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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
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Inspiring' Stunt Pilot Dies After Crash Landing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia
A famous stunt pilot died after crashing his custom-built experimental aircraft at Joint Base Langley-Eustis on Thursday, just days before he was scheduled to perform during an air show at the Virginia military installation. Rob Holland, a multicompetition-winning aerobatic pilot who had performed in front of millions of audience members, died after a crash at the Hampton, Virginia, military base, according to a post on his company's Facebook page. He was scheduled to perform at the Air Power over Hampton Roads air show this upcoming weekend. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I am sharing that Rob Holland lost his life today, 24 April 2025, in an accident," the post on his company's Facebook page said. "Rob was one of the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history." Read Next: Fort Cavazos Soldier Gets Life in Prison After Horrific String of Attacks on Female Troops in Barracks Col. Matthew Altman, commander of the 633d Air Base Wing, told reporters Thursday that the crash occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time during final approach to the base's runway ahead of the air show. "Tragically, in that loss, we lost a great friend to the Air Force," Altman said. "On behalf of all of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, all the friends and family of the pilot, just want to offer our deepest, deepest condolences." Altman told reporters in a follow-up press conference Friday that the Air Power over Hampton Roads show this weekend would still be going on as planned. "I've always had a deep respect for those who fly, and over the last 24 hours, I've gained even more of a tremendous appreciation for the aviators and professionals that orchestrate these air shows and the air show community," Altman said. "Based on consultation and their strong recommendation, consultation with the NTSB and our team's preparedness to execute a safe air show, we've decided to proceed." National Transportation Safety Board Air Safety Investigator Daniel Boggs told reporters during that same press conference on Friday that an investigation is ongoing into how the pilot lost control during landing and crashed on terrain between the taxiway and one of the runways at the military base. Boggs said the plane was a single-seat, single-engine MSX experimental aircraft that was "specifically built and designed for air shows," adding that it had nearly double the horsepower of a typical plane its size. The pilot was coming in for a standard landing and was not performing any acrobatic functions at the time of the crash. A final report into the cause of the crash is expected within 12 to 18 months, Boggs said. Holland was a 13-time consecutive U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, a six-time World 4-minute freestyle champion, a 10-time U.S. Aerobatic Team Member and a 2015 World Air Games Freestyle Gold Medalist, among other accolades, according to his website. John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told in an interview that Holland was a legendary member of the air show community. "He was one of the best aerobatic pilots, maybe ever, and we were all very fortunate to be able to watch him perform for these last 25 years or so," Cudahy said. "He was sort of the personification of professionalism, hard work, just amazing attention to detail as far as safety and his own practice and preparation." Related: Do Air Shows Really Help Military Readiness and Recruiting? Congress Plans to Find Out.
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Rob Holland, aerobatic air show 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 U.S. 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 N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. 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 morning, 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 Donald 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 .
New York Times
24-04-2025
- General
- New York Times
Rob Holland, Aerobatic Pilot, Dies in Crash at Langley Air Force Base
Rob Holland, a well-known aerobatic pilot, died on Thursday when his custom-built carbon fiber plane crashed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, where he had been preparing to fly in an air show this weekend, according to a statement on his Facebook page. The Federal Aviation Administration said that the plane, an MXS model built by the MX Aircraft Company, crashed while trying to land at Langley at around 11:50 a.m. The F.A.A. and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the cause of the accident. The federal agencies did not identify the pilot, who was the only person in the plane. But the statement on Mr. Holland's Facebook page confirmed that it was him. A professional air show and aerobatic pilot for more than 20 years, Mr. Holland was a 13-time U.S. national aerobatic champion, a six-time world four-minute freestyle champion and the 2015 World Air Games freestyle gold medalist, according to his website. Mr. 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. Langley confirmed a crash had occurred but did not immediately release further information. An N.T.S.B. investigator was expected to arrive at Langley on Friday morning, 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. Mr. 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 Company in North Carolina. 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. Mr. 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 Mr. 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 chief executive of the International Council of Air Shows, said in an interview on Thursday that Mr. 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, Mr. 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,' Mr. 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 Mr. Holland. 'Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Rob Holland — an airshow legend,' he wrote on social media. Mr. 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.'
