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RedditRobert "Hoot" Gibson's flying career includes well over 100 aircraft types (111, to be precise; since publication of our April/May issue, which gave a count of 108, Gibson realized he'd left three aircraft out).
Which have given him the most pleasure? "My favorites of all times? Boils down to two really. (1) My own airplane, a ‘Hoot-modified' Cassutt [racer], in which I have set two world performance records and is really a fun thing to fly. (2) The MiG-21. I have flown three different models of it, and it is a blast to fly: fairly short-legged, but it sure goes while it has fuel!"
Which aircraft would Gibson still like to add to the list? "I had always wanted to fly one of the Gee Bees [legendary 1930s racers] and even tried to talk Kermit Weeks into letting me fly his, but to no avail," Gibson says. "Also wanted to fly the F-16, the F-106, or the F-4D Skyray."
Gibson additionally hopes to add an entirely new category to his résumé: tourist spaceplanes. "I made a couple overtures to Alex Tai of Virgin Galactic saying I wanted to fly with them," he says, "but Will Whiteside informed me that their own pilots—Virgin Airlines pilots—will be doing the flying."
But space tourism is a new field, with companies starting and failing seemingly every day. Stay tuned.
Gibson's Life List:
Light Aircraft (25)
Piper J-3
Piper Super Cub
Piper Colt
Piper Comanche
Piper Twin Comanche
Piper Seneca
Beechcraft Bonanza
Beechcraft Queen Air
Beechcraft King Air
Cessna 140
Cessna 150
Cessna 172
Cessna Cardinal
Beechcraft T-34B
DeHavilland Otter
DeHavilland Beaver
DeHavilland Dove
Aeronca TC-65
Luscombe 8A
Globe Swift GC-1B
Mirage Ultralight
Great Lakes Biplane
Mooney MK 20
Cirrus SR-20
Cirrus SR-22
Large Piston (10)
Boeing B-17
Ford Trimotor
North American T-6 Texan
North American T-28 Trojan
North American P-51 Mustang
Hawker Sea Fury Mark X
Hawker Sea Fury FB-11
Beechcraft C-45H Twin Beech
Douglas B-26 Invader
Douglas DC-3
Jets (37)
T-2A
T-2B
T-2C
TA-4J
TA-4F
F-4J
F-4B
F-14A
T-38A
T-38N
F-101F
A-7C
T-33
MiG-15 BIS
MiG-15 UTI
MiG-21 PF
MiG-21UM
MiG-21PFS
Fouga Magister
L-39
L-59
BD-10
MD-80
Hawker HS-125
Lear 24
Beechcraft Premier 1
Beechcraft Premier 1A
Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737-300
Boeing 737-500
Boeing 737-700
Boeing KC-135A
North American F-86E
Grumman Gulfstream 2
Grumman G2STA
Airbus 300-600
Lockheed F-104B
Helicopters (6)
Bell 47
Brantley B-2
Bell Huey Cobra
Bell H-58 Jet Ranger
Hughes 300
Hughes 500
Turboprops (4)
Lockheed P-3C
Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
Convair 580 "TIFS"
OV-10 Bronco
Experimentals (23)
Corben Baby Ace
Cassutt 11M
Cassutt 111M
Pitts S1A
Pitts S1C
Midget Mustang
Thorp T-18
Lancair 200
Seawind
Rutan Vari-EZ
Rutan Long-EZ
Smith Miniplane
RV-3
RV-4
"One Design"
Extra 300
Grove GR-1
Miller Special
Taylor Titch
"Spirit of St. Louis" Replica
Christen Eagle
Starduster II
Turbine Legend
Gliders (6)
X-26A
Schweitzer 2-33
Space Shuttle "Challenger"
Space Shuttle "Columbia"
Space Shuttle "Atlantis"
Space Shuttle "Endeavour"
Total: 111
Comments
I have met Bob "HOOT" Gibson on several occasions. Hoot's compassion for kids is fantastic. Once, Hoot and Astronaute Steve Nagle were coming to Moffet to fly the Shuttle Simulator. Hoot allowed me to bring four teen agers to watch them fly the simulator and then went with them to have Pizza. Each kid sat next to an Astronaute for an hour talking with and learning from the best. Thanks Hoot. JR
Posted by Jack Roberts on March 18,2009 | 09:08PM
As a flight attendant on Southwest Airlines, and as an Operations Agent before that, Hoot is a friend and co-worker. He has retired from actively flying as Cpt aboard our Southwest flights, but we see him in the Nashville airport occasionally. What a great guy! What a fantastic pilot. They don't come any better than Hoot!
