Nominating Letter Signed By An Astounding Group Of 19 Leaders From The Aviation Industry
A veritable "Who's Who" in the aviation community has banded together to nominate legendary aviator Bob Hoover for the National Aeronautic Association's (NAA) Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy -- an honor that many think is LONG overdue (and yes, we quite agree with that sentiment -- ANN E-I-C).
As a matter of fact, the big question is simply this... why did it take so long for the legendary (in every meaning of the word) Bob Hoover to be even considered for an honor that he is so clearly suited for? This can't possible be the first time his name has come up...
The current effort, a massive one we might add, is being coordinated by GAMA's Pete Bunce. In a letter to the nominating committee, Bunce and the leaders of 18 other organizations outline Hoover's long career in aviation.
The text of the letter reads:
"It is our great pleasure to nominate R.A. “Bob” Hoover for the 2013 NAA Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. As the leaders of the nation’s general aviation associations, we hope you will recognize Bob with this coveted award for inspiring generations of aviation enthusiasts with his acrobatic flying in the nation’s air shows—more air shows than anyone else in history.
"A young country boy from Tennessee, Hoover enlisted in the National Guard with the intention of becoming a fighter pilot. An Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, he was on his 59th mission—flying a British Supermarine Spitfire in the U.S. Army Air Corps’ 52nd Fighter Group—when he was shot down over Germany and taken prisoner. After 16 months in a German POW camp, Hoover escaped, stole a German Focke-Wulf 190 and flew it to the Netherlands and freedom.
"After World War II, Hoover was assigned to test flight duty for the new U.S. Air Force. He was back-up pilot and flew chase on the day that Chuck Yeager first broke the speed of sound in the Bell X-1. Hoover makes a compelling argument that – had it not been for a youthful indiscretion immediately before the record-breaking flight – it would have been he rather than Yeager who made that historic first supersonic flight.
"Following his career in the military, Hoover became a corporate test pilot, first for Allison Engine and then for North American Aviation, where he helped to develop and then showcase both the F-86 Sabre and the F-100 Super Sabre. During his time at North American in the mid-1950s, he convinced the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds to switch from the F-84F Thunderstreak to the more cutting edge F-100 Super Sabre, an aircraft the team then used for nearly a decade.
"It was also during his time with North American that he first became involved as an air show performer, using a surplus North American P-51 Mustang to promote the company and its products. Drawing on a lifetime of difficult and demanding flying, Hoover was a natural performer. During an air show career that spanned nearly four decades, Hoover built a reputation on his remarkable skills as a pilot and his ability to entertain and inspire audiences. He flew before tens of millions of appreciative fans, sparking an interest in an aviation career among countless thousands, as chronicled in the following Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine article. Indeed, during much of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, a substantial portion of new pilots were inspired to fly, at least in part, by having watched Hoover fly at a local air show.
"Hoover’s many accomplishments have been recognized by others over the years. A small selection of his honors includes:
- Jimmy Doolittle, a past recipient of the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy and an aviation legend in his own right, called Bob Hoover “…the greatest stick-and-rudder man who ever lived.”
- In its Centennial of Flight special edition, Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine named Hoover the third greatest aviator of all time.
- During his military career, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier's Medal for Valor, Air Medal with Clusters, Purple Heart and the French Croix de Guerre.
- Hoover is an honorary member of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds, and the American Fighter Aces Association.
- Hoover was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1988.
- In 1995, Hoover became the inaugural member of the Air Show Hall of Fame.
- In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.
- In 2007, he received the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum Trophy.
- In 2010, Hoover delivered the Charles A. Lindbergh Memorial Lecture at the Smithsonian Institute's National Air & Space Museum in Washington.
- Also in 2010, he received an honorary doctorate from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.
"Although Bob’s mind is as sharp as ever, we don’t know how long we will have the aviation icon still with us. We sincerely hope we will be able to see Bob accept the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy this year and take his rightful place among the best in aviation. Simply put, we can’t think of anyone more deserving of this highly prestigious honor."
The letter is signed by the leaders of AAA, AEA, AFA, AOPA, CAF, EAA, EAA Warbirds of America, GAMA, HAI, ICAS, NAAA, NAFI, NASAO, NATA, NBAA, RAF, SAFE, Texas Flying Legends Museum, VAC
NAA established The Wright Brothers Memorial Award in 1948 to honor the memory of Orville and Wilbur Wright. The association created the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, which has been presented by the President of NAA annually on or near the anniversary of the historic first flight, at the Aero Club of Washington Annual Wright Memorial Dinner. The trophy is awarded annually to a living American for "significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States."
ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.14.24): Maximum Authorized Altitude
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