Gone West...

I own at least one copy of each of Bill's books. Bill brought a very useful
and valuable point of view and methodology to instructing. Many students
"need" numbers, their minds require the numerics and physics behind the
maneuver before they understand and accept the maneuver. Bill provided
this. I for one am and forever will be indebted to him for this alone.
Jim

> >I own at least one copy of each of Bill's books. Bill brought a very
> >useful
> > and valuable point of view and methodology to instructing. Many
students
> > "need" numbers, their minds require the numerics and physics behind the
> > maneuver before they understand and accept the maneuver. Bill provided
> > this. I for one am and forever will be indebted to him for this alone.
> > Jim
>
> I agree.
> Bill's books made it possible for instructors to couple technical
> information with creative teaching to present that information on levels
all
> students could understand.
> His input to aviation will long be remembered by those of us who benefited
> from his contribution.
> Dudley Henriques
>
>
This is sad news. In a way, he was already mised as his writing in AOPA
Pilot had become far less prolific, but I had no idea of the reason. I will
always remember some of the hilarious stories he told in his magazine
articles, and his books will continue to be invaluable learnend and training
tools.

Peter

"Stan Prevost" <stan@sprevost.net> wrote in message
news:12q8pq2nu59p8c3@corp.supernews.com...
> The last time I saw Bill's Aerobat, it was at my home field for annual. I
> understand it is going to the Smithsonian.

I hope so. I kidded him once about him being the only pilot alive who could
make that airplane look good doing a maneuver :-))
Dudley Henriques

I made the mistake of asking Catherine if she had had the chance to fly
a more real aerobatic plane than the 152. She looked at my with
indignation: "Are you casting aspersions on my Wilbur?" (Kershner's was
Orville)

Dudley Henriques wrote:
> "Stan Prevost" <stan@sprevost.net> wrote in message
> news:12q8pq2nu59p8c3@corp.supernews.com...
>> The last time I saw Bill's Aerobat, it was at my home field for annual. I
>> understand it is going to the Smithsonian.
>
> I hope so. I kidded him once about him being the only pilot alive who could
> make that airplane look good doing a maneuver :-))
> Dudley Henriques
>
>

aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant.
ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that.

dan



David Kazdan wrote:
> I made the mistake of asking Catherine if she had had the chance to fly
> a more real aerobatic plane than the 152. She looked at my with
> indignation: "Are you casting aspersions on my Wilbur?" (Kershner's was
> Orville)
>
> Dudley Henriques wrote:
> > "Stan Prevost" <stan@sprevost.net> wrote in message
> > news:12q8pq2nu59p8c3@corp.supernews.com...
> >> The last time I saw Bill's Aerobat, it was at my home field for annual. I
> >> understand it is going to the Smithsonian.
> >
> > I hope so. I kidded him once about him being the only pilot alive who could
> > make that airplane look good doing a maneuver :-))
> > Dudley Henriques
> >
> >

"houstondan" <danjones57@> wrote in message
news:1168490143.650219.283390@i56g2000hsf. o...
> aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant.
> ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that.
>
> dan

Actually, snaps are very good in both the Citabria and the Aerobat and
represent their "best" capability in the acro environment. It's the roll
rate that's the "problem" with these two airplanes. The drag in roll is so
great you need a disproportionate amount of vertical space to execute
anything in roll that even comes close to looking good. But if you learn to
use the airplanes correctly in that environment, you can at least make it
look "passable" :-)
Dudley Henriques

Dudley Henriques wrote:

> "houstondan" <danjones57@> wrote in message
> news:1168490143.650219.283390@i56g2000hsf. o...
>
>>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant.
>>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that.
>>
>>dan
>
>
> Actually, snaps are very good in both the Citabria and the Aerobat and
> represent their "best" capability in the acro environment. It's the roll
> rate that's the "problem" with these two airplanes. The drag in roll is so
> great you need a disproportionate amount of vertical space to execute
> anything in roll that even comes close to looking good. But if you learn to
> use the airplanes correctly in that environment, you can at least make it
> look "passable" :-)
> Dudley Henriques

Bob Hoover made a Shrike look pretty good ... at least to my eye! :-)

