RIP BOB HOOVER

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Sad news for Avaiton fans.
Bob Hoover, pilot who escaped POW camp by stealing a German plane, dies at 94 - The Washington Post

A demonstration if his skills.
bob hoover - Bing video

Information

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Another video of a OV-10 Bronco demonstration.
BOB HOOVER - Bing video
Perhaps the greatest pilot that ever lived.

[Brian Dick]

I was lucky to meet him at an airshow in Florida when I was a kid. We saw him several times over the years. A great man for sure.

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I was lucky to meet him at an airshow in Florida when I was a kid. We saw him several times over the years. A great man for sure.

Did you see the Shrike demo in person?

Sadly I never had the opportunity. While I am not normally enamored by the thought of meeting famous persons he is one I would have liked to meet.
Jim Lovell is the only other one who comes to mind.

[Brian Dick]

I sure did. A couple of times when he was on the airshow circuit. My Grandfather used to take me to every airshow within a hundred mile radius of Ormond Beach, Florida where i grew up. We also had a long one on one visit with Mr. Hoover at one of the shows. He had just flown a P-51 Mustang to Florida from California and we happened to be there when he arrived. He was a real gentleman. Did you know he flew Spitfires in North Africa during the war?

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Did you know he flew Spitfires in North Africa during the war?

I was aware he flew fighters in WWII but did not know they he flew Spitfires. His Shrike demo comes to mind every time I see a about an aircraft crash where modern pilots (mostly commercial) have seemingly little stick & rudder skills that could help prevent seemingly avoidable accidents driven by dependence on technology.
Glad to have a first hand report supporting my impression he was a "real gentleman". It is hard to tell simply reading about someone or watching videos.

[Brian Dick]

He chatted with us like he'd known us all of his life. I remember his yellow Mustang well too.

My Mom has all of my late Grandfather's photo albums and I'd bet there are pics from back then because Gramps was a big aviation buff and took tons of photos. He tried to enlist in the RCAF in 1939 but had terrible sinus problems and was told he couldn't wear an oxygen mask reliably and was 4F. He was a railroad man, (Pere Marquette/C&O/Chessie System/CSX), and the recruiters sent him home telling him he'd do more good for the war effort by staying on the railroad which he did. One of his best friends flew Lancasters during the war. They built and flew big free flight gas models in the early 30's together as teenagers.

[shadycon]

I remember going to air shows with my brother in the 70's. Hoover was a hell of a pilot!!

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"My Mom has all of my late Grandfather's photo albums and I'd bet there are pics from back then because Gramps was a big aviation buff and took tons of photos."
If you ever have them handy please post one.
Great story about your grandfather. Those that stayed at home were the "arsenal of democracy" that made it all possible. But you know that.