San Diego Air & Space Museum mourns the loss of Aviation Legend R. A. “Bob” Hoover

Hoover – described by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle as the “greatest stick-and-rudder man who ever lived” – was 94

Hoover was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame in 2007

Bob Hoover's portrait in the Rotunda at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

San Diego, CA – Aviation Legend Bob Hoover – described by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle as the “greatest stick-and-rudder man who ever lived” – passed away earlier today. He was 94.

“Bob Hoover truly personified the ‘pilot’s pilot’ and was deeply beloved in aviation circles,” said Jim Kidrick, President and CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. “He will always hold a special place in our hearts at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, and he will be sorely missed.”

Bob Hoover's statue in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Annex in Chantilly, Virginia.

Robert A. “Bob” Hoover was born in Nashville, Tennessee on January 22, 1922. From an early age, he loved aviation and soloed (first flight alone) on his 16th birthday. Bob and some friends rebuilt a Taylor E-2 which Hoover barnstormed all over Tennessee, his early interest in flight demonstration. He later enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard and, after the outbreak of World War II, reported for pilot training with the Army Air Corps. Deployed to Casablanca, his first assignment was as a test pilot at a repair depot, flying almost every combat airplane in the Allied arsenal. His flight test acumen assured every airplane was ready to meet the enemy in the air. His turn flying combat would come soon.

Hoover eventually flew combat in Spitfires with the 52nd Fighter group. Inadvertently shot down off the coast of Southern France, Bob spent 16 months as a German prisoner of war. In April 1945, he planned and initiated a daring escape from the prison camp. It was just like in the movies, and only Bob could pull it off. He commandeered a FockeWulf-190 German Fighter, taking off behind enemy lines, flying to safety in Holland. His evasion of allied forces flying a German fighter was miraculous.

After World War II, Bob was assigned to the Flight Evaluation Group at Wright Field in Ohio flying and evaluating captured German and Japanese combat aircraft. Transitioning to America’s new jet fighters as a test pilot, he experienced his first bailout from an F-84 Thunderjet, shattering both legs, dashing his hopes of flying the Bell X-l’s first flight. But later, when Chuck Yeager was asked who he wanted airborne with him for the supersonic Bell X-l mission, he named Bob, who also became Yeager’s backup pilot. On October 14, 1947, Bob flew the chase safety plane in a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star during Chuck’s historic Mach 1 flight. Known as “Pard” to Bob, Chuck and Bob remained lifelong friends and set the standard for the modern day test pilot.

Bob later joined North American testing the FJ-2, the F-8 Crusader, and the F-100 Super Sabre. Though no longer in the Air Force, he even managed to fly combat missions with Air Force squadrons in Korea, demonstrating the capabilities of the F-86 Sabre to the deployed pilots in actual combat. He was the first man to fly the Navy’s XFJ-2 Fury jet and the Navy’s T-28 trainer.

Bob Hoover's famous P-51 Mustang "Ole Yeller."

In the 1950s, Hoover began flying an acrobatic routine in his famous P-51 Mustang “Ole Yeller,” then the T-39 Sabreliner followed by the Aero Commander fleet, and the Shrike Commander 500S. (Bob’s Shrike Commander is now displayed in the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia).

Bob Hoover's Shrike Commander on display in the National Air & Space Museum.

He set altitude and speed records and was routinely sent abroad to demonstrate aircraft. During one of his most popular stunts, Hoover poured iced tea from a pitcher into a glass placed on the instrument panel of his Shrike Commander while performing a perfect barrel roll. In 1966, he served as captain for the U.S. Acrobatic Team.

Aviation legends Sean D. Tucker and Bob Hoover.

During his lifetime, Hoover flew more than 300 types of aircraft and performed at more than 2,500 civilian and military air shows. Considered one of the founding fathers of modern aerobatics, Hoover was described by Jimmy Doolittle as, “...the greatest stick-and-rudder man who ever lived.” In the Centennial of Flight edition of the Air & Space Smithsonian, he was named the third greatest aviator in history.

Bob Hoover with good friend Mike Herman at EAA 2016.

During his lifetime, Hoover met many of the biggest names in the history of aviation, including Orville Wright, Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin and more. In 2007, Bob was inducted next to all of those aviation and space luminaries into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. He also is a member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame and a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. For his service during World War II, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Soldier’s Medal of Valor and the French Croix to Guerre.

Bob's wife, Colleen, died earlier this year. They had lived for many years in the Los Angeles area. Survivors include a son, a daughter and several grandchildren.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum will hold a special celebration honoring Bob during the International Air & Space Hall of Fame Gala on November 17. More information about the Gala, visit http://sandiegoairandspace.org/calendar/event/2016-hall-of-fame-celebration.

For more about the International Air & Space Hall of Fame, visit http://old.sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online_hall_of_fame/app.html.

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The San Diego Air & Space Museum is California’s official air and space museum and education center. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and it was the first aero-themed Museum to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Now showing: Da Vinci: The Ultimate Innovator, a special exhibition showcasing more than 90 robotics, machines and artworks from the greatest inventor of all time. The Museum is located at 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101. The Museum and gift store are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with admissions until 4:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.