Latest news with #MXS-RH
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Award-winning pilot flew aircraft uniquely his own
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE (WAVY) — The custom-built carbon fiber plane that flew was unique and uniquely his own. The model from MX aircraft, based in Perth, Australia, was MXS-RH — with the RH standing for Rob Holland himself. Aerobatic pilot dies in crash at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton It was breathtaking when it went fast, and even awe-inspiring when it went slow. Holland had flown different types of the MXS over the years including a two-seat version. A typical MXS could cruise at 210 miles an hour and roll 420 degrees in a single custom version could roll even faster than that. 'It's really specifically built and designed for air shows,' said investigator Dan Boggs of the . 'Pilots that fly in air shows love the power that comes out of the engine.' Holland and the plane built entirely to his specs garnered oohs and ahs from crowds — as well as accolades as a world aerobatic champion, with 37 international medals, 14 of them gold. Holland was killed when he crashed near the runway Thursday morning. He was arriving and planning to perform in the show at the base, after refueling in Tennessee. Air show to go on following fatal plane crash at Langley Air Force Base 'We will be thinking about Rob and his family all weekend,' said Col. Matthew Altman, base commander. 'Not only do we think the air show is a great opportunity to welcome the community and still celebrate the joy of air power and all the inspiration that that brings, but we do hope that it's a tribute to his legacy, and really, his wizardry in the air.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Stunt pilot Rob Holland killed in plane crash before air show
Famed aerobatic pilot Rob Holland has died after a plane crash at the Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. His death on Thursday was announced in a statement on his official Facebook page. Mr Holland, 50, was due to perform this weekend at Air Power Over Hampton Roads, a popular air show at the Virginia base. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was investigating the crash of the experimental MX Aircraft MXS. Mr. Holland previously piloted the carbon-fibre, custom-built MXS-RH, a single-seater aircraft made by the same Australian company whose experimental plane crashed. He was approaching the runway "for a normal landing" when the crash happened, NTSB's lead investigator Dan Boggs said at a news conference on Friday. "There was no acrobatic (sic) manoeuvres or nothing planned at that time." Jim Bourke, president of the International Aerobatic Club, said Mr Holland "revolutionized our sport, not just within the USA but on the world stage, arriving on the aerobatic competition scene like a wrecking ball laying waste to everyone who challenged him". John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told the Associated Press, Mr Holland "demonstrated what the end of the road for a pursuit of excellence looks like". He performed at the 2023 edition of the biennial air show at the base and won several competitions for his daring stunts in the cockpit. He won the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships a record 13 consecutive times with his last win being in 2024. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Art Scholl Award, which is presented by the International Council of Air Shows. His website details a list of his 2025 appearances, including airshows in Chicago, Milwaukee and Gold Coast, Australia. Mr Holland was from New Hampshire and was a teenager when he first qualified as a pilot, according to his website. He also studied aviation at a now-defunct New Hampshire college. "Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday," the Facebook statement said. The air show this weekend is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors, the air base said a day before the crash.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Rob Holland: Stunt pilot killed in plane crash
Famed aerobatic pilot Rob Holland has died after a plane crash at the Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, death on Thursday was announced in a statement on his official Facebook Holland, 50, was due to perform this weekend at Air Power Over Hampton Roads, a popular air show at the Virginia National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was investigating the crash of the experimental MX Aircraft MXS. Mr. Holland previously piloted the carbon-fibre, custom-built MXS-RH, a single-seater aircraft made by the same Australian company whose experimental plane was approaching the runway "for a normal landing" when the crash happened, NTSB's lead investigator Dan Boggs said at a news conference on Friday. "There was no acrobatic (sic) manoeuvres or nothing planned at that time."Jim Bourke, president of the International Aerobatic Club, said Mr Holland "revolutionized our sport, not just within the USA but on the world stage, arriving on the aerobatic competition scene like a wrecking ball laying waste to everyone who challenged him".John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told the Associated Press, Mr Holland "demonstrated what the end of the road for a pursuit of excellence looks like".He performed at the 2023 edition of the biennial air show at the base and won several competitions for his daring stunts in the cockpit. He won the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships a record 13 consecutive times with his last win being in 2024. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Art Scholl Award, which is presented by the International Council of Air website details a list of his 2025 appearances, including airshows in Chicago, Milwaukee and Gold Coast, Holland was from New Hampshire and was a teenager when he first qualified as a pilot, according to his website. He also studied aviation at a now-defunct New Hampshire college."Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday," the Facebook statement air show this weekend is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors, the air base said a day before the crash.
