then, it’s also clear that he was a supreme
pilot, and his judgment was proven sound time after time.
His
contributions to aeronautics continue to this day. His advice for dealing with
forced landings are responsible for averting disasters, and the fuel safety
system which bears his name is required equipment at airfields all over the
world. He has lived a life that was bigger, more thrilling and dazzling
than fiction. He has been the subject of biographies and documentaries.
Bob
Hoover: The Early Years
Born in
1922, Bob would learn to fly at the tender age of 15. He paid for his own
lessons using his wages as a humble grocery clerk.
His
eventual mastery of flight enabled him to perform stunts that would kill lesser
pilots, and secure his eternal fame as one of the all-time greats. But this
wasn’t the result of some inbuilt instinct or natural talent. He learned these
skills by constant practice, and he was driven by necessity to overcome an obstacle
that could have ended his pilot career before it began.
Despite
his great enthusiasm, his early experiences were not without mishap. At first,
he struggled with nausea, but instead of quitting he forced himself to push
through it. In order to overcome his aversion, he would continuously
practice stomach churning maneuvers. He practiced chandelles, loops, spins and
rolls. As a result, he became an expert at aerobatics and cured his nausea.
It was this skill which would enable him to excel in the many different
branches of his professional career: as a test pilot, a combat pilot, and
later as a show pilot.
It also
provides us with an insight into the character of the man. When faced by a
challenge that would have led lesser pilots to quit, he drove himself to
overcome it and won through rugged persistence.
Bob
Hoover in the Military
Later,
he would enlist in the Tennessee National Guard, and train for air combat.
Although at first, they trained him as a rear gunner. He was not allowed to
train as a military pilot because he wore glasses, and at that time army pilots
were required to have 20/20 vision. But his natural talent for flight
would not be held down for long. With the collusion of a doctor who saw his
potential, and “just had to step out of the room” before administering the eye
test (but after pointing out the eye chart) he was able to pass the eyesight
test.
Flies OV-10A - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8lvyiNbHtU
And so
he was sent to train with the army as a pilot. While there, he would end up training his instructors more
than they had to teach him.
Upon
graduating, he was sent to Casablanca to work as a test pilot. Flying several
missions every day, he rigorously tested all of the aircraft that were
assembled or repaired there. During this time, he would meticulously test every
fighter and many of the bombers before they were sent to the front-line.
Eventually,
he transferred to the 52nd group, based in Sicily, flying Spitfires in combat
missions. During a dogfight off the coast of France, he was pitted against 4
Luftwaffe Folke-Wulf 190 fighters. Amazingly, one of them managed to shoot down
Hoover. Years later, Hoover learned that the pilot who shot him down was
flying an aircraft with some of the guns and ammunition removed so he had a
lighter plane. This was because the pilot was a crack shot, and figured he
didn’t need as much firepower to get the job done. The lighter
plane allowed for more maneuverability, which led to the pilot being
up to keep up with Hoover during the dogfight. According to Hoover, this
Luftwaffe pilot shot down over 70 aircraft during World War 2. He then
spent 16 months as a prisoner in Barth, Germany. But his spirit was not
crushed, and he managed to escape. Capturing an
FW190 from under the enemy’s nose, he flew
to Holland and freedom.
When
the war ended, he “retired” to a life as a military test pilot. Flying out of
Muroc Dry Lake, he flew several prototype jet and rocket-powered aircraft. It
was during this time that he suffered leg injuries which trouble him to this day,
due to a defective ejector seat (one of the first ever made).
Nonetheless,
he quickly recovered and continued to test top secret experimental craft,
including the Bell X-1. However, he missed out on his opportunity to make the
historic sound-barrier breaking flight in 1947 due to a little disagreement with the top brass. It seems
they didn’t appreciate his stunts when he made a low pass over civilians as a
special favor to a friend. Instead, his good friend Chuck Yeager would
fly as his replacement and would get his name immortalized for the feat.
(The
Air Force X1 team, from left to right: Lt. Edward Swindell (B29 flight
Engineer); Lt. Bob Hoover (X-1 backup pilot and chase pilot; Maj. Bob Cardenas
(officer-in-charge and B29 drop pilot); Capt. Chuck Yeager (X-1 Pilot); Dick
Frost (Bell X-1 Project Engineer and chase pilot) and Capt. Jackie Ridley (Air
Force X-1 project Engineer).
Bob
Hoover: Test Pilot and Showman
Realizing that his military career was nearing its end,
Bob Hoover made the move to work as a civilian test pilot with Allison Engine
Company. From this point, he would move to North American Aviation, testing
navy aircraft such as the T-28, F-86
Saber jet, and many others. Following this illustrious
career as a civilian test pilot, he would next become a showman. In fact, it is
his air show career for which he is most remembered.
This all began when he was hired to demonstrate the nimble flight characteristics of the Shrike Commander, built by Aero Commander. The aircraft was a twin piston-engined civilian crate, aimed at top businessmen. Its bulky profile had earned it a tame reputation which he felt was not deserved, and so he set out to prove its true character with a series of daredevil stunts.
This
demonstration would see him putting the aircraft through a series of rolls,
loops, and other hair-raising maneuvers which were a million miles away from
its staid image. As if this hadn’t made enough of an impression, he would
turn the engines off for the last part of the exhibition. He would then put the
plane through a loop and an eight-point hesitation roll. Then he would head
back to touch down, first on one tire, then the other. Finally, after
landing, he would switch the engines back on in order to taxi back and park the
craft.
