Bob Hoover Shrike Twin Commander ride

Bob Hoover Shrike Twin Commander ride - like the old saying goes - right place at the right time. In 1984 I was working a volunteer for the now defunct Maple Leaf International Airshow held in Gimli Manitoba, and I was asked to pick up Mr. Bob Hoover and Mr. Jim Driskell at the Perimeter Aviation apron at the Winnipeg International Airport on Thursday June 7th, 1984. What a thrill to get to meet Mr. Hoover, was I nervous, you bet.

Mr. Hoover flew into Winnipeg CYWG airport in the P-51D Mustang while his narrator Mr. James "Jimmy" Driskell flew in the Shrike Commander. The weather that week was was awful, rainy and cloudy and the airshow organizers wondered if the performers would get in on time.

Thursday was media day and in Friday's Winnipeg Sun Newspaper, Bob Hoover flying his P-51D was on the cover. As I recall the Shrike Commander was white with orange and brown trim.

I picked up Mr. Hoover and Mr. Driskell around 4pm Thursday and took then over to the Polo Park Inn, on the way there I was asked to stop at the nearest liquor store so a bottle of Gibley's Dry Gin could be procured. Mr. Hoover and Mr. Driskell were the warmest funniest couple of guys you could meet, no airs, just fun loving.

On Friday, the airshow planes and performers headed up to Gimli airport where the airshow would be held on the weekend. On Friday night an airshow performers and volunteers BBQ was held in the old officers mess at the old CFB Gimli, what a party! I was amazed to see those RCAF T-33 pilots from CFB North Bay up and early the next morning if you my drift.

Saturday's airshow went off without a hitch, I even got to sit in Mr. Hoover's P-51D,  another hangar volunteer Bill McDonald snapped this photo of me in Bob Hoover's P-51D!

Ken Kalynuk in Bob Hoover's P-51D, Gimli 1984

Sunday morning, around 10am,  Bill McDonald (Bill worked at Bristol Aerospace) and and I were in the old wooden Gimli airforce hangar that housed the airshow performer's planes - same hangar the Air Cadet's are now in. Mr. Hoover walks in, "I going to flight check the Shrike Commander he says, you two guys want to come along" You bet we do and off we went. Mr. Hoover briskly took on runway33, holding the Shrike Commander just above the runway to pick up speed, Mr. Hoover then went into a zoom climb, talking continuously as he flew. At the apex of the zoom climb, Mr. Hoover said "watch my hat at 0 g", he pushed the nose down and his famous straw hat floated above his head as well the dust and debris that was in the aircraft floor carpet.

Mr. Hoover flew about 80% or so of the full airshow routine with us with him - dead stick loop and rolls and all that good stuff. I wish I had gotten some photos, I wonder if Bill McDonald did, why I didn't  take my clunky Pentax K1000 film camera out of my van and into the hangar with me that morning I don't know. We landed dead stick, rolled to the hangar and Bill and I went back to work in the hangar as the airshow would be starting in a few hours, slight stunned at our good fortune. I did get Mr. Hoover to autograph the airshow program page to my daughter Kelly!

There you have it, my Bob Hoover ride story at Gimli, a major aviation thrill! If anyone who reads this has has photos or video of the Gimli airshows, please email me kenkalynuk@gmail.com

A couple of photos of Mr. Hoovers P-51D, I did take that weekend.

Bob Hoover P-51D "Old Yeller" taxing at the Gimli Ramp 1984

Bob Hoover's Shrike Twin Commander behind the Pitts biplane

Bill McDonald fueling up Bob Hoover's P-51D at Gimli 1984

I wanted to add what a great guy Jimmy Driskell was, funny as hell, this not my photo below but one I found on the web of Bob Hoover and Jimmy Driskell together with the P-51.

Bob Hoover & Jimmy Driskell 1979, photo by Mike Berriochoa

Years later, my first trip to EAA Airventure Oshkosh in 2001, I was pleased to see that Mr. Hoover had a booth set up in one of the main exhibition hangars and get the opportunity to thank Mr. Hoover once gain for the Gimli ride.

A Youtube video from the 1986 Denver Air Show in 1986 helps to show the kind of a ride Bill & I got that Sunday morning in Gimli.