M
Monte_RCMS
Guest
RIP Bob Hoover.
He was 94.
His wife died a few months ago, as I recall.
nytimes.com/2016/10/26/us/bob-hoover-dead.html?_r=0
I happened to be at a small airport for an air show and he was performing.
At that time, he used a small twin engine business plane. However, he has done the same act many many times with a wide variety of aircraft.
He first made a very very low pass and while in front of the audience … over the runway … , performed a “hesitation” roll. And then pulled up.
Then, second, he made another very very low pass, and did another hesitation roll, but this time he had feathered one of the props. So he did it with asymmetric power.
AND THEN, third, he made another very very low pass, and did another hesitation roll, but this time he did it with both engines shut down … and then he pulled up landed and taxiied back to where he had been parked before the show … dead stick.
Eventually, experts figured out that he had pioneered the notion of “energy management”.
Films made from the inside of the plane of his flying showed that he flew his routines with “one g”. Perfectly smooth.
But to my knowledge no one has ever been able to duplicate his air show performances.
R. A. “Bob” Hoover. Rest in Peace.
He was 94.
His wife died a few months ago, as I recall.
nytimes.com/2016/10/26/us/bob-hoover-dead.html?_r=0
I happened to be at a small airport for an air show and he was performing.
At that time, he used a small twin engine business plane. However, he has done the same act many many times with a wide variety of aircraft.
He first made a very very low pass and while in front of the audience … over the runway … , performed a “hesitation” roll. And then pulled up.
Then, second, he made another very very low pass, and did another hesitation roll, but this time he had feathered one of the props. So he did it with asymmetric power.
AND THEN, third, he made another very very low pass, and did another hesitation roll, but this time he did it with both engines shut down … and then he pulled up landed and taxiied back to where he had been parked before the show … dead stick.
Eventually, experts figured out that he had pioneered the notion of “energy management”.
Films made from the inside of the plane of his flying showed that he flew his routines with “one g”. Perfectly smooth.
But to my knowledge no one has ever been able to duplicate his air show performances.
R. A. “Bob” Hoover. Rest in Peace.
