Old video presenting a test flight of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion, one of the biggest helicopters in the western world. Watch as this giant performs loops and rolls with relative ease, aerobatic maneuvers that very few helicopters in the world can perform.
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 German built MBB Bo-105 is probably one of the coolest helicopters ever built and quite probably one of the most maneuverable helicopters in the world. Red Bull uses a Bo-105 at airshows as an aerobatic demonstrator performing maneuvers that are generally reserved to aerobatic aircraft. Check out the Bo-105 as it performs a series of loops, rolls, and many more. Enjoy this great video!
On August 7, 1955, Boeing test pilot Alvin M. “Tex” Johnston rolled the Boeing 707 prototype, known as Dash-80, in a demonstration flight over Lake Washington.
I saw this and brought back some memories. Been two years since I last flew a sailplane. Anyway, here is some beautiful soaring footage taken from a DG-500 sailplane over the Alps. Some aerobatics and a great soundtrack make for a cool video.
