A sleek and stealthy military jet swooped low over the field and performed a series of maneuvers impossible for previous generation fighters. World War II warbirds grumbled fiercely through the air, including a quartet of T-6 Texans executing precise formation aerobatics while raspingly vocalizing in unison. A stock Stearman biplane, heavy and barely powered enough to get out of its own way, spun and rolled through a series of seemly physics-defying flight attitudes.
My first real airshows were Sun 'n' Fun 2005 and 2006. I was mesmerized by those experiences. Sun 'n' Fun 2006 marked the airshow debut of the F-22 Raptor with its jaw-dropping vectored thrust capabilities. All eyes were on the sky whenever the throaty chorus of the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team's World War II advanced trainers roared above. John Mohr demonstrated unnatural mastery of his Stearman, performing feats that left Dave -- my mentor and Stearman pilot -- utterly flabbergasted.
In the end, if there was anything about those airshows that left me ambivalent, it was the solo aerobatic acts flown in modern single engine piston aircraft with obscene thrust to weight ratios, flying versions of "crotch rocket" motorcycles. As I watched them whirl and tumble and blast skyward and hammerhead turn back to Earth, I was certainly impressed by the airmanship on display. But after watching multiple acts, I was not inspired. Over time, each routine exuded an almost monotonous sameness. The Aeroshell Team (now the Titan Aerobatic Team) captured my absolute attention every time I heard the distinctive guttural harmony of their vintage radial engines overhead. But I started tuning out the individual aerobatic acts after a while. Been there, done that.
Just when it seemed that the die of my opinion was cast on these types of aerobatic performers, one specific aviator caught my eye in 2010 at the Greatest Show on Turf airshow in Geneseo, NY. I paused to watch a lone aerobatic plane blasting through the ether, an all-black MX2 emblazed with advertisements from sponsor Window World, its pilot crisply executing a new maneuver on each percussive beat from the Pirates of the Caribbean score. I watched this airplane execute maneuvers I had never witnessed before and was awed by the precision and poetry expressed by the pilot at the controls. I stopped in my tracks and did not tear my eyes from the sky until the nimble ship returned to Geneseo's turf.
That pilot was Rob Holland.
Rob Holland performing at the Greatest Show on Turf in Geneseo, NY on 14 July 2012. |
As a pilot, Rob lived his mantras, which included "fly it like you stole it" and "fly good, don't suck". And there was no denying that Rob was good.
Rob Holland taxiing in from his routine in Geneseo, NY on 14 July 2012. |
I was not the only one who thought there was something special about Rob's flying. He is credited with the creation of several new aerobatic maneuvers and the list of accolades for this honorary Blue Angel is vast (from his website):
- Thirteen-time, consecutive, U.S. National Aerobatic Champion
- Six-time, World 4-minute Freestyle Champion
- Fourteen-time, U.S. 4-minute Freestyle Champion
- 2015 World Air Games Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2012 Art Scholl Award for Showmanship Recipient
- 2008 World Advanced Aerobatic Champion
- Ten-time U.S. Aerobatic Team Member (and five-time team captain)
- 37 Medals in International Competition (14 Gold)
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Rob Holland and me, Le Roy Airport, 14 July 2011. Photo by Ed B. |
Rob was not just an artist with stick and rudder, but a genuinely kindhearted, warm soul who was an approachable, articulate advocate for aviation. On July 14, 2011, I arrived at the Le Roy Airport to find Rob's one-of-a-kind MXS-RH parked on the ramp. Rob stood nearby chatting with airport owner Ray and my friend Ed. "Hey Chris!" Ed exclaimed when he saw me. "Want your picture taken with Rob Holland?" Rob just dropped in to Le Roy looking for a grassroots aviation community and he found one. He had no interest in being the celebrity or the center of attention, he just wanted to be around other pilots and swap stories. He listened more than he spoke.
The Bear with Rob Holland in Geneseo, NY on 9 July 2016. |
Five years later, The Bear attended her first airshow at Geneseo. We encountered Rob with his sleek MXS-RH in the main hangar and he was only too happy to share a quick moment with us. As Rob and his custom-built airplane tumbled unbelievably in the sky over Geneseo, I think that The Bear struggled to associate those aerobatic feats with the kindly, enthusiastic pilot she met earlier that day.
Rob Holland prepares for engine start at Geneseo on 9 July 2016. |
When tragedy strikes, it often does so with callous stealth. A trivial ferry flight to Langley Air Force Base on April 24, 2025 ended with a jammed control surface that extinguished the light cast by the most storied aerobatic pilot of our generation. Rob was 50 years old. The aviation community is shattered. I am heartbroken. Rob will be remembered for his talent, his aerobatic inventiveness, his genuine humanity, and his sense of humor.
"Fly good, don't suck." Words to fly by. Godspeed, Rob.