Robert A. “Bob” Hoover (born 1922) is a former air show pilot and United States Air Force test pilot. His personal trademark is a wide-brimmed straw hat and wide smile.Bob Hoover is best known for his air show career, which started when he was hired to demonstrate the capabilities of Aero Commander’s Shrike Commander, a twin-engined piston business aircraft which had developed a rather staid reputation due to its bulky shape. Hoover showed the strength of the plane as he put the aircraft through rolls, loops, and other maneuvers which most people wouldn’t associate with executive aircraft. As a grand finale, he shut down both engines and executed a loop and an eight-point hesitation slow roll as he headed back to the runway. He touched down on one tire, then the other, before landing. After pulling off the runway, he would start engines to taxi back to the parking area. On airfields with large enough parking ramps (such as the Reno Stead Airport where the Reno Air Races take place), Hoover would sometimes land directly on the ramp and coast all the way back to his parking spot in front of the grandstand without re-starting the engines.
A few years after starting the show, he began carrying passengers during the show — after all, he reasoned, the Shrike Commander carries six passengers in comfort (though perhaps not as much comfort when upside down.) These passengers became known as “Hoover’s Heavers” due to the number who became airsick during the maneuvers.
With the advent of camcorders, Hoover added a flourish to the act by pouring a cup of tea from a Thermos, while performing a slow barrel roll (a 1G maneuver). Video of this has been widely distributed, to the pleasure of Aero Commander enthusiasts.
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a Russian built medium-range trijet airliner. The mainstay of Russian airlines for several decades, the Tu-154 has carried about half of all passengers flown by Aeroflot and its subsidiaries, or approximately 137 million passengers per year, and has been exported and operated by at least 17 foreign airlines. Join the crew as they perform a landing. The video is in Russian but I think the captain is trying to say ” Stop messing with the stick boy, this plane can fly without you! “. 
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is probably one of the best looking planes in the world. Admire its stunning beauty in this great French Air Force video showcasing the qualities of their jet fighter.
Taking a jet down on the deck guarantees an adrenalin rush like no other. The aircraft feels tight, close to the ground you realize just how fast you are going, your body fills with joy and the feeling becomes addictive. They say speed is life. To know what speed really is just push the throttle forward, go low and feel the rush. It is quite amazing!
It’s a very hot day and this Russian Ilyushin Il-76 Candid is full and ready for a 3000 kilometer trip. As it reaches the holding point, the pilots prepare this monster for a very long takeoff run. And boy, it’s gonna be a really long one… the plane takes off right at the end of the runway barely lifting its weight into the air giving traffic controllers quite a thrill.
This Russian pilot comes in to land at the Innsbruck Airport, missing the touchdown point and finally touching down 2/3 of the runway later. Guess some days are better that others…
There is a saying: “Given enough thrust, even bricks can fly… the F-4 Phantom is proof of that!” Check out this German F-4 Phantom as it pushes the limit further down with every pass. Must have been quite a spectacular sight, especially that last low pass.
On the rocky hills of Afghanistan there really isn’t much to do for the soldiers… and this is why they need a little bit of distraction. Guess a Viper coming in low and fast is quite a thrill for these guys. Actually, I pretty much think this is cool except the part where the Viper leaves us in a cloud of dust. Oh well, the F-16 is really an awesome jet!
The F-104 Starfighter is a truly legendary plane. Some remember the good, some remember the bad… anyway this red Starfighter performing some high speed low passes is probably a spotters wet dream.
Compilation of Mirage, Mirage 2000 and Rafale footage. This video has everything, from low level passes in Chad to high altitude chases in the Rafale. Also some very nice footage taken from the French movie “Skyfighters”.