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Rob Holland, aerobatic pilot, dies in crash at Langley Air Force Base
A professional air show and aerobatic pilot for more than 20 years, Holland was a 13-time US national aerobatic champion, a six-time world four-minute freestyle champion, and the 2015 World Air Games freestyle gold medalist, according to his website. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Holland had been planning to fly this weekend in Air Power Over Hampton Roads, an air show at Langley, according to the event's website. The show, which also features military jets such as the F-22 Raptor, attracts thousands of spectators. Advertisement Langley confirmed a crash had occurred but did not immediately release further information. An NTSB investigator was expected to arrive at Langley on Friday, the agency said. The investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft. The plane will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation, the board said. Holland's website says that he flew an MXS-RH aircraft, which it described as 'a one-of-a-kind, all-carbon-fiber masterpiece,' designed to his specifications by the MX Aircraft Co. in North Carolina. Advertisement Weighing a relatively light 1,200 pounds and powered by a 380-horsepower engine, the single-seat plane was capable of 'pulling 16 positive and negative G's, and rolls at nearly 500 degrees per second,' the website says. Holland had a custom harness to keep him secure in the plane, the website says, and wore a helmet and a custom-built parachute for emergencies. Videos of Holland's performances show him flying giant loops and tumbling and rolling in his plane, which appeared at times to stall in midair, all while releasing a trail of white smoke. The moves had names like Frisbee and double hammerhead. 'One of my goals is to take aerobatics to the next level,' he was quoted as saying on his website. 'I want to push the limits of what can be done.' John Cudahy, the president and CEO of the International Council of Air Shows, said in an interview Thursday that Holland was 'very well known in the whole industry and very well respected in the whole industry.' It was not clear, he said, what caused his plane to crash. While he was known for daring flying maneuvers, Holland was an 'advocate for air show safety and professionalism and doing things with practice — all the things you would expect of a professional pilot,' Cudahy said. 'He was sort of a poster boy for that.' Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut who has been chosen by President Trump to serve as the next NASA administrator, was among those mourning Holland. 'Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Rob Holland — an airshow legend,' he wrote on social media. Advertisement Holland has said he fell in love with aerial tricks as a boy, when he saw a plane flying upside down at an air show. From then on, he said, all his model planes hung upside down in his bedroom. He earned a pilot's license as a teenager and began flying aerobatics almost immediately, while also working as a corporate pilot, commuter pilot, flight instructor and ferry pilot, and operating his own aerobatic flight school, his website says. A 1997 graduate of Daniel Webster College in New Hampshire, where he studied aviation, he had logged more than 15,000 hours of flight time in more than 180 types of aircraft, according to his website. 'Rob was one of the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history,' the statement on his Facebook page said. 'Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday.' This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stunt pilot Rob Holland dies in plane crash at Langley Air Force Base
Stunt pilot Rob Holland died in a plane crash at Langley Air Force Base on Thursday, according to a statement on his official social media page. "Rob was one of the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history," the announcement on his Facebook page said. "Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday." Holland was on approach to the air base when the crash took place, the National Transportation Safety Board said, according to CBS affiliate WTKR. The NTSB described the plane as an "experimental MX Aircraft MXS" in a post on social media. The NTSB, the Federal Aviation of Administration and the Department of Defense will investigate the accident, WTKR said, with investigators expected to arrive at the base on Friday. "Today we lost a friend of our Air Force family," said Col. Matthew Altman, Joint Base Langley-Eustis commander, in a news conference after the crash, according to WKTR. "On behalf of our entire JBLE team, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of this incredible aviator." Langley Air Force Base told WTKR that the crash was related to the upcoming Air Power Over Hampton Roads Air Show. Holland was expected to fly during the biennial event, according to its website. The show is expected to take place as scheduled on April 26 and 27, WTKR reported. Holland qualified for his pilot license as a teenager and went on to become a legend in his field, earning 37 international competition medals during his career as an airshow performer and freestyle acrobatic competition pilot, according to his website. Holland flew a "one-of-a-kind, all carbon-fiber" custom-built MXS-RH single-seat airplane, according to his website. The aircraft included design modifications suggested by Holland and was able to perform unique airshow maneuvers. The Langley Air Force Base is in Hampton, Virginia. Sneak peek: The Detective's Wife Russian foreign minister on latest Kyiv strikes: "We only target military goals" Judge halts own order demanding Kilmar Abrego Garcia updates
