Robert Anderson “Bob” Hoover

He escaped captivity and flew a German fighter on to safety.

Robert Anderson Hoover was born in Nashville on 24 January 1922 and learned to fly while still young. During the Second World War he became a United States Army Air Forces fighter pilot, flying in the Mediterranean. Shot down in 1944, he became a German prisoner of war.

After escaping in 1945, he reached a German airfield, took an Fw 190 fighter and flew to Allied-held territory. His decorations included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier's Medal, Air Medal, Purple Heart and French Croix de Guerre.

After the war Hoover tested aircraft at Wright Field, including captured enemy types. He served as alternate pilot for the Bell X-1 programme and flew chase when Chuck Yeager exceeded the speed of sound in October 1947. Civilian test flying for Allison and North American Aviation followed.

He became internationally famous for precise aerobatic displays in the P-51 Mustang and Shrike Commander, including demonstrations of energy management with both engines stopped. His later aviation honours included induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Hoover died on 25 October 2016, aged 94, after a career linking combat flying, experimental aircraft and public airshow performance.