Friends celebrate Hoover
July 27, 2011 by Thomas B. Haines, Editor in ChiefAmong those in attendance was emcee and aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker, Harrison Ford, Chuck Yeager, NASA astronauts Gene Cernan and Jim Lovell, civilian astronaut Mike Melville, Burt Rutan, Dick Rutan, actor/director/producer David Ellison, and ”Sully” Sullenberger and his Miracle on the Hudson copilot Jeff Skiles.
The dinner was started and continues to be hosted by Bill Fanning of Pilot Insurance Center, Mike Herman, and Lou Meiners.
Filmaker Kim Furst showed a trailer of her upcoming documentary feature titled “The Bob Hoover Project.”
Rain Wednesday forced Fanning and the other volunteers to move the event from its planned outdoor location near a hangar on Wittman Field to the EAA Air Museum. The new location and threatening storms outside did little to dampen the camaraderie and friendship inside the museum and the adoration for Hoover, who received numerous standing ovations.
July 29th, 2011 at 9:32 am
Someone else besides me must think a movie about Bob Hoovers life would be a big hit. I have seen Bob in action and think it is great opportunity.
July 29th, 2011 at 10:03 am
He is the “best of the best”. After watching his many pilot skills in news videos I finally
got to see him in person ,many years ago ,and just stood there in total awe.
I just wish I could have spoke to him in person and said “thank you for the best performance of any airshow I have ever seen”.
Can’t wait to see his story.
July 29th, 2011 at 10:51 am
Bob Hoover was an inspiration to me 25 years ago as the star performer at airshows I put on to raise money for our local hospital. Bob took me up for a flight with several of our airshow chairmen doing several maneuvers including 20 seconds of weightlessness. I would love to talk with Bob but have no idea how to get in touch with him. After those experiences I always wanted to be a pilot. Now at 64 I have my check ride next week!
July 29th, 2011 at 11:19 am
I met Bob Hoover and watched him at Reno in 1972. If every pilot had his expertise there would be very little for accident investigators to do. Now having had my own pilots license for 39 years I still think of Bob with reverence.
July 29th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
I met Hoover on several occasions, the first time at Cable Airport (CCB) when he dusted off the runway in his Aero commander Shrike and stopped in for a cup of coffee. The last time we met was at the Hilton during the Santa Maria airshow. He remember me and invited us (wife Amy) to join him for breakfast. What a great guy.
August 4th, 2011 at 6:12 am
great idea | bob hoover and sean are my mentors,not only for their for aviation skills but for being genuin human beings. A young boy asked sean for his autograph and was so nervous he could not speak,sean put his arm around him and put him at ease. I wishi you could have seen the boys face ,it was one of my hylites of airventure 99.