Interview with (aviation legend) Bob Hoover

vincent p. norris wrote:

But then you see his Shrike performance. The most mind blowing piece of
flying I've ever seen - bar none. Too bad it can only be seen on tape - I'm
sorry for those of you that missed it!


Thirty or so years ago, I went to the Reading (PA) Air Show with a
couple of friends, one of whom owned an air-conditioned motor home.

It was beastly hot and humid, as it often is in SE PA in the summer.
One of my friends, who happened to own a P-51, went up to Bob Hoover
and engaged him in some P-51 chat, and then said, "We have an
air-conditioned motor home. How would you like to come have lunch
with us?

In the sweltering heat, Bob decided that was an offer he'd be foolish
to refuse. He had lunch with us the next day, too. Despite all his
fame, he was a "regular guy."

My friend pulled the same stunt at OSH, inviting Pappy Boyington (who
was there selling his book) to have lunch with us. He had lunch with
us for the rest of the week.

I guess the moral is, don't be bashful about asking.

vince norris

I thought the moral was "don't go to an airshow without an air
conditioned motor home!"

I was fortunate enough to see Bob fly two different times. The first
was at an airshow at Elmira, NY in the late 70s and the other was at
Williamsport, PA in probably the mid 80s. Absolutely impressive what he
could do.


Matt

I thought the moral was "don't go to an airshow without an air
conditioned motor home!"

That's a pretty good rule, too!

I was fortunate enough to see Bob fly two different times...... and the other was at
Williamsport, PA in probably the mid 80s.

I was at that airshow, too! IPT is less than an hour by PA-28 from
here.

vince norris

I watched him at Burke Lakefront. He was flying an Aero Commander.
The energy management was impressive...

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

vincent p. norris wrote:

I thought the moral was "don't go to an airshow without an air
conditioned motor home!"


That's a pretty good rule, too!

I was fortunate enough to see Bob fly two different times...... and the other was at
Williamsport, PA in probably the mid 80s.


I was at that airshow, too! IPT is less than an hour by PA-28 from
here.

vince norris


The show I was had had an F-14 that blew a tire on take-off and had to
abort his routine and head back to Philly. Does that sound familiar
also? If so, it must have been the same show.


Matt

The show I was had had an F-14 that blew a tire on take-off and had to
abort his routine and head back to Philly. Does that sound familiar
also? If so, it must have been the same show.

No, I don't remember that, Mat. Either my senility is worse than I
thought, or I must have been there another year. The IPT air show was
an annual, or almost annual, affair in those days, as I recall.

vince

vincent p. norris wrote:

The show I was had had an F-14 that blew a tire on take-off and had to
abort his routine and head back to Philly. Does that sound familiar
also? If so, it must have been the same show.


No, I don't remember that, Mat. Either my senility is worse than I
thought, or I must have been there another year. The IPT air show was
an annual, or almost annual, affair in those days, as I recall.

vince

Annual or maybe biennial, I'm not sure either.

Matt