Big John wrote:

I ended up stopping watching Bob fly as he was always so close to the
ragged edge. I just didn't want to watch him crash and die so I
stopped looking and he didn't )

And for that we are all thankful!! :-)

Seriously, my primary flight instructor was like this, albeit in single
engine Cessnas rather than jets. He was in his 50s when I learned from
him and is now in his 80s and still flying pretty well. He let me get
so close to the edge that I thought I was going to kill us both and then
he'd calmly take the plane and restore order.

Unlike most other instructors I flew with (probably 8-10 since 1978), he
was always completely at ease and relaxed. He just knew where the edge
was and he knew is own capabilities and he would let you go right to the
edge and then he'd calmly bring you back.

I'm not claiming he is a Bob Hoover, but he certainly knew how to fly a
C-1xx very well.

Matt