Robert Lee Gibson, better known to Air Racing Fans as “Hoot”
is one of the most highly decorated racers around. Will he finally get the
chance to be a National Champion?
Hoot was born in Upstate New York, yet considers a town
outside of LA to be his “hometown”. He, like so many others, soloed at 16 and earned
his pilot's’ license at 17. He always knew he wanted to be a pilot – even at the
age of 10 when his dad turned the Bonanza yoke over to his side and let him
perform his first take off. Both of his
parents were pilots – and his dad was an Aeronautical Engineer. Flying and
Aeronautics were a family tradition in the Gibson household.
He then entered the US Navy and was selected for pilot
training in 1969. Between April 1972 and September 1975, Hoot served on the USS
Coral Sea and the USS Enterprise flying combat missions over Southeast Asia.
He had two tours in the F-4 and his final tour in the F-14.
In 1974 he saw a sketch of the new Space Shuttle. He decided
then and there that he wanted to fly that Shuttle. Prior to that, Astronauts
really didn't fly – they had capsules, not aircraft. But when he saw that
sketch, he knew that’s where he wanted to be and to get there, he needed to be
a Test Pilot first.
He is a graduate of the US Naval Fighter Weapons School,
better known as “Top Gun”. Following service in South East Asia, Hoot returned
stateside and was selected as an instructor in the then new F-14A. In June 1977,
Hoot graduated from the US Navy Test Pilot School.
Following his dream, he was selected by NASA to be an
astronaut in January, 1978. He met his future bride because of NASA – she was
also in the class of 1978. So, he joined NASA to meet women?
While at NASA, Hoot flew 5 times in various Space Shuttles for
a total of 36.5 days in space. His first flight was as Pilot of Challenger on
STS-41B in February 1984, which is best known for the first test flight of the
Manned Maneuvering Unit, the self-contained backpack that allowed Astronauts to
fly untethered outside the Shuttle.
His second flight and first as Space Shuttle Commander, was
STS-61C in January of 1986, the last successful flight before the Challenger
was lost in an accident. After the Challenger accident Hoot worked on the
accident investigation team and worked on the redesign and recertification of
the solid rocket boosters.
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Hoot greeting his friends from MIR
Credit: Hoot’s private collection
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Hoot’s ride from 2011 to 2014
Credit: Anthony Taylor WarbirdFotos
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Hoot’s Ride for 2015 – Go Hoot
Credit: Anthony Taylor WarbirdFotos
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Following the Shuttle’s return to flight Hoot was selected
to Command STS-27 the second Shuttle Flight after Challenger, which he did in
December 1988. The details of this mission, flown in Space Shuttle Atlantis,
were classified by the Department of Defense. The mission was so secret at the
time that after the flight the crew received special medals from the CIA but
were not allowed to take them home.
In September 1992, Hoot flew Endeavor on mission STS-47,
which carried the Spacelab laboratory. This mission was a cooperative venture
between the US and Japan and included the first Japanese Astronaut.
Hoot’s 5th and final NASA space flight came in June and July
1995 when he commanded, Atlantis on STS-71. This was the first mission to dock
with the Space Station MIR. Hoot, a guitar enthusiast and collector, actually
brought guitar strings with him to MIR as a gift to the Russian Cosmonauts.
Apparently they had a guitar on MIR – with no strings. It could be said that his guitar strings
melted the Iron Curtain.
Once his NASA flying career was over, he served as Chief of
the Astronaut Office and as Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations until
leaving NASA in November 1996 to fly a more regular schedule with Southwest
Airlines.
Hoot has flown well over 100 different types of aircraft.
This includes everything from single engine piston aircraft like his personally
owned Cassutt and a J3 Cub to Helicopters and to several Gliders – known to
some as Space Shuttles.
Unlimited Air Racing
In 1998 he started racing Riff Raff at the Reno Air Races.
Riff Raff is a Hawker Sea Fury owned at the time by Mike Keenum. Mike sold Riff after several years campaigning
her with Hoot or himself at the stick. In 2012 he was asked to take over as
pilot for 232, another Hawker Sea Fury. This one owned by Rod Lewis.
Unfortunately, the fact that 232 had won at the Air Races in
the past – didn't count for much. The closest he came to the winner circle was
in 2012 with a 2nd place finish. The last 2 years made him an expert
on deadstick landings instead of a National Champion.
Strega
Tiger knew that 2014 was his last year -- his final
retirement. He also knew that he needed a "ROCKSTAR" in the cockpit. And he found
one in Hoot. (I did mention that Hoot plays guitar - right?)
Tiger made the announcement in March at the National Air
Racing Group Annual Dinner Meeting. Many raised an eyebrow – but not me. I
immediately called Hoot to confirm – and he said YES! I could not be happier
for Tiger, Hoot and for Strega.
2015
So now it is “The Kid” – Stevo Hinton in Voodoo and “The Astronaut” –
Hoot Gibson in Strega. Both are amazingly skilled pilots. Both are crowd favorites and
both are hungry for a win.
Let’s see how this goes. Pass the popcorn – see you at Reno!
Marilyn Dash
Ruby Red Racing
Pylon Place
Hoot's List of Awards and Honors
- Awarded the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) "Louis Blériot Medal" (1991 and 2004)
- Awarded the "Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal" by the FAI
- Awarded the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) "Freedom of Flight" Award (1989)
- U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (2003)
- National Aviation Hall of Fame (2012)
- Established FAI world records for "Altitude in Horizontal Flight," Airplane Class C1A in 1991, "Time to Climb to 9000 Meters" in 1994 and "Speed over a closed course" in 2004.
- Awarded the William F. Shea award for contribution to aviation from the University of Nebraska-Omaha Aviation Institute (2012)
- U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame (2012)
- Defense Superior Service Medal
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Air Medal
- Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V"
- Navy Unit Commendation
- Meritorious Unit Commendation
- National Defense Service Medal (2)
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- Humanitarian Service Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal
- Vietnam Campaign Medal
