Please excuse the off topic post, but aviation legend Bob Hoover passed away yesterday. Widely regarded as perhaps the finest all-around pilot of all time ( you can google his career as a test pilot and later career as an aerobatic performer). He flew fighters in WWII and Korea.

 

After being shot down off the coast of Italy, he spent 16 months in a German POW camp. He escaped (on his third try), eluded capture for three days, then STOLE a Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf 190 fighter and flew himself and another POW to freedom in the Netherlands.

 

Damn. There was a reason they called these guys the Greatest Generation.

One of this country's greatest aviators. He was doing aerobatics until he was near 80 years old. May he RIP.

fortunately i got to see him fly back in the day. Amazing pilot

Yep, read the sad news yesterday. Definitely a legend. He will be missed.

This is a sad day. Actually met him at the Reno Air Races a few times, definitely great people, but unfortunately I never actually got to see him in his natural element. The man was royalty there and at Oshkosh for sure. Some where on my hard drive I've got him hauling ass on a golf cart on the ramp at Stead Field.

Remember meeting him and watching his twin engine act at the old Sussex Air show years back...class act and Aviation Legend..RIP

 

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