Posted by Jim Hawkins on March 20,2009 | 04:09AM
I've had the pleasure & privilege of meeting Robert 'Hoot' Gibson, and covering his Unlimited Class air racing exploits as an aviation photo-journalist & historian. Like most everyone who's met Hoot, I can attest he's one of the nicest & most personable human beings - you'd ever expect to meet out at the airfield (or anywhere else, for that matter). What an impressive portfolio of aircraft types flown. Happy to note the immortal DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver & DHC-3 Otter is included. Does Hoot have a seaplane rating? Hope he does - there's a whole world of flying fun to be had flying from water! Would like to see Hoot add the venerable Grumman Goose amphibian to his list for one. Thanks for adding some more well-deserved recognition to this great aviator. Hoot certainly sets a fine example for present & future generations to follow - both in the air & on the ground. Don 'Bucky' Dawson Ketchikan, Alaska
Posted by Don 'Bucky' Dawson on March 22,2009 | 11:01AM
Bob Gibson was the Regimental Commander or our Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS)Class 33-(19)69. I can remember early on during a peer evaluation session we were asked to identify an individual in our class who we thought would be a candidate for the astronaut program. Even then, Bob's path was clear to most of us in the class. I did not see Bob again until 1990 at Oshkosh when he was flying the Mig. We took up again like those twenty-one years had been only a few weeks. I especially remember how Bob showed obvious interest while speaking with my young son (12) Bill about his own aviation ambitions. Bill, now a Michigan Air Guard F-16/A-10 pilot, still speaks of that EAA convention meeting. I would say the members of Class 33-69 were pretty perceptive.
Posted by Howard Rundell on March 24,2009 | 08:08PM
No DHC-6 Twin Otter on the list?
Posted by M. McComb on March 24,2009 | 11:18PM
Not to take anything away from Hoot's incredible achievement, but the I believe that the record for most types of aircraft flown belongs to Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, FRAeS, Royal Navy. He flew aircraft from Britain, America, Germany, Italy and Japan, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as holding the record for flying the greatest number of different aircraft. The official record is 487, but only includes basic types. For example Captain Brown flew several versions of the Spitfire and Seafire, and although these versions are very different they only appear once in the list.
Posted by Stephen Gaze on March 27,2009 | 03:27PM
Not to take anything away from Hoot's incredible achievement, but the I believe that the record for most types of aircraft flown belongs to Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, FRAeS, Royal Navy. He flew aircraft from Britain, America, Germany, Italy and Japan, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as holding the record for flying the greatest number of different aircraft. The official record is 487, but only includes basic types. For example Captain Brown flew several versions of the Spitfire and Seafire, and although these versions are very different they only appear once in the list.
Posted by Stephen Gaze on March 27,2009 | 03:27PM
Happy to see I share a couple of types: Cessna 150, 172, and one of the gliders, although not the fast ones -- the Schweitzer 2-33. I have a little bit of time in a dH Chipmunk -- a very happy hour over England. Sop many aircraft, so little time. Great article.
Posted by JP Owens on April 6,2009 | 02:42PM
Nice article. Bob Gibson was a college classmate of mine and took me up in my very first small plane ride. I think it was a Cessna 150. I've followed his career thru the years and have seen him race in Reno.
Posted by Carol Lawrence Jacobson on April 8,2009 | 01:00PM
Congratulations Hoot on your well deserved recognition. I have had the pleasure of spending a few hours around Hoot a couple of time throughout my many trips to the US Space and Rocket Center and I can attest that you will not find a finer individual. I look forward to bringing my son along with me the next time Hoot's around so I can introduce him to a true American hero, someone he can really look up to compared with our countries "pop" idols.
Posted by C.K. LeBlanc on April 18,2009 | 08:18AM
I flew a 4 day trip with Hoot at Southwest. Class act all the way.
Posted by Al Fraser on April 18,2009 | 02:38PM
What a great article about a great flyer, Bob 'HOOT' Gibson. I learned to fly in a Cessna 150 back in 1968 at the University of Denver flying club when the rental was $6/hr wet. The only flying I do now is 'virtual'. I hope he came through that Murfreesboro tornado the other week the way he came in with the damaged shuttle, unscathed. It's people like 'Hoot' and 'Sully' that gives aviation a much needed boost.
Posted by James MacCallum on April 19,2009 | 05:26PM
I noticed that Hoot has not listed the A3 Skywarrior. I would suggest he contact Raytheon in California as I believe they still have some that are still flyable. I was in VQ1 1959 to 1962 and flew a crewman. The Skywarrior is still the largest A/C to operate from tne Navy carriers on an every day basis. Would love to see that A/C added to his list. Many thanks for his service. Howard
Posted by Howard Ballard PO1 USN Ret. on May 7,2009 | 03:17PM
Hoot and I had a mutual friend, Tom Hull, who worked at the Test Pilot school at Patuxent River Flight Test Center. Being about the same age as Hoot, I have followed his exploits through the years and give him a lot of credit for his passion in aviation. It is not about the specific number of airplanes he has flown, but as my father (who had over 25000 hours with the airlines from 1942 to 1980) once said, "There are PILOTS and there are people who fly airplanes." Hoot was definitely a PILOT.
Posted by Mike Willey on May 8,2009 | 03:18AM
If Hoot Gibson wants to talk to someone with some experience like him, he should talk to John Erikson of Marietta, GA. He's a former F-16 pilot who served as a test pilot at Edwards and was training to fly the space shuttle when the challenger blew up. He now serves as a airline pilot for Delta.
Posted by Joseph Randall on May 21,2009 | 06:45PM
Some years back on my yearly pilgrimage to Oshkosh, I was interested in the group which called themselves "Museum of The Combat Jets", particularly to see the pilot who flew in MIG-15. I use to fly MIGs in the Czechoslovak Air Force, before the invasion of USSR in 1968 as fighter pilot. That is how I met Bob. At that time he was to me unknown person... another fellow pilot. My question to Hoot was, how many hours he has on that MIG-15. He answered that he has only twelve hours and he even does not know all the switches yet. That impressed me most. He was not kidding, like some "pilots" I met.I did offer to go through the cockpit. The MIG was identical to one I use to fly, only all the switches were marked in the Chinese characters. That was not a problem, we new the cockpit with the blindfolds on. After that, we were sitting under wing of the neighbor F-104 for about three hours exchanging stories and talking shop. Before we parted Hoot did ask if I can stay with the MIG on the static display for about three days and answer the questions from the public. He had some business to attend in Huston. I took that opportunity. The next day, reading the paper which was giving the biography of Robert "Hoot" Gibson I learned who Bob really is. After his return, we were chatting some more when I said: "Bob, we were talking shop for three hours and you never mentioned, that you fly the space shuttle as well." He answered: "It is just a glider"... of course he would have to answer many of my questions after that. For my part on the static display, Hoot presented me with the T-shirt, which I do wear it still today. That is how I met Bob. Modest, humble, friendly. Great guy. I am privileged to know him. PS: Bob in case you will read this let me know. I am inviting you for vacation in Czech Republic and to visit my fellow pilots from the Air Force. (jerry@javifix.com]
Posted by Jerry Milek on June 7,2009 | 09:27AM
Well I already knew the name of Robert "Hoot" very well, however his list impressed me pretty much. I feel now very small with my little tiny list of a dozen ish, terminating with a 737 which is rather less than a Space Shuttle. However his example is important for all those always wanting to improve themselves. Thanks Bob.
Posted by Manuel de Benedetti on August 9,2009 | 03:11AM