Matt

"Matt Whiting" <whiting@epix.net> wrote in message
news:oAzph.2061$Oc.134990@news1.epix.net...
> Dudley Henriques wrote:
>
>> "houstondan" <danjones57@> wrote in message
>> news:1168490143.650219.283390@i56g2000hsf. o...
>>
>>>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant.
>>>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that.
>>>
>>>dan
>>
>>
>> Actually, snaps are very good in both the Citabria and the Aerobat and
>> represent their "best" capability in the acro environment. It's the roll
>> rate that's the "problem" with these two airplanes. The drag in roll is
>> so great you need a disproportionate amount of vertical space to execute
>> anything in roll that even comes close to looking good. But if you learn
>> to use the airplanes correctly in that environment, you can at least make
>> it look "passable" :-)
>> Dudley Henriques
>
> Bob Hoover made a Shrike look pretty good ... at least to my eye! :-)
>
> Matt

You're right. Bob's speciality is "smooth" acro. In all the many years I've
watched and known him, I"ve never seen anyone quite as smooth with an
airplane as he has been.
Dudley Henriques

Dudley Henriques wrote:

> "Matt Whiting" <whiting@epix.net> wrote in message
> news:oAzph.2061$Oc.134990@news1.epix.net...
>
>>Dudley Henriques wrote:
>>
>>
>>>"houstondan" <danjones57@> wrote in message
>>>news:1168490143.650219.283390@i56g2000hsf.googl egro...
>>>
>>>
>>>>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant.
>>>>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that.
>>>>
>>>>dan
>>>
>>>
>>>Actually, snaps are very good in both the Citabria and the Aerobat and
>>>represent their "best" capability in the acro environment. It's the roll
>>>rate that's the "problem" with these two airplanes. The drag in roll is
>>>so great you need a disproportionate amount of vertical space to execute
>>>anything in roll that even comes close to looking good. But if you learn
>>>to use the airplanes correctly in that environment, you can at least make
>>>it look "passable" :-)
>>>Dudley Henriques
>>
>>Bob Hoover made a Shrike look pretty good ... at least to my eye! :-)
>>
>>Matt
>
>
> You're right. Bob's speciality is "smooth" acro. In all the many years I've
> watched and known him, I"ve never seen anyone quite as smooth with an
> airplane as he has been.
> Dudley Henriques

I've only seen him twice "in person", but he sure made it look easy.
I'd kill for half of his skill.

Matt

"Matt Whiting" <whiting@epix.net> wrote in message
news:VYzph.2066$Oc.135102@news1.epix.net...
> Dudley Henriques wrote:
>
>> "Matt Whiting" <whiting@epix.net> wrote in message
>> news:oAzph.2061$Oc.134990@news1.epix.net...
>>
>>>Dudley Henriques wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>"houstondan" <danjones57@> wrote in message
>>>>news:1168490143.650219.283390@i56g2000hsf.goog legro...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant.
>>>>>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that.
>>>>>
>>>>>dan
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Actually, snaps are very good in both the Citabria and the Aerobat and
>>>>represent their "best" capability in the acro environment. It's the roll
>>>>rate that's the "problem" with these two airplanes. The drag in roll is
>>>>so great you need a disproportionate amount of vertical space to execute
>>>>anything in roll that even comes close to looking good. But if you learn
>>>>to use the airplanes correctly in that environment, you can at least
>>>>make it look "passable" :-)
>>>>Dudley Henriques
>>>
>>>Bob Hoover made a Shrike look pretty good ... at least to my eye! :-)
>>>
>>>Matt
>>
>>
>> You're right. Bob's speciality is "smooth" acro. In all the many years
>> I've watched and known him, I"ve never seen anyone quite as smooth with
>> an airplane as he has been.
>> Dudley Henriques
>
> I've only seen him twice "in person", but he sure made it look easy. I'd
> kill for half of his skill.
>
> Matt

He is good; no doubt about it. Not only that, but he's consistently good,
and in the demonstration business, consistency is what keeps you alive. It's
easy to be good on any given day, but to remain good for the years Bob has
been flying professionally, is the true mark of his ability.
Dudley Henriques