After
this display, there would be little doubt in the minds of the audience
concerning the power of the craft or the skill of its pilot. And so it
was that Bob Hoover was to enter the longest phase of his professional career,
as a top-billed air show pilot touring from coast to coast.
Throughout
the 1960s, Hoover would fly a P-51 Mustang at airshows all over the country.
The first Mustang (N2251D) was bought in 1962 from the Cavalier Aircraft
Corporation. This plane was finally destroyed in an accident on solid
ground. The accident was caused by an exploding oxygen bottle. A second mustang
named “Ole Yeller” was purchased to replace it in 1971. Hoover would
continue flying the Mustang and the Aero Commander at airshows for decades
until his retirement.
Bob Hoover Aerial Suite - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PftNh_SShlg
During
this time, he would tour the world, which would lead to a chance encounter with
another legend of flight. In Germany, he would meet with a shadowy character
who called himself “Mr. Schwartz.” In actual fact, Schwartz was Charles Lindbergh.
Lindbergh had been living as a recluse for decades following the personal
tragedy which had accompanied his meteoric rise to fame. Striking up a
friendship with Lindbergh, Hoover encouraged him to attend a meeting of the
Society of Experimental Test Pilots (an organization which Hoover presided
over). It was at this meeting that Hoover introduced Lindbergh to Neil
Armstrong and other astronauts. Lindbergh received a much-deserved standing
ovation from the astronauts and test pilots who were in attendance.
Toward
the end of his career, the Federal Aviation Administration revoked his medical
certificate, effectively grounding him. He was able to get this decision
overturned, and in the meantime was able to get a license and medical certificate
in Australia. He made a strong case for his fitness to fly, citing his handling
of a T-28 with a failing engine off the coast of California. In order to keep
the craft in the air, he had to delicately juggle the throttle, propeller
lever, and mixture. The engine survived right up to the moment he landed.
Clearly, this was a feat that proved his fitness to fly. He returned to
show flying and continued for several years.
Hoover
retired himself from show flying as he began to feel that his performance was
no longer at the peak level required for his daredevil stunts. He felt that his
precision was drifting and that he could lose control of the aircraft if he
continued performances. He continued to fly until the age of 85 when he
made the decision to permanently ground himself.
But Ole
Yeller’s career is far from over. In 1997, Hoover sold the aircraft to a close
friend, John Bagley. Yeller still flies at shows from time to time, and between
performances can be found resting at the Legacy Flight Museum in Idaho.
Likewise, Hoover’s Shrike Commander has taken up residence in the
Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.
Bob Hoover’s Legacy
During
his career, Bob Hoover has collected many records, awards, and medals. He has
rubbed shoulders with and been counted amongst the greatest names in aviation,
from Orville Wright to Neil Armstrong. He has been described in glowing terms,
as a Pilot’s Pilot and even as “the greatest pilot to have lived.” But
his legacy goes beyond mere records and recognition. To this day, his
contribution to air safety is saving lives in airfields all over the world.
This
goes back to a fateful incident in 1989, which almost cost him his life. Hoover
was flying his Shrike Commander with a couple of thrill-seeking passengers at
an airshow in San Diego. The engines cut out at 300 feet during take off,
and Bob was able to land the craft by the skin of his teeth. It was a rough
landing on the side of a ravine, and the plane was damaged, but Bob and his
passengers were able to walk away, alive but injured.
As they
sat on the hillside, waiting to be rescued, Bob examined the plane to learn
what had caused the failure. He discovered that the ground crew had filled it
with jet fuel instead of aviation fuel. They had mistaken his plane for a
turbo-prop. It had been able to take off with the remaining aviation fuel
in the engine and fuel line, but as soon as the jet fuel reached the engine, it
cut out.
He
realized that this mistake could very easily have cost him his life, and he was
determined to do something about it. His solution was to develop a fueling
system which would prevent such mis-fueling from occurring in the future and to
campaign to get it adopted widely.
The
system consists of a bell-shaped nozzle on jet fuel pumps (named the Hoover
Nozzle). There is a matching ring inserted in the filler neck of planes that
need aviation fuel – the ring prevents the jet fuel nozzle from attaching.
It’s a simple but effective measure which is used everywhere now, and
it’s prevented similar accidents from occurring. It’s impossible to know just
how many pilots, crew and passengers the Hoover system has saved, but there are
doubtlessly many who are alive today because of this invention.
To this
day, Hoover continues to speak publicly concerning his experiences and career.
He is a charming, influential and popular speaker, and a continued inspiration
to current and future generations of aviators.
Bob
Hoover Legendary Stick and Rudder Man https://youtu.be/gXyDRG9za3c
SIDENOTE:
If you have a spare hour or so, the Smithsonian had Bob Hoover
present the ‘Charles A. Lindbergh Memorial Lecture’ back in May of 2010,
and it’s a great watch. I’ve embedded the video below. Hoover
shares a lot of great stories, including meeting Charles Lindbergh, learning to
fly and finding out about the pilot who shot him down in World War 2.
Well worth your time.
Editor’s Note: Sadly, since the writing of this article, Bob
Hoover passed away on October 25, 21016 at the age 94 years old.
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