Fighter Sweep
  • Home
  • Military Aviation
  • Air Force
  • Navy
  • Spec Ops
  • Expert Analysis
  • Careers
  • Photos
Home Previous Post Next Post
Follow @fightersweep

Watch: Bob Hoover Memorial Flyover and His Amazing Piloting Skills

December 23, 2016 Bob_Hoover_Photo_D_Ramey_Logan
FighterSweep Staff 1 Comment Air Force, Civilian Aviation, History, Military Aviation, WWII

Anyone who knows anything about aviation knows who Bob Hoover was. One of the greatest pilots who ever lived, Hoover was born on January 24, 1922 and died on October 25, 2016.

Watch the Bob Hoover Memorial Flyover on 18 November 2016

Participating in the flyover;

  • Two F-16s from the USAF Thunderbirds in formation with one Tutor from the Canadian Air Force Snowbirds and a T-39 Sabreliner
  • F-22 bracketed by two F-86 Sabres
  • Missing-man formation with Bob Hoover’s own Old Yeller P-51 Mustang peeling away from the formation

It might be hard to say what Bob was most famous for. He was an accomplished air show pilot, a US Air Force test pilot and also a combat fighter pilot who got shot down in World War II and spent 16 months as a POW. To make his story of being a German POW even more intriguing he actually escaped the prison camp, stole a German airplane and flew to safety in a friendly country.

Bob later called his escape stealing a German airplane stupid. He said that while flying a German marked aircraft into allied territory he thought to himself, “You are the dumbest aviator that ever flew. What the hell are you accomplishing?” Aviation legend was born early with Bob Hoover.

Hoover was there on Chuck Yeager’s wing as his chase and backup pilot when Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947.

He later gained fame as an airshow pilot flying a North American P-51 Mustang named “Ole Yeller” and an Aero Commander. In the Aero Commander he would amaze the crowd performing a loop and a barrell roll after he turned off both engines. After completing the two maneuvers he would then land and taxi up to the ramp, parking perfectly in the marked space. All with no engine power!

Watch Bob Demonstrate His Amazing Piloting Skills

Bob was 94 when he died and will be missed by all.

Featured Image By D Ramey Logan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

 

 

Related Posts

  • Breaking the Sound Barrier – Chuck Yeager, the Father of Mach SpeedBreaking the Sound Barrier – Chuck Yeager, the Father of Mach Speed
  • Watch: Awesome slow motion low transition by Blue AngelsWatch: Awesome slow motion low transition by Blue Angels
  • Watch: The first flight of what could be the US military’s future long-range assault aircraftWatch: The first flight of what could be the US military’s future long-range assault aircraft
  • Watch: DARPA and the Marine Corps are testing plywood drones for cheap resupply missionsWatch: DARPA and the Marine Corps are testing plywood drones for cheap resupply missions
  • Russia actually built their insane AK-drone – watch it dogfight a remote control airplaneRussia actually built their insane AK-drone – watch it dogfight a remote control airplane

Find Us on Facebook

FighterSweep.com

Sign Up
for the Newsletter

What’s Hot

  • blue-angels-reporter-blacks-out-passes-out
    December 5, 2017

    Watch: News Reporter Blacks Out on Ride with US Navy Blue Angels

  • September 4, 2019

    Photo Gallery: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

  • Whistling Death: How The Corsair Got Its Nickname
    August 30, 2019

    Whistling Death: How the Corsair got its nickname

Follow Us

Facebook Twitter Twitter

Recent Comments

  • pak152 " the team came up with what the Brits dubbed as Mustang, powered by a [...]
  • P K Polish AF never has and never will operate Su-27, An-26 aircraft has been out [...]
  • bnarfhyde The best book is also great. have a [...]
  • TerrorTrike ive never survived this long with such a clumsy FL- cG.866B.CO/NC6155hc
  • D4rksupeme yessss truck kunnnnnnnn i needddd you m.866E.CO/vC6155H

© Copyright 2023 SOFREP Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers