Bob Hoover -- Engine-out Aerobatics! 

I was one of Bob's ferry pilots that would fly the Shrike from airshow site to airshow site. We flew together on many occasions including many practice flights prior to the beginning of the airshow season. The highlight of my career has always been the opportunity to fly with him during engine out aerobatic maneuvers and the privilege to tell people I know Bob Hoover. God speed and good tailwinds my dear friend.

He's wearing a Suit and Tie while he preforms these complicated maneuvers. What a MAN !

Years ago I watched Mr. Hoover on final approach in his P-51. At the runway threshold (with wheels still retracted), he pulled up into a loop, dropped the landing gear, and chopped the throttle. With the V-12 popping and sputtering Bob pulled out of the loop and deadsticked the landing. No crowds. Just out for a afternoon cruise. A truly gifted pilot.

3:30 "I'm just as normal as everybody else." Says the man Chuck Yeager called the greatest pilot he ever saw.

The only sad thing about his performances was that most people who were not pilots probably did not fully appreciate what he was doing.

All 52 dislikes are nobody's. Y'all don't matter and neither do your opinion. Bob Hoover is one of the greatest ever. Period.

Holly cow, this man was indeed one of the greatest in the sky. He understood every aspect of physics in aviation.

watched Bob do his energy management routine in Australia in 1994 and then got his autograph outside his Shrike after he landed. Simply amazing to watch.

I WAS THERE IN RENO AT THE RACES WHEN BOB DID AN 8 POINT ROLL WITH ENGINES OFF AND COULD HEAR COCKPIT COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWER IT WAS ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE THANK YOU BOB I LOVED IT

Awesome Pilot to put the aircraft through those twists and turns so low to the ground.

RIP Bob Hoover.. 2016-OCT-25, age 94.

Hell of a pilot, and a pretty tough plane!

RIP Mr. Hoover. You were one of the greatest EVER.

Truly a giant amongst men. Godspeed to the greatest aviator to ever walk the Earth.

I got to shake his hand at Air Venture Oshkosh 2013 after I heard him speak. What an honor!

He is not a crazy pilot, but a very well trained and confident one

It seems like Bob Hoover is the only "Old and Bold Pilot" still living he has disproved that saying.

One of the great aviation legends of our time. I got to see him perform many, many times. Never disappointed.

He does in real life what kids do in Flight Simulator X

Chuck Norris wants to be Bob Hoover when he grows up

I watched Bob Hoover go back and forth over the runway in an Aero Commander, dead stick, with only the sound of air over the plane, then finally landing...still gives me the chills.

R.I.P. Mr. Hoover ! One of the (if not) the best, and humble ! That's what legend are made of !

I love the understatement "this manoeuvres is a bit tricky"

I have vivid memories of Bob and the Commander flying at the Avalon Airshow Melbourne Australia, 15 years ago when i was 12years old. He was my hero then and still is to this day. What a man, what a pilot.

I saw Bob do this routine at Oshkosh in 1987. I was utterly stunned by what he could do with that airplane. Rest In Peace, Mr. Hoover.

I was a kid when I saw Mr . Hoover at an air show here in South Texas at KHRL. He performed the same maneuvers as in this film with an air commander.

I was lucky enough to watch Bob Hoover in Reno/Stead 1989.....the legend...the master...ladies and gentlemen....the great Bob Hoover!!!

I've seen Bob Hoover a few times, and the best part of this routine is that the Commander is stock. The only mod that Bob said was done to the airplane was installing modified wheel bearings with with a few thousands of an inch loose play to allow him to do the landing and taxing to the crowd with the engines off, using just energy management. Amazing skill and no one comes close!

The greatest ever. I met Bob many times as a kid and he was just the coolest guy ever. My mom's boss used to fly with him and it got me into aviation.

RIP Bob, there is unlikely ever to be another like him.

I actually got to ride with him in this aircraft and we did rolls and loops but did with power because of insurance requirements..

He is probly already doing stunts with his new wings.Thanks for all the inspiration Bob, R.I.P.

Rest In Peace, Bob. You will be greatly missed by everyone in the aviation community.

BEST PILOT WHO EVER LIVED

Bob Hoover , one of the GREATEST pilots, EVER.!!!! We, those who love airplanes, will miss you.!!! RIP, Bob.

Everyone's talking about Mr. Hoover's flying and landing skills...what about the parking skills?!! I saw him perform in Oshkosh back in '78, and the announcer made a big deal about how he parked the plane right where he had started it up before flying his routine. Back then, you couldn't get anywhere near the flight line without paying a huge amount at the gate, so I had to accept what was said. THEN, I saw him perform again in '89 or '90, and was able to approach the aircraft on the ground...YUP!...he was perfect for and aft, and only about four inches of left and right! This, after flying the routine, landing, taxiing, and making a U-turn off the center taxiway to park! There are damned good pilots out there now, but they all seem to bow to Bob Hoover...R.I.P., sir Hope those new wings are working better for you than the many other sets you've tried out!

A true aviator in every sense of the word. I miss his performances.

Saw many an air show in the early 70's with this great man doing this demo. Rest in peace sir!

This guy has been thru so much from test pilot to POW to test pilot again and aerobatics all the way till the age of 70 something. A true legend. RIP Mr. Hoover!

Thankyou for being here at the same time as us Bob. Our lives are richer from your example of excellence in and out of the cockpit.

What a publicity for the Company and the aircraft!

Definition for daredevil is: You do something that there is a slight chance that you are not able to pull it out everytime and its dangerous enough that not so many people wants to try it out.. Bob wasnt one. He knew exactly what to do when something goes wrong. He never pushed his luck or limits.

Rip, amazing pilot

Bob Hoover forever,super aviation legend.hats off to you sir, and long live...

Very much of a gentleman. I met Bob Hoover one time. I was an engineer at WSMR testing the Launch Escape and Recovery System for Apollo for North American Rockwell. Bob was a VP of NAR. He came by our facilities to see what we were doing....

You couldn't get me to try one of those maneuvers for all the money in the world! Glad he did though,awesome to watch!!!

One of the most talented Pilots I've ever seen. A truley skilled pilot and professional. I still get a thrill watching the videos.

Bobs book forever flying is a must read for any aviation enthusiast or Bob Hoover fan. He is truely a national treasure.

Saw this 40 years ago as a kid. Still one of the best shows ever. Bob is one of those "old, bold" pilots that are VERY rare.

I met Bob at Sun n Fun 30 yrs ago, still have that photo shaking his hand. He was the REAL DEAL. May God bless him !

I got to meet Mr Hoover and talk with him for about 30 minutes at the Indianapolis Airshow many years ago...He told some AMAZING stories about himself and Chuck Yeager then got to see him do his routine in the Shrike for Evergreen

I searched through the Internet to find this amazing Piolt. Bob Hoover Sir, you will be missed.

The aircraft is an Aero Commander. It was manfactured by Rockwell-Standard, which merged with North American Aviation in 1967 to form North American Rockwell. Mr. Hoover, a long time employee of NAA, had been doing spectacular aerobatic displays in the P51 for a number of years and soon added the Aero Commander Shrike to his performance.

No one better than Bob!

My role model as a pilot. Many pilots can throw the stick around in a small aerobatic aircraft in all sorts of manners in order to produce some spectacularly-looking and high-G manuevers at airshows, providing their muscles and stomach hold up the effort. Very few, if any but Bob, can do it so smoothly and precisely, particularly in a large aircraft such as this one, that's what I call "surgical flying" :) Bob will live forever!

I saw him do that, remarkable skills.

My jaw dropped as I watched this. Amazing flying.

This guy was an amazing pilot. Side slips?! He looks like he's flying a helicopter!

RIP Bob, the great ones are always hardest to lose!

As far as I can tell is Bob Hover is on person capable of performing these acrobatics. Flying the feathered edge. Rip Bob

I saw him do his routine in three different types of aircraft in 1978 Harlingen Tx. P-38 lightning, Lefty Gardner, aero commander, his, and a saberliner business jet!! No equal.

Absolute madlad. He was truly one with whatever he flew. How magnificent. RIP Mr. Hoover, you were one of (if not) the greatest.

blue skies Mr Hoover

I think I Bob Hoover air shows when I was a kid. Doing stunts with the engines off in an aero Commander

Saw him do this in person eons ago. Amazing. Saw his P-51 routine also. The best. The absolute best.

those crazy cross control side slips at low speed/altitude, this guy is a beast!

This gonna be next flight lesson to my students in multi. Love it!

I got to see him perform late in his career, nicest guy to meet afterwards.

Happy that I got to talk and have my photo taken with him at the Reno Air Races last month. Grew up watching him fly the Aero Commander there. What a great American and Aviator!

Wish I had ever had a chance to meet this aviation legend like I did Yeager... when Yeager said "Bob is the best stick and rudder man I ever met".. that is saying something!

Growing up around airplanes, Bob Hoover’s name came up often. My dad was Piper’s first International Service Manager, and we lived in Geneva, Switzerland from 1962-1966. I wish I could remember the names of those I’d met tagging along with my dad, all over Europe.

Happy 93rd birthday, Bob Hoover!

Read Bob's autobiography - Forever Flying. He truly is the greatest pilot whoever lived and IS STILL ALIVE!!!! I don't mean this to sound condescending but only those of us who fly serious aerobatics know how good he REALLY is.... He IS IT. There is nobody up there with him!!!

Hoover was THE greatest pilot that ever lived. He understood energy management...

RiP Mr Hoover...you will be sorley missed..

I wouldn't have thought any of this was possible, what incredible skill! Not to mention nerve!

We watched practice with the P-51 at George AFB, Victorville & Edwards AFB in the early and mid 1960's. Everything stopped to watch the unbelievable flying. RIP. Peter Prigge

After logging a couple of thousand hours flying the Shrike, after viewing Bob I realise my experience is really one hour two thousand times.

Genius and totally mind blowing.

They say there are no old, bold pilots...........but they never met Mr. Hoover!

Bob Hoover was a living testament to the extreme airworthiness of the Aero Commander. Bob Hoover, a bold pilot, who grew to be an old pilot.

As Mr Flight Chops said,a MUST WATCH,, 11 Thumbs UP!!!!!!!! Absultly (SP) Fantastic!!!!! Thanks,Jack.... Its Amazing when ya Watch It and YOUR stomach Gets Quezzy!!!!! WOW,is The ONLY WORD,,,

By the end of this video I was just smiling knowing that I was watching someone with complete mastery of their craft. This is what arete looks like.

I saw him do this in person at an air show. It’s one of the most memorable acts I’ve ever seen. I was amazed by what I was seeing.

Loved watching this. Love you, Miss you Bob. Seen you once at the Reading Air Show.

Probably the all-time best. Certainly the all-time most courteous and gentlemanly.

just became my favorite pilot.

Who ever said there are old pilots and there are bold Pilots But there are no old bold pilots just didn't count on Bob Hoover !!

Love the style with glasses

Saw your 8 point dead stick roll in person, in the 80s. RIP my hero!

Great American hero and ambassador to aviation. Words don't describe the loss.

He’s the man the most interesting man in the world wants to be, and he doesn’t always drink beer but when he does, it’s dos xx, poured inverted with the engines off

As a pilot myself I have great respect for BOB HOOVER and his earobatics !! Wish he was my instructor even in today's flying !! What a great pilot !!!

I could listen to him all day. What a gem of the country. He may have lived too long. When he passed there was little to no news. What a kick in the ass for a guy that did what he had for the country during the war and after. The USA is fickle. Here this guy does it all in text book fashion and a squirrel trying to get into a bird feeder gets 10 times the views. Go figure.

He could fly with elegance even a rudimental flying object. His skills are incredible!

Wow, flat out nuts! RIP Mr. Hoover.

When I watch this I thank God for having brought Bob Hoover into this world.

I saw Bob Hoover in his Shrike at Air Sho 78 in Harlingen. He did three loops above the runway, dead stick, with a low cloud cover, then a roll and turned back around, landed, and rolled to a stop in front of the stands. Where did 44 years go? One of the highlights of my life.

Such a dope ass vanilla dude, Suit and tie and doing barrel rolls and loops in a twin. Rip to a legend

While watching this video I was also listening to the guy who was doing the narrating & trying to place that voice. It took about 15 min before it came to me. It is Mike Connors who played "Mannix" in the tv series in the 70's. I saw Bob Hoover back in the 80's do these same stunts with this Aero Commander. What a show. He came and mingled with the crowd & a guy asked him if that plane was specially built. He said he could take 1 off the factory line & do the same thing. Stress is